Question #2…Why did you create Synergy Station?
Question #2 – Why did you create Synergy Station in the first place?
Questions lead to an idea for a business which lead to the creation of www.synergystation.com
I had been trekking up to the western North Dakota and the eastern Montana area presenting a business planning workshop for a safety course designed by the DOT (Department of Transportation) for about a year. Over time I began to realize that the Bakken Boom was more than just a boom. Due to advancements in horizontal drilling, and sectional hydraulic fracturing in the Williston Basin, serious industry and infrastructure was beginning to develop. This wasn’t a boom – it was going to be a way of life and livelihood for a lot of folks….for a very long time.
I don’t think I fully appreciated just how big the Bakken opportunity was until I went up to the area with the Big Sky Economic Development Authority. Prior to this trip I had simply travelled up and back with day trips. After all – there is “NO PLACE TO STAY” in the oil patch. With the Big Sky EDA we were able to spend more time in the area; meeting with community leaders and business owners involved in oil field exploration and development. The experience was life changing. By the time I got home and off the bus my eyes were spinning in my head. I had truly never seen anything like it ! I couldn’t even get an intelligent sentence out of my mouth when I tried to share the experience with my husband. So I did the next best thing – I took him up there the next week to see for himself. Kendall is retired military with a logistics background – he saw things I didn’t. We learned together as we talked to folks in the aisles of WalMart, the streets of downtown Williston, and at convenience stores diesel pumps.
People who had lost everything somewhere else in this country due to the economic downturn, were flocking to the Bakken to try and recapture their American dream. Folks were living out of their cars and trucks in the WalMart parking lot. The school district in Williston, ND had over 100 kids who were homeless enrolled in the Fall of 2011. Their families were living in some type of temporary/makeshift housing situation. There are reported to be over 18,000 openings in the oil patch….but where do you find the jobs? how do you get trained? where to you live? The wait staff in some of the restaurants were on six month work visas from foreign countries. When we asked folks in the area what do you need? They replied “Everything” !
How do you prioritize everything? How do you as a business owner, whether you are an oil field service company or a business in Billings, MT take advantage of the Bakken opportunity? How do you get your foot in the door?
We launch Synergy Station in an attempt to help. Our main goal is to help with the 24 / 7 /365 chaos throughout the Bakken marketplace. We primarily focus on communication, collaboration, and education – but we also connect folks to the Bakken opportunity through networking and good old fashion word of mouth referrals. There’s that old saying that you are six people from knowing everyone on the planet – well – in Montana you are 1 1/2 people from knowing everyone else in the state. North Dakota operates much the same way.
Our Synergy Station Hiring Hall will be launching in May 2012 – it’s designed to connect employers and potential employees. Our Synergy Station Directory is designed to help business owners find each other. It’s more than just a directory – its a way to get found by those trying to find you. We’ll discuss this a bit more under a FAQ about the directory.
We started Synergy Station as a project, but we had a lot of business owners come to us and tell us that if we turned our idea, our project into a business they would come along side us to make it happen. After all - as a project we could just wake up one day and stop writing a check to fund this favorite charity of ours; thereby derailing the momentum and potential of this site.
Our ultimate goal is to help. We only succeed if we make a difference. All of us have a piece of information. All of us know someone, who knows someone….etc. The station is not about us - it’s about all the folks that participate on the station.
We want to hear from you ! We treasure your feedback ! We want you to tell us what you need ! We want you to help us make this huge economic opportunity happen for as many people as possible !
