Five local entrepreneurs present business plans during SparkNIGHT event

HANNIBAL, Mo. — Five local entrepreneurs and small business owners put their business plans on display to the public at the first SparkNIGHT event on Sept. 13 at the Rialto in downtown Hannibal.

The night started with a one-hour trade show environment where the participating entrepreneurs informally presented their business plans to investors. For the remainder of the event, the doors were opened to the public, and each entrepreneur gave a formal presentation about their project.

The five businesses participating in SparkNIGHT were PFM Machining of Monroe City, The Quarry House of Hannibal, Langhorne Meats and Provisions, Peter Seume and Jenni Averill with the Star Theater, and Lady Grey’s Botanicals and Tea.

Miranda Sims, owner of Lady Grey’s Botanicals and Tea, said SparkNIGHT was an opportunity to build excitement around her new business. She said learned about the process of starting her own business but also learned how other entrepreneurs have started their businesses.

“I felt positive encouragement the entire time and made many great connections,” Sims said in a press release. “Being part of this event has grown my confidence as an entrepreneur and my pride in my community.”

“If you missed Spark Night, you missed a great opportunity to see how great the economic potential is to small businesses in the Hannibal area,” said Hal Benedict, CFO of HNB Bank and president of the Hannibal Regional Economic Development Council.

Ignite began in 2020 as an entrepreneurial development program to help entrepreneurs and small
businesses from startup to succession. The program provides a supportive culture, access to capital, networking opportunities, and business and technical assistance to entrepreneurs in Marion, Ralls, Pike, Lewis, Clark, Monroe and Shelby counties.

Ignite is a partnership between Hannibal Regional Economic Development Council, the Small Business Development Center and the Hannibal Chamber of Commerce. It is dedicated to creating an ecosystem that attracts, creates, supports and accelerates new and existing businesses in Northeast Missouri.