Young Entrepreneur Invests in Her Hometown

Mark Moore, Contributor

If you were thinking about establishing a business venture, your first thought probably wouldn't be to do it in Kinsley, Kansas. With a population of under 1,500, this southwest Kansas town probably doesn't scream business opportunities. But, you're not Ellie Bowman.

Born and raised in rural Kansas, Bowman's journey to successful business owner was forged in her upbringing in Lewis, Kansas. "Our family has been farming in Edwards County for six generations," Bowman says. "The farm is a huge part of my life. I spent most of my youth in 4-H showing cattle."

She attended Kansas State University and found her place in the agribusiness program. With a strong business mindset, Bowman also knew the financial struggles in agriculture. "My father, Jimbob, worked in agricultural maintenance all his life, and my mother worked on her family's farm and managed her own farm," Bowman says. "I knew I wanted to return, but I needed to find my place."

That opportunity opened while in her junior year of college. The local lumberyard was for sale. The owner wanted to retire and was looking for someone to take over the business. "Someone was talking to my dad and said that if he were younger, he'd be a perfect fit," Bowman says. "And, this light bulb came on, and I said, 'That's what we are going to do. We are going to buy a lumberyard.'"

With her family's support, Bowman laid the foundation. Her parents became her business partners, and with the help of the owner of the lumberyard, she quickly learned the ropes. "I went to my banker, I went to a small business administrative association in Dodge City, I worked on a business plan," Bowman says. "I just dug in and took a huge leap."

She closed the doors of the lumberyard, and three days later rebranded it into Prickly Pear Farm and Home. It still serves as a lumberyard, but it's more -- a lot more.

SERVING A NEED

"I knew that in rural America, there's not a lot of building going on. We needed to be more than a building center or lumberyard," Bowman says. Today, she describes Prickly Pear Farm and Home as a one-stop shop.

"When we started the business, we were asking our customers what they wanted or needed," she says. "We started with a good base inventory, but we want to help every person who walks through our door. We want you to leave with success, whether that be we sent you somewhere else because we didn't have what you needed, or we worked with you to solve your needs."

Bowman also saw a need in her local community and worked to fill that need. "We cater to agriculture, so we go with those ag cycles," she says. "But, our customers don't often have the time to drive 30 minutes one way to get a bolt or drive an hour to get the materials to fix a PVC line," she says. "We fill a need, and that's why I felt secure purchasing the store. I know there are those that will drive out of their way because it might be cheaper. We're not upset if they do, because we know we have a growing loyal customer base who know they get great service from us anytime they walk through the door."

To keep the right things in stock, Bowman carefully analyzes buying trends and asks questions. "We listen to our customers, because they are the ones supporting us, and they are the ones who come to our store knowing what we have. I would rather listen to what the customer has to say and bring in what they need. If you do that, they will come back."

EXPANSION ON THE HORIZON

Investing in rural Main Street isn't stopping with Kinsley. Bowman, who doubled the sales of her first store in just one year, is in the process of rebranding a hardware store in Elkhart, Kansas, to a second Prickly Pear location. Here, too, the same rules apply. "The current store serves a vital need in the community," Bowman says. "And, I am working to fill that need."

Listening to the customer is the bedrock to Bowman's business plan. "You could stock an item that you might not think is important, but then you have customers come in and tell you different," she says. "You know that saying, 'The customer is always right'? They absolutely are if they're spending money with you. And, in a rural community, customer service beats price 99% of the time."

Bowman's also discovering that the local community is eager to support local businesses. "They want us to succeed because they want the community to succeed," she says. "That's what makes rural America so great, and a great place to have my business."

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