NCBAT Honors a Charter Member
At the February meeting of the Nemaha County Business Assistance Team (NCBAT) in Auburn, Linda Myers was honored with a plaque and lifetime membership by the group. Jeff Reynolds, REAP Program Director, was on hand to surprise Linda with the award.

Linda is a charter member of the association, which got its start in 1994. Linda served as an officer several times through the years and has been an active member in the association’s many community activities.

Linda was owner and manager of Midwest Business Systems in Auburn. At the end of 2003 she retired from the business and planned to retire her group membership. In granting a lifetime membership to Linda, the group hopes she will continue her involvement with them as much as possible.

Cass County Forms a New Association
With the support of the Plattsmouth Main Street Program, Plattsmouth Foundation, and REAP, entrepreneurs in Cass County have formed a new REAP Association. They will be known as CCASH-Cass County Association for Small Business Help. The new association is hosting the Business Plan Basics course in March.

Loan Tree SBA Hosts Legal Services Attorney Steve Virgil
The Loan Tree Small Business Association (Merrick County) hosted Steve Virgil of Nebraska Legal Services at their January meeting. Steve presented information about the advantages and disadvantages of various legal structures for small businesses. He was available for individual consultations and is open to scheduling appointments with REAP members.

Celebrate Once in Awhile
As many of our REAP associations mature and continue to meet and do great things for their members and communities, it’s good to take time to celebrate!

In February, the Richardson County Business Development Association had an evening out and dinner at the Falls City Country Club. They celebrated their 5-year anniversary as a group, and it turned out to be a great membership recruiting event as well, with at least four potential new members attending.

Saying thanks to each other and celebrating can give your members and the association a nice boost of energy to continue on behalf of current and future business owners in the community.