Gatherings on the Prairie, a Washburn SBDC success story

2005 Emerging Business of the Year
Name of Business	Gatherings on the Prairie, LLC
Nature of Business	Retail home décor and gifts
Owner	Rob Dudley and Rick Munson
Location	615 N. Washington, Junction City, KS 66441
County	Geary County
Phone	785-238-7300
Website	www.gatheringsontheprairie.com
Business Structure	Limited Liability Company
Business Began	September, 13, 2003
Employees at Start Up	3
Employees in 2006	4
Revenues in Year	$300,000
2007 Sales Forecast	$330,000
Start Up Capital	$215,000
Source of Initial Capital	Bank Line of Credit for $150,000
KSBDC Counselor	Washburn University KSBDC Staff

After working at Wal-Mart for nearly 20 years, Rob Dudley felt dissatisfied with his career. So, he left the company in search of something better. After a visit to the famous Nell Hills home décor store in Atchison, Kansas, Rob found something better and said to Rick Munson, his business partner, “This is what I want to do.”

Rob spent the next year working with the Kansas Small Business Development Center at Washburn University to create his business plan and research business start-up costs for his retail home décor and gift store. Following his thorough research, Rob opened his store and welcomed more than 100 customers in the first ten minutes of his opening day.

Rob’s unique home décor and gift store has continued to pique interests of consumers by carrying a stylish line of decorating products and providing exceptional customer service. Clearly, Rob’s distinctive eye for decorating and his business savvy have helped to ensure the future success of this small-town retail store.

Since earning a small profit in the first year of operation, Gatherings on the Prairie has seen a 250% increase in sales, but Rob doesn’t want to stop there. “I need to increase my floor space to bring in more merchandise that my customers are requesting.”
The KSBDC continues to help Rob grow his company. On his assistance from the KSBDC, Rob offers, “The Small Business Development Center is an invaluable tool to be able to sit down with a professional to help make your business goals happen.”