Efactory, Missouri SBDC partner with Great Game to expand biz training

A new collaboration expanding access to business consultation and training involving Missouri State University and the Great Game of Business Inc. is set to launch this fall.

MSU’s Efactory and the Missouri Small Business Development Center are partnering with the open-book style management system company on the initiative, according to a news release. Two Missouri SBDC business consultants will be certified GGOB coaches, enabling them to support small-business clients across the region with customized consulting and implementation strategies.

“The Great Game of Business builds a culture grounded in financial literacy,” said Chrystal Irons, director of Missouri SBDC at MSU, in the release. “It’s never too early – and a business is never too small – to understand the story the numbers tell. When people see how their actions influence financial outcomes, it turns understanding into ownership. This partnership brings a game-changing methodology within reach for businesses of all sizes.”

The Efactory plans to launch a calendar of in-person GGOB training opportunities beginning this fall, according to the release. These sessions, which include financial literacy, will be available to businesses already using GGOB, as well as those looking to strengthen financial understanding, improve team alignment and build more engaged, results-driven teams.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Efactory and the Missouri SBDC to bring the Great Game to more small businesses in our own backyard,” said Kristi Stringer, president of GGOB, in the release. “This partnership is about more than just teaching a business system – it’s about empowering local entrepreneurs with the tools to build open, engaged and resilient organizations.”

GGOB is the open-book management division of SRC Holdings Corp., led by President and CEO Jack Stack. In 1992, Stack wrote “The Great Game of Business,” which details his democratic style of running companies, advocating for employers to be open about and discuss financial decisions and situations with employees, according to Springfield Business Journal archives.

The Efactory has already begun integrating GGOB tools into its entrepreneurship intern pilot program, which is available to Efactory incubator members and MSU students, according to past reporting.

“Jack Stack changed the way we think about running a business,” said Rachel Munday, Efactory executive director, in the release. “To grow that legacy by making GGOB more available to organizations across the region is a big win for our entire community.”

The partnership is funded through a community revitalization grant program from the Missouri Department of Economic Development. Cape Girardeau-based technology incubator Codefi LLC and Efactory received over $2 million from the grant, according to a separate news release. The grant program was funded through the American Rescue Plan Act. The local funding is in support of the Southern Missouri Innovation Network, dubbed Innovate SOMO, in which Efactory and Codefi provide entrepreneurial support in southern Missouri.

The partnership announcement comes after MSU recently was selected by the DED to administer nearly $3 million in entrepreneurial support funding from the federal government. The funding calls for the creation of the Missouri Technical Assistance Program, which involves training, in-person and virtual classes and one-on-one consultations for entrepreneurs statewide, including in rural areas.

Efactory and Codefi are hosting programming and announcements April 21-25 in conjunction with Innovate SOMO week.