Thinking Bigger Guide for KC

A SPECIAL EDITION FROM THINKING BIGGER BUSINESS MEDIA // 2018-2019

TH E

TH IN KIN G

B IG G E R

• THINKING BIGGER BUSINESS MEDIA INC. // THE THINKING BIGGER GUIDE FOR KC ENTREPRENEURS // 2018-2019 •

GUIDE KC FO R

E N T R E P R E N E U R S + G R O W I N G B U S I N E S S E S

Office Space

Established + Growing

Resource Directory

Lease, Buy or Cowork?

Expand Your Horizons

Help Is Out There

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Offices Worldwide

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THE BIGGER PICTURE

At Any Business Stage, Start Here

T

oday, we carry access to a world of information in our pockets

with infinite answers at your fingertips,

or purses. A smartphone can

sometimes it’s easier to have a short

answer nearly any question on demand.

list or a go-to for certain information:

What should you consider before starting a business? How do you keep drama away from

a trusted source with relevant, curated material.

work when you work with your family members?

That’s what you have in your hands: Thinking Bigger’s

Where can you go in Kansas City for a small loan?

KC Guide for Entrepreneurs & Growing Businesses. In

You can type any of these questions into a browser

it, Thinking Bigger has curated advice from experts

and get thousands of answers in return — which can

and compiled a resource guide for organizations that

then generate more questions: What do you click on

can assist your business at any stage.

first? Who is answering the question? Why should

Keep the Guide handy for moments when questions

you take one website’s advice over another?

do pop into your head, and start here. We’ve done

It’s information overload. You might just close your

the sorting and fact-checking so you can get a quick

browser in frustration and vow to try again later.

answer — and then get back to business.

Katie Be an

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For all the wonders of the internet,

// Edi to r & Managing D irec to r // kbean@iThinkBigger.com

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MAJOR SPONSORS

THANK YOU to the following major sponsors whose investment helps to make this publication possible for Kansas City’s entrepreneurs

Affinity Worldwide Axcet HR Bennett Packaging Company Blue Cross Blue Shield Kansas City Burns & McDonnell Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Mark One Electric Company Inc. Towner Communications

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K C E DI T I O N // I T H I N KBIGGER .CO M

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TABLE OF CONTENTS // 2018-2019

SEED & DEVELOPMENT

18

By the Numbers

19

Charting Your Course: Starting a Business

20 Look Before You Leap 22 Don’t Gamble With Your Venture 24 Business Entity Comparisons 25 Productivity Tools for Professionals on the Go

LAUNCH & ADAPT

30 7 Things to Do After Starting an LLC 32 What is Equity Crowdfunding?

34 Better Hires Lead to Better Customer Service

ESTABLISHED & GROWING

38 Invest in the Power of Training 40 Avoid the Blurred Lines of Harassment 42 ‘Ban the Box’ Expands in Kansas City, Mo. 44 6 Employment Issues Every Small Business Should Address 46 No Drama From Mama 48 Transform your Employees Into Ambassadors 50 Hiring? Marketing Makes It Rain Resumes 52 Dress Code: Le Freak or So Chic?

54 3 Tips to Collecting Debt as a Small Business Owner 56 Glossary of Financial Terms 58 Finding the Right Funding for Your Business

BIG DECISIONS Deciding on what type of commercial space to occupy and whether to lease or buy can define the overall success of a business. But those decisions don’t have to be hasty or reactive. With the proper tools and guidelines, the right space for your business is just around the corner.

12 FEATURE

THE GREAT OFFICE SPACE

CONUNDRUM

60 Know Your Numbers 62 Finding the Right Media Mix for Your Small Business 64 Should You Start a Podcast?

66 3 Things You’re Doing Wrong With Referrals 8

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To lease or buy — or cowork? What businesses at any stage should consider before choosing a new location

The co-founders of Angel Competition Bikinis, Karah Jones and Lauren Beeves, bought the company's first building in 2018. It was a challenging process, Jones said.

L AUNCH & ADAPT

EXPAN S IO N

R ES O U R C E D I R ECTO RY

32 What is Equity Crowdfunding?

82 How Certification Can Work for You

92 Tools for Building Your Company

Learn the ropes of this new investment option

Decide whether the paperwork is worth it

Find resources available to help your business K C E DI T I O N // I T H I N KBIGGER .CO M

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TABLE OF CONTENTS // 2018-2019

EXPANSION

78 Develop the Road Map for Your Company’s Future

PRODUCED BY

80 What’s Next For You and Your Small Business?

Thinking Bigger Business Media Inc. ADMINISTRATIVE

82 Supplier Diversity and Certification

Katie Bean // Editor & Managing Director

84 Searching for Answers on Google Rankings?

Lisa Rockett //Sales Manager PRODUCTION & GRAPHICS

86 How 8(a) Can Help Your Business

Rivet // Design Consultants //wearerivet.com Valerie Janes & Emma Willcockson // Design Katie West // Production GUEST WRITERS

Chris Brown, Alexandra Cook, Tim Denker,

MATURE & EXITING

Aaron Fulk, Narbeli Galindo, Jim Holland, Kat Hungerford, Dean Kaplan, J. Elise Keith,

88 8 Ways to Maximize Sale Price

Jeff Julian, Jenny Kincaid Julian, Stephanie Landis,

90 How Will Your Business Survive You?

Darryl Mattox, Mike Montague, Jennifer Niehouse, Mike Plunkett, Jeff Randoph, Aaron Reese, Christy Rogers, Ritchie Sayner, Sheila Seck, Tim Sernett, Mary Shannon, Janet Smith, Susan K. Spaulding, Sarah Stork Meyer,

RESOURCE GUIDE

Wayne Strickland, Bill Strout, Belinda Waggoner, Kevin Williams, Hank Zerbe

93 Index: Areas of Assistance 99 Index: Business Stage 103 Resource Guide 127 Chambers of Commerce 130 Municipal Government Listings

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Read More Online Now you can enjoy all the benefits of the Thinking Bigger Guide For KC Entrepreneurs with our digital edition.

This convenient new format benefits entrepreneurs and business owners who are on the go. Access the latest Guide—as well as past issues—in one place.

FOR ARTICLE REPRINTS

Contact ReprintPros // Jeremy Ellis (949) 702-5390 or www.reprintpros.com Copyright © 2018, Thinking Bigger Business Media, Inc. All rights reserved. The information gathered and opinions expressed by the authors are intended to communicate information and are not necessarily the views of this publication. The intent of this publication is to provide business professionals with informative and interesting articles and news. These articles, and any opinions expressed in them, are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual or business. Appropriate legal, accounting, financial or medical advice or other expert assistance

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should always be sought from a competent professional. We are not responsible for the content of any paid advertisements. Reproduction or use, without permission, of editorial or graphic content, in any manner is prohibited. Thinking Bigger Business(ISSN 1068-2422) is published 12 times a year by Thinking Bigger Business Media, Inc. Subscriptions are $24.99 per year. This amount includes varying sales taxes, which are contingent upon the location in which the publication is sold. Standard

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Mail Postage Paid at Shawnee Mission, KS.

BUSINESS LIFE CYCLE All businesses go through phases. The KC Guide for Entrepreneurs & Growing Businesses has advice and resources for companies at any stage.

SECTION

SECTION

SEED & DEVELOPMENT

LAUNCH & ADAPT

Take the right steps when starting a new business venture to get off on the right foot. Consider regulatory, legal and financial implications.

Get the ball rolling and pivot as needed. Listen to customers and refine products.

Page 17

Page 29

SECTION

ESTABLISHED & GROWING Put processes into place to keep things running smoothly. Refine hiring practices. Research financing options to ease cash crunches. Decide what type of marketing reaches customers and fits the firm’s persona.

SECTION

SECTION

EXPANSION

MATURE & EXITING

Embark on strategic planning initiatives to ensure continued growth. Find out whether new markets, verticals or certifications can take the business to the next level.

Consider next steps for the company. Put a succession plan in place or devise an exit strategy.

Page 87

Page 77 Page 37

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FEATURE STORY // BY MIKE PLUNKETT

THE

GREAT OFFICE SPACE

CONUNDRUM To lease or to buy? Considerations for your business at any stage

BY MIKE PLUNKETT

T

he sign for Miss Maria’s Gymnastics is still on the front door of Angel Competition Bikinis’ new headquarters on 87th Street Parkway in Lenexa.

Karah Jones, ACB’s co-founder and CEO, said removing the logo of the former tenant is one of the final to-dos in completing the building conversion that began in January 2018.

Jones is thrilled to be here—but it wasn’t love at first sight. “When I first walked into this building, I was like ‘Uh, this will not work,’” she said, speaking of when she and her twin sister Lauren Beeves first saw the location last fall.

Jones and Beeves founded Angel Competition Bikinis in 2013. The sisters wanted to provide a high-quality suit for those like them who competed in the bikini division of female bodybuilding competitions.

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After starting in Jones’ apartment on Rainbow Boulevard, then running the business out of a rental home in Mission, it was time to find a building to create and distribute the suits.

They had their heart set on another location, but the landlord there wanted only to lease. Jones and Beeves knew they wanted to buy for investment reasons, so they were disappointed.

A real estate agent showed them the building on 87th Street Parkway, and after their initial hesitation, they saw the potential the building and the surrounding area offered the business. They paid $605,000 for the property, and after some delays due to their lending, finally moved in.

Deciding on what type of commercial space to occupy and whether to lease or buy can define the overall success of a business.

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And in a hot market with an abundance of information available at your fingertips, choices have to be made quickly.

But those decisions don’t have to be hasty or reactive. With the proper tools and guidelines, the right space for your business is just around the corner.

SEEK KNOWLEDGE, NOT JUST DATA

In the digital age, it’s easy to get lots of information about spaces.

The democratization of technology and the desire for instant gratification makes it simpler for business owners to bypass real estate agents and go straight to the landlord.

Niki Bradshaw, managing partner of Eastbrook Properties, said that for business owners, “the world is your oyster. You can find out whatever you want.”

Eastbrook Properties is a family-owned,

Twin sisters Karah Jones and Lauren Beeves are co-founders of Angel Competition Bikinis. They bought a building in Lenexa for manufacturing in 2018.

26-acre mixed-use business park off Northwest Vivion Road in Kansas City. It’s 13 buildings in total, including the new Eastbrook Collaborative Work Space, which opened in November 2017.

She said owners come to her with more information but still don’t know what they want in a work facility.

“They come in more educated in terms of what’s available to them, but when it comes to understanding, they don’t want to say they don’t understand,” Bradshaw said.

As an owner with a growing business, it may be difficult to fully know what you want at the outset. Therefore, the goal is to focus on desires and not excess data.

“What are your hard stops, and what are you able to work with and get creative with?” she said.

PLAN ACCORDINGLY FOR THE MOVE(S)

Finding space, like all aspects of running a business, requires planning.

Stephanie Landis, a certified value growth adviser based in Johnson County, will walk her clients who are looking to move through their business plan, building out a projected cash flow, run rate and additional costs of doing business.

In working with those who need space, “we try to get what’s happened and where they see the next two to three years of the business—because with space, typically, comes people,” Landis said.

From there, she consults on figuring what amount of debt the business can handle or how much revenue needs to be generated to afford a lease or mortgage payment. That can determine whether it’s better to buy or rent.

But there are bigger questions that needed to be considered, Landis said. Where is your customer base? Where are your competitors? Will the businesses near your projected space help generate foot traffic and/ or be profitable to raise the property value?

Does the city offer business incentives?

“You can rent in Leawood or buy in Lenexa. Is that imperative to your business?” Landis said.

It’s also important to research any zoning or code restrictions. Jones had to get approval from the Lenexa City Council to change the zoning of ACB’s new building from commercial to manufacturing.

Some buildings may not be able to accommodate certain types of business activity. For that reason, Bradshaw said it’s worth looking into older buildings that may be grandfathered into.

K C E DI T I O N // I T H I N KBIGGER .CO M

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FEATURE STORY // BY MIKE PLUNKETT

TYPES OF LEASES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

Most small businesses will sign one of three types of leases: » A triple-net lease, which is usually for retail or single-tenant buildings. Once the base rent price is established, the tenant will pay utilities, common maintenance, taxes and insurance. » A modified gross lease, which, depending on the agreement, includes the base rent plus some proportion of paying utilities, common maintenance, taxes and insurance. In some instances, the landlord will include an expense stop, which caps the amount the landlord will pay on a certain expenditure, like electricity. If the actual costs exceed the agreed-to amount, the tenant will be billed for the overage. » A full-service gross lease, which is a turnkey lease. The tenant will pay one fixed price for rent and all expenditures. Most coworking and collaborative spaces offer a full-service gross lease.

Bradshaw suggests asking the landlord on what expenditure qualifies as the landlord’s responsibility or the tenant’s responsibility under a lease. For example, if the HVAC goes out, it may be up to the tenant to replace, or it may be considered a capital improvement for the landlord, which they will fix. Most importantly, read the lease and ask questions before you sign.

“You'd be amazed at how many people don’t read their lease. They just sign away and they don’t know what they’re signing away to,” Bradshaw said. “Do due diligence and read your lease and read how it’s written—and if you have any questions, consult an attorney.”

BUYING COMMERCIAL PROPERTY IS A WHOLE NEW BALL GAME

For the stage of some businesses, buying may be the best option.

If you want to buy, and especially if you’ll be taking out a loan, it’s crucial to understand the process and timelines. Many business owners may think buying is similar to purchasing a home. It’s not.

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“It’s a whole different ball game than buying a house,” Jones said.

“I thought buying this building was like buying a house at first, but I realized it doesn’t even compare. It's completely different.”

That’s especially the case with obtaining a loan to buy the space. Both Landis and Jones urge patience and diligence if applying for a Small Business Administration 504 partner loan. Depending on your financial situation, the bank may require additional working capital before the loan is approved.

As for finding a financial institution for your mortgage, Landis said to approach finding a banker the same way you would approach looking for space to buy.

“If you’re interviewing bankers, ask them how many deals they’ve done and how many have gone through and what was the typical turn time,” Landis said.

“Knowing your banker and their level of experience with the different loan types is really important.”

BE FLEXIBLE AND CREATIVE IN RESPONDING TO BUSINESS GROWTH

Even when the lease is signed or the space is purchased, things can change quickly. Regardless of whether the business succeeds or fails, the tenant or owner is still responsible for the lease or the mortgage.

“They think they’re going to grow exponentially, and once they bite off a huge piece of property or this huge lease, they’re stuck,” Bradshaw said. “The business doesn’t always take off the way they thought it would, and they’re on the hook for it.”

The reverse can be a problem as well if the business grows quickly.

Always communicate with the landlord to see what options are available. Bradshaw said Eastbrook Properties will let its tenants move to a bigger place within its office park if they outgrow their current space, and if a larger space is available at the time.

Landis had a client who was unsure about renewing her lease but couldn’t find

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a new place. After talking with Landis, the client renegotiated the terms of her lease with the landlord.

If you do expect the business to grow in a short amount of time, a coworking or collaborative space may be a great option. In coworking facilities, there can be more flexibility in adding an open desk without having to worry about maintenance or construction costs.

“But always ask, what happens when I outgrow the space during the lease term? Could I sublet this?”

Bradshaw said. “Ask those questions to make sure you know that if all the stars align and you get to where you want to be, do you have an out? Are you capable of growing? Are you capable of expanding, or are you at a hard stop with no room for flexibility for you? You need to take that into consideration.”

CALCULATED RISK

Jones is the first to admit buying a building was a challenge. She said that if ACB had leased the other location, it would have been crammed — and then it would be back in the position to look for more space.

“The most character-building I ever went through was buying this property, as crazy as that sounds,” Jones said. “And it’s been much more work than I thought, taking care of a commercial property.”

Jones and Beeves have been mindful of the growth of their business since the beginning, so it’s gratifying to be in a facility that fits their needs.

“I really like to play it conservative, and this forced me to take a risk because it’s good to push me in that direction—this was over the initial budget we had set, but we just — well, we feel that is really growing.

So we just went for it.”

All that’s left is to change the logo on the door.

Mike Plunkett is a writer, editor and communications consultant who's thrilled to make his home in Kansas City.

K C E DI T I O N // I T H I N KBIGGER .CO M

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SEED

development

S M A R T C O M PA N I E S T H I N K I N G B I G G E R ®

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SEED & DEVELOPMENT

BY THE NUMBERS KC’s entrepreneurial climate helps businesses thrive.

or growing a business in the S tarting greater Kansas City metro area? You’ve

picked a good place for it.

Kansas City has a goal to become one of the most entrepreneurial cities in the U.S. It has a myriad of resources that are available to help businesses startup or grow (find out more about those in the Resource Guide starting on page 92).

AGE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP

ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN KC

39.2

132,931

Average age of entrepreneurs in the Kansas City metro area

Microenterprises in the metro area

12

Second-stage businesses in the metro area

KC’s rank among the country’s 50 largest metro areas for youngest entrepreneurs

37-42

1,855

16,376

Jobs created by KC-area startups each year, on average

$540 million

Average age range of business founders

Capital invested in KC-area companies in 2017

42%

Equity investments and grants to KC-based companies in 2017

New businesses started by Gen X founders in the past 5 years

38%

New businesses founded by millennials in the past 5 years

Source: LendingTree.com study, 2018

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Entrepreneurs also have many examples to look to for local companies that started small and have become global brands: H&R Block, Helzberg Diamonds, Hallmark Cards and Cerner Corp.

Check out some of the statistics about the local entrepreneurship scene before diving into the rest of Thinking Bigger’s Guide for Entrepreneurs & Growing Businesses.

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$312.6 million

Available capital for startup investments based in Kansas City in 2017

290%

Increase in access to capital from 2013 to 2016 KCSourceLink We Create: Year 5 report, 2017; KCSourceLink We Create Capital 2017 report

Charting Your Course: Starting a Business EVALUATING YOUR BUSINESS READINESS

FINANCIAL FOUNDATIONS

» Assess your personal strengths and weaknesses » What skills do you bring to business ownership? » Identify your past jobs, hobbies and interests » Prepare a feasibility study by doing preliminary research

» Consult an attorney about the legal requirements

PLANNING FOR SUCCESS

» Create financial and personal goals » Prepare a draft of your written business plan » Address the impact of business ownership on your lifestyle » Get business counseling or mentoring

(forming a corporation, LLC, etc.)

» Consult an accountant about the financial and tax requirements

» Determine the type of financing that best fits your situation » Develop a strong relationship with a banker » Set up a business checking account » Finalize a written business plan, including capital requirements » Establish a line of credit LEGAL REQUIREMENTS AND TAX CONSIDERATIONS

» Select and register the name of the business » Obtain a state sales tax number and determine other state requirements

» Obtain information about federal tax regulations » Get information about other employment taxes and forms » Apply for state workers’ compensation » Obtain a Federal Identification Number » Determine which state-level licenses, fees and permits pertain LOCATION AND REGULATIONS

» Determine applicable environmental regulations » Lease office space » Check zoning and obtain building permits » Apply for a local business license » Obtain business insurance » Analyze liability exposure and get insurance coverage MARKETING

» Create business materials (logo, business cards, etc.) » Develop a marketing plan for products and services K C E DI T I O N // I T H I N KBIGGER .CO M

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SEED & DEVELOPMENT

Look Before You Leap Consider potential sacrifices, challenges before jumping into a new business venture.

( BY WAYNE STRICKLAND )

A

fter 38 years in corporate America, I have retired and started my own business.

I have worked with and known personally hundreds of individuals over the past 38 years who started their own business, so I have been taking notes about who did it well and who did not and why.

This is what I have learned so far.

HOPEFULLY YOU HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS FOR SOME TIME.

Starting a business is not a knee-jerk reaction to something — you are not getting into something you know nothing about or do not have a passion for.

I have known many people who thought they wanted “a good hobby” or “a little part-time job” and invested in and started their own business only to find out it was a nightmare. They got over their heads quickly with little expertise and less and less money to bail them out. They would have been better off bored than broke.

Running your own business can be wildly rewarding, but it can also be a disaster. Do 20

your homework, research, talk to lots of people about it and get advice from the experts before starting you own business.

I started thinking about this adventure several years ago. I left corporate America as a business leader, and I am starting my own consulting and speaking business. Over the past five years, I have been writing and making notes about things I wanted to say and talk about. I watched other speakers, good and bad, and read tons of books and read articles about what this journey might look like.

I might crash and burn, but I have a running start on what I want to do.

THIS WILL IMPACT YOUR FAMILY.

It will take time to start a business, and some of that time will be family time. Are they wanting this to happen for you, or are they dragging their feet and don’t want you to do it?

You have to get your family, primarily your partner, on board, or this is going to be a very difficult. The cadence and flow of your predictable order in your home life is going to change. You will have long days, long nights, lost weekends and changes in

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your schedule.

I have known dozens and dozens of families that wanted to open their own retail business thinking it would be fun. After a couple of years of 70 hour weeks, never-ending employee issues, working every holiday and fighting against increasing competition, they wished they had never done it.

You partner and family must be on board, or reconsider starting a new business.

HOW’S YOUR HEALTH?

If you are retiring, you must not be a spring chicken. That’s a phrase from growing up in South Arkansas — it means you are not young anymore.

Seriously, if you are in shape, can you find the time to stay in shape? If you are not in shape, maybe this should be your first priority.

I know this is preaching to the choir, but without health, what else matters? Don’t rationalize starting a new business will be easy and you will start working out — you will not.

I put staying healthy on my short list of things to do everyday.

HAVE YOU WRITTEN A BUSINESS PLAN? DOES IT HAVE REAL METRICS AND MEASURES TO TELL YOU IF YOU ARE SUCCESSFUL?

This does not have to be ready for a Harvard Business Review, but do you have a plan?

It should at least describe what you want to do, why you think its important to someone other than you, the size of the prize and some basic metrics like how much you are willing to put into the business and how much you want to make. You must have some dates and milestones to guide you.

Be clear, honest and disciplined to look at your metrics and follow them. This includes how much cash you are willing to invest in the business. If you have a limit, then that’s the limit — stop spending.

TEST, LEARN, TEST, LEARN BEFORE YOU INVEST MONEY TO SCALE YOUR BUSINESS.

Your instincts and even insights might be right on target, but your ideas and initiatives might not be. It is extremely rare to have the first idea be a home run. It takes quite a bit of trial and error to get it right. Do not

invest in an infrastructure and a lot of assets (inventory, buildings, equipment) until you are certain you have a winner.

The way you know you have a winner is if real consumers or customers are buying your products or services. It’s not a winner simply because you love it. A good friend once told me, “It ain’t compelling if it ain’t selling.”

ARE YOU WILLING TO WALK AWAY FROM THIS IF IT FLOPS?

I know a few friends that have gotten so emotionally wrapped up in their business after retirement that they wished they had stayed in their full-time job. It was more predictable, and probably boring for them, but they are not in over their heads with money and commitments that it’s not what they were looking for in retirement.

Have firm metrics and decisions dates to follow. If you find you are always extending the dates or changing the metrics to give yourself more time, then you are not being honest with yourself.

IF IT’S YOUR LIFE’S PASSION – THEN GO FOR IT.

If this is what you have been dreaming of

your entire life, then just go for it.

A buddy of mine left the corporate world 12 years ago to start his own business, and he did not even know how to turn on his computer. (His admin did everything for him.)

The growth curve for him was steep, but it was his dream, and he figured it all out. He never looked back, never complained, just kept moving. Today, he is a rock star in his industry.

So, if it’s your passion, let the hammer down.

Wayne Strickland is a former executive with over 40 years experience in retail, marketing and sales who has worked with some of the largest retailers in the world including, Amazon, Wal-Mart and Target. He is a keynote speaker, consultant and author.

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SEED & DEVELOPMENT

Don’t Gamble With Your Venture Business can be a minefield, but legal counsel can offer protection.

( BY SARAH STORK MEYER )

Y

ou’ve lived in the same house for three years. It’s been great. You’ve been comfortable, nothing has gone wrong, and you envision thriving there for years to come.

But what if you knew your house was situated on a minefield? Would you get help?

Or would you assume that because nothing had gone wrong, nothing ever would?

There’s all sorts of advice out there—good 22

and bad—bombarding entrepreneurs. And they have plenty on their plates already. But one of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs can make is to postpone or forego seeking legal advice.

Some assume they’ll be fine; others are intimidated by the potential price tag. But the long-term risk dwarfs any short-term gain.

There are so many potential landmines out there, and what entrepreneurs are gambling can be far greater than they may imagine.

So let’s start with the risks, then follow up

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with some simple—and affordable—ways entrepreneurs can protect themselves and their innovations.

RISKING IT ALL

Most entrepreneurs don’t realize that if something goes wrong and they don’t have the proper legal protections, they could lose their ideas, their innovations, their profits—even their homes, retirement savings, or other personal assets. It only takes one lawsuit, one mistake—intentional or not—to harm your brand, tarnish your image, or potentially destroy what you’ve worked so hard to build.

If you have an idea that you’re going to put all your time and effort into pursuing, the one thing you absolutely should do is try to protect it.

BUILDING ON SECURE GROUND

When should you seek out legal help, and what basic help do you actually need?

Obviously, you won’t call up a lawyer

every time you doodle a business idea on a napkin. The time to do so is when things start getting serious and you move toward taking external steps: consider setting up a business entity, talk to a bank about a loan or consult a vendor to see if your idea would actually work.

Just a couple of steps can set up a business on a solid legal footing.

First of all, make sure you form the right type of business entity—partnership, corporation or LLC, just to name a few—which can provide the correct level of protection from liability. Your choice depends on the purpose of your business, its financial needs, and the ability or desire to grow. And you’ll want to talk to an accountant about the tax implications of each option.

Secondly, a simple nondisclosure or confidentiality agreement drafted specifically for your company offers protection when

you present your idea to a potential investor, partner or vendor. Just one unprotected conversation leaves open the door for someone to take that idea as his own.

If you’re worried about unpredictable hourly rates, ask an attorney to provide a quote for a flat fee.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

As your venture grows, you may need help with things like a lease review, client or vendor contracts, or a master services agreement. Or you may need to seek out specialized services for a patent, trademark or copyright.

Small business owners can sign unwise contracts without negotiating simply because they’re so eager to do business or because they think they have no room to negotiate. That’s not true. In contract negotiations, you always can ask for things.

You may not always get them, but you never know until you ask.

Complications also come into play if you have a handshake agreement with a vendor or client, then realize that the two of you have very different recollections of the specifics. Without anything in writing, there’s no way to know.

So take a little advice from people familiar with both sides of legal agreements: Don’t build your business on a minefield.

Seek basic legal help up front—before things get explosive.

Sarah Stork Meyer is an attorney and cofounder of StartMeUp KC, which provides legal services for startups and small businesses. StartMeUp KC was created to help entrepreneurs achieve smart growth through smart contracts. // smeyer@startmeupkc.com.

Growing a business in Kansas City?

:)

Ready to connect with business coaches or mentors?

Need help with marketing, capital or just planning your next step?

FRE

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We can help you take your next step. Our services are free.

Sign up for your personalized action plan: kcsourcelink.com/thinkbigger or call 816-235-6500

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SEED & DEVELOPMENT

Business Entity Comparisons TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP

All decisions made by the one owner.

Owner has personal liability for all business debts.

Business income is taxed to owner on personal return. Owner also pays self-employment taxes on income.

Accomplished through sale of assets used for business.

Structure can be very flexible as set forth in written partnership agreement. Without agreement, partners have equal voting and financial rights.

All partners have personal liability for partnership debts once partnership assets are exhausted. Creditors may collect from any partner.

Partnership reports income, but owners pay taxes personally based upon their ownership percentage or as provided in partnership agreement. Self-employment taxes paid on owner’s share of income.

A general partner is designated to operate business.

Limited partners have restrictions on level of involvement.

General partner has personal liability for partnership debts.

Limited partners have no personal liability for partnership debts.

Less flexible than partnerships. Formal structure must be followed. Stock ownership percentage controls voting and distribution of dividends.

LIMI TED L IABIL ITY COMPANY

S-CORP

S O LE PRO PRIE TO RS HIP

INCOME TAX TREATMENT

G E N E RA L PA RT N E RS H IP

OWNER’S LIABILITY

L IMITE D PARTN E R SHIP

FLEXIBILITY

C -C OR P

S

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Same as C-Corp.

Very flexible. Control may be vested in members or managers. Voting power and share of profits not necessarily tied to ownership percentage.

ANNUAL REQUIREMENTS

LEGAL REQUIREMENTS

No annual report required.

In Missouri, fictitious name registration required if using name other than own.

Kansas has no fictitious name registration requirements.

Without partnership agreement, partnership dissolves when partner transfers ownership.

Partnership agreement permits transfer of all or some rights with consent of existing partners.

No annual report required.

No registration other than fictitious name in Missouri.

Partnership agreement should be written to address death, disability, divorce, bankruptcy and deadlock situations; division of profits and losses; and ownership transfer issues.

Same as general partnership.

Same as general partnership.

Annual report must be filed with secretary of state.

Registration with secretary of state is required. Name must include “Limited Partnership” or “LP” to provide notice of limited liability.

Owners generally not liable for business debts, unless they guarantee corporate obligations, personally incur the liability or liability involves withheld taxes.

C-Corp pays income tax at corporate level.

Owners pay income tax when dividends are distributed. Low marginal corporate tax rate and savings for reinvestment may be favorable, but double taxation is often a disadvantage.

Shares easily transferred.

Shareholders may restrict transfer of shares through a stock restriction agreement.

Annual report must be filed with secretary of state. Annual meetings of shareholders and directors are required.

Registration with secretary of state, articles of incorporation, bylaws, board of directors are required. Name must include “Incorporated,” “Inc.,” “Corporation,” “Corp.,” “Limited” or “Ltd.” to provide notice of corporate existence.

Same as C-Corp.

S-Corp reports income, but owners pay taxes personally based upon their ownership percentage. Employment-related taxes may be reduced in some situations.

Same as C-Corp, but transfers to parties not eligible for S-Corp ownership will force S-Corp to forfeit its elected tax treatment.

Same as C-Corp.

Same as C-Corp, but restrictions on ownership: no more than 100 shareholders; no nonresident aliens; one class of stock. Timely election of S-Corp with IRS required.

Same as C-Corp.

One-owner LLCs generally taxed as sole proprietorships. LLCs may elect to be taxed as partnerships, C-Corps or S-Corps.

Operating agreement usually contains provisions similar to partnership agreement.

Annual report required in Kansas, not Missouri.

Annual meeting of members only if required in operating agreement.

Registration with secretary of state, articles of organization, operating agreement are required. Name must include “Limited Liability Company,” “LLC” or “L.L.C.” to provide notice of LLC existence.

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Business Regulations Learn about legal requirements before opening your business, and identify all the costs. Some aren’t just startup expenses—they become an ongoing cost of doing business; put them in your annual operating budget and create a calendar of dates when taxes and licenses are due for renewal and payment.

CITY

S

Contact city hall, where offices: W HAT ARE T HE R EQU I REMEN T S O F THE L O CAL E W HERE YO U PLAN TO O PERAT E YOUR BU S I NES S ?

D O AN Y GOVERNMEN T REG U L AT I O N S O R LI C EN S I N G REQ U I REMEN T S AFFE C T YO U ?

DO YO U N EED TO REG I S T ER YOUR BU S I N ES S ?

COUNTY

STATE

•

» Issue business permits/guidelines, occupational licenses and zoning clearances. » Inform you of additional permits and clearances needed (e.g., from health department, fire department, etc.).

If you plan to be home-based, investigate any applicable limitations in your homeowners association covenants.

Contact your state to determine if you have any industry-specific licensing requirements.

States generally certify or license certain occupations and activities. Some licenses require education and experience, and some require testing.

•

Check with your state clearinghouse to determine if any federal regulations will apply to your business (e.g., health and safety requirements, environmental regulations).

Contact your city hall and county courthouse—ask for the department that deals with registering small businesses. (In the county, this is often the assessor or the finance department.) You may need to: » Register your fictitious name. » Register business property for tax purposes. » Apply for a merchant’s license if you sell tangible items.

•

•

•

Register the form of business under which you will operate—sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company or corporation—by filing the appropriate documents with the state.

•

Register as an employer, if applicable. Employers must obtain a Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) from the IRS. This can be done by calling 1-800-829-4933 or by visiting www.irs.gov.

• •

Contact city hall for information regarding tax obligations to the city.

W HAT ARE YO U R TAX O BL I G AT I O N S ?

FEDERAL

Contact your state for information regarding corporate and income taxes.

•

Businesses making sales to the final consumer must secure a sales tax number and collect sales tax.

Kansas and Missouri have their own requirements on what is subject to sales tax (commonly tangible goods and certain services). Contact the department of revenue (MO 573-751-5860; KS 785-368-8222).

•

Missouri and Kansas have an income tax on wages; employees need to obtain a state tax withholding number. Contact the department of revenue at the numbers listed above.

•

Inquire about unemployment insurance (MO 573-751-3215; KS 785-296-5027) and worker’s compensation (MO 573-751-4231; KS 785-296-4000).

• •

For more information on federal tax regulations, go to www.irs.gov/businesses.

For more information about specific state registration and tax requirements, visit:

KANSAS // www.kansascommerce.com MISSOURI // www.missouribusiness.net or www.sos.mo.gov

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Productivity Tools for Professionals on the Go 5 Apps to Keep You on Track

( BY JENNY KINCAID JULIAN )

the one thing every busy proW hat’s fessional wished they had more of?

If you said time, you’d be right.

With more than 3 million Americans now working from home at least half the time, being on-the-go all the time is the new norm.

The reality is that we all wish we could be more productive and do more in less time.

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Everyone is getting pulled in so many different directions throughout the day; it’s no surprise our to-do list keeps getting longer.

Thanks to the ever-changing world of technology, especially mobile technology, I can happily say “I’ve found an app for that,” and believe me: They work.

SLACK

This accessible-anywhere messenger app centralizes real-time conversations across all devices, bringing your entire team’s communication into one place. Messages come

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across in real time so you can communicate with your team, regardless of what time zone you’re in.

Slack allows you to “pin” essential notifications, search previous conversations by keywords, notify people if you’re out of office—and best of all, it’s integrated with Google.

Direct message an employee with sensitive information or create channels to handle conversations. Sign your clients up so you can have direct communication with them as well. A total game-changer!

POCKET

Like Pinterest is for crafts, Pocket is for unread articles. This convenient save-it-forlater app allows you to keep stories you can’t get to and either read or listen to them at a later date.

It’ll sync across your phone, tablet and computer, allowing you to come back to that news whenever it’s convenient for you, even when you’re offline. No time to read your favorite blog post this morning? Just put it in your Pocket and get to it later.

With the recent addition of the “listen” button, after you Pocket your unread news, listen to it while driving, exercising or during lunch. It’s another time-saving tool that will help keep you informed.

LASTPASS

It’s easy to get lazy with password security—and keeping track of them is even harder, especially with the number of online accounts a person uses each week. LastPass is a “freemium” password management service that stores all of your usernames and passwords into one private account.

What’s great about this tool is that you remember one password, not 10.

Your personal vault is encrypted so even LastPass employees can’t see your sensitive information. Once you open your vault, you’ll be able to view your saved data on one page. And, with new upgrades, each time you log in to an account, it’ll prompt you to store that username and password so the next time you’re on that site, your information will be there.

GOOGLE DRIVE

Home of Google Docs and a full suite of productivity applications, Google Drive allows all-team collaborative editing of documents, spreadsheets, presentations and more. For those who share tasks with other team members, having multiple users editing a file at once is certain to save time.

Upload, create and share files, store photos and organize your company’s information into this one easily accessible, get-access-anywhere-anytime platform. No more downloading it to a server and waiting until the next day to pull up that file—do it from your phone, laptop or iPad. You decide who

has access to that data and who doesn’t.

FEEDLY

Keeping your favorite news sources in one location can be difficult—even more so when you look at multiple industries per day to keep tabs on each of your clients’ specialties.

Feedly is a news-aggregation service that connects you to the information you need to stay ahead. Customize your content dashboard with your favorite blogs or online news sources, and put them into categories such as banking, public relations, lifestyle or food.

Create a storyboard, save an article for later, put it in your Pocket, or send it out to one of your social media channels. This app integrates with Buffer, Evernote, Messenger and more. It’s an excellent tool for social media managers.

Other tools I’ve found helpful but didn’t make the list are Canva for free or inexpensive designs (it’s a must-have), HourStack to keep track of hours worked—yours and your team’s—and, last but not least, Hootsuite to schedule and monitor all of your social media channels.

Consider trying out at least one of these time-saving tools. Hopefully you’ll see your efficiency and productivity increase as much as I have.

Kansas Small Business Development Center at Johnson County Community College Our goal is to help your business succeed.

Advising One-on-one, free and confidential business management advising Training Practical small business workshops on: • Accounting, Financials and Taxes • Marketing and Sales • Strategy and Leadership Development • Starting a Business • Exporting

Jenny Kincaid Julian is the owner of Socialworx Public Relations, a public and social relations firm that partners with CEOs, executives and solopreneuers to grow their personal and professional brands. (816) 550-4382 // jenny@socialworxpr.com

Learn to use QuickBooks™ the right way One-stop, valuable QuickBooks™ training in a computer lab setting with small class sizes.

• QuickBooks™ Fundamentals (for desktop users)

• QuickBooks™ Fundamentals (for online users)

• Intermediate QuickBooks™ • QuickBooks™ Payroll

Take three or more of these workshops and receive a 15% discount. Enroll today!

www.jccc.edu/ksbdc e-mail: ksbdc@jccc.edu • 913-469-3878 12345 College Blvd., Overland Park, KS sbdcatjccc

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@sbdcatjccc

Kansas Small Business Development Center at JCCC The Kansas Small Business Development Center is funded through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, Kansas Department of Commerce and JCCC.

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LAUNCH

adapt

S M A R T C O M PA N I E S T H I N K I N G B I G G E R ®

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LAUNCH & ADAPT

7 things to do after starting an LLC Start your new venture on the right foot.

( BY CHRIS BROWN )

T

he excitement you experience when you form a new LLC can be exhilarating, but it also can be overwhelming. To help you maintain control, here are seven things you should consider doing after forming your LLC.

1 DRAFT AND SIGN YOUR OPERATING AGREEMENT 30

An operating agreement sets out the rules and procedures that will govern the company and its owners. If your LLC has just one owner, your operating agreement can be short. If it has multiple owners, it likely will be longer and include issues like economic rights, voting rights, management rights, transfer restrictions and more.

2 APPLY FOR AN EIN Employer identification numbers are issued by the IRS and can be obtained online in just a few minutes. Even if you are not hiring employees, you likely still need an EIN—it’s a unique identifier for your busi-

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ness. Various parties will request your EIN, from your bank to government entities, and you likely will need it to complete your IRS Form W9.

3 OBTAIN STATE AND LOCAL LICENSES AND PERMITS You should register with your state’s Department of Revenue and obtain all relevant business licenses and permits. At a minimum, your city likely will require you to have a business license. From there, you may need to obtain specialty licenses.

For example, restaurants, liquor establishments, entertainment venues, construction companies and more all have unique licensing requirements.

4 OPEN A BANK ACCOUNT AND SET UP YOUR ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE It is important that your LLC maintain its own bank account separate from your personal accounts to avoid issues with

commingled assets. In addition to your ID, you’ll need a copy of your Articles of Organization and a copy of your EIN letter in order to open an account. Some banks also will require all or portions of your operating agreement. This is also a good time to add additional signatories to your bank account if applicable.

You should also purchase a subscription to a cloud-based accounting platform such as Xero or FreshBooks. They will make tracking income and expenses easier and will save you all kinds of headaches come tax season.

5 CONSIDER PURCHASING INSURANCE Depending on the goods or services you provide, you may want to purchase insurance. Consider liability and property insurance and possibly auto, workers’ compensation, errors and omissions, and other specialty insurance policies, depending on your situation.

THE EXCITEMENT YOU EXPERIENCE WHEN YOU FORM A NEW LLC CAN BE EXHILARATING, BUT IT ALSO CAN BE OVERWHELMING. 6 OPERATE AS AN LLC You must operate as an LLC if you want to isolate your personal liability from the liability of the LLC. To do this, purchase assets in the name of the LLC (and when applicable, transfer existing assets to the LLC). Always sign contracts in the name of the LLC. Further, you should maintain a minute book that includes all of your important corporate documentation.

7 FILE ANNUAL REPORTS Some states require you to file annual or biannual reports to remain an active LLC. At the time of this writing, Missouri does not, but Kansas does. These usually can be filed online and usually are quick and painless. But if you forget to file, the conse-

quences can be very negative.

This article is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice. Readers with legal questions should consult with an attorney prior to making any legal decisions.

Chris Brown is the founder of Venture Legal, a Kansas City law firm serving the entrepreneurial community; Contract Canvas, a digital contract platform for freelancers; and b.Legal Marketing, a website development platform for small law firms. www.venturelegalkc. com // @CSBCounsel

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ost small business owners don’t have the luxury of a dedicated person on staff to evaluate and administer their benefit plans. Often, that responsibility falls on their own shoulders.

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market were terrible, and Insurance Pros was able to help us find group coverage with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City even though my family was the only one needing coverage at the time. Since then, we have added covered members and any time we need help, our brokerage firm is there to help. It is great to know that we don’t have to be in the health insurance business to have a plan and we can focus on our clients.

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WHEN COBRA DOESN’T CUT IT When we decided to forge a partnership and start our own firm, our focus was on helping people who were adversely affected by the negligence of large companies.

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We have been offering benefits to our company at 100 percent for over a decade now, and the premium increases associated with the Affordable Care Act have made this a challenge. Fortunately, with the help of our broker, we were able discover level-funded insurance options that reduce our cost. We qualified for these plans through an application process, and we are saving thousands of dollars from our old plan. This allows us to continue to pay all of the premium for our employees and their families, thus retaining valuable employees throughout the region. We couldn’t do this without Insurance Pros, who also helps us with the administration of our plan.

Laura Stolte, Manager MC Controls, Overland Park, Kansas At Insurance Pros, we thrive on helping small businesses flourish by taking away the concerns associated with offering employee benefits. By offering plans with all the major insurance companies and introducing cost-saving ideas to employers, we become part of their team by helping them do what they do best. Whether it is offering coverage for the first time, or making adjustments to a plan that is getting too expensive, we are there for small businesses.

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What is Equity Crowdfunding?

Learn the basics before signing on as an investor.

( BY KEVIN WILLIAMS )

E

quity crowdfunding, also known as regulation crowdfunding, enables individuals or groups of investors to fund early-stage, private companies in return for equity.

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It also provides entrepreneurs with another avenue to raise capital. In the past two years, equity crowdfunding campaigns have raised a total of $114.7 million in capital.

The main benefit of equity crowdfunding for investors is that it enables them to receive a significant return on their investment in cash. It differs from perkbased crowdfunding through platforms like Kickstarter that don’t offer company equity, and cause-based crowdfunding through

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platforms like GoFundMe that primarily provide charity.

Like these platforms, however, equity crowdfunding campaigns typically have a minimum fundraising goal they must reach before the money and shares can be transferred.

EQUITY CROWDFUNDING BACKGROUND

The passage of the bipartisan Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act in 2012 enabled startups to raise capital through crowdfunding, which was not possible before the law was enacted.

Until 2016, only accredited investors — those who met a minimum income or net worth threshold — could participate in equity crowdfunding. However, subsequent changes to SEC regulations now mean that virtually anyone is able to purchase equity through crowdfunding.

Investors buy private equity shares

through online equity crowdfunding platforms regulated by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). This agency ensures that the platform is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and is subject to FINRA’s oversight.

A list of the equity crowdfunding platforms FINRA regulates can be found on its website.

KEY POINTS OF CONSIDERATION FOR EQUITY CROWDFUNDING INVESTORS

You may feel the temptation to go out and invest in as many startups as you can.

However, before you do, here are some things to keep in mind: HOW PRIVATE EQUITY INVESTORS

// Unlike buying public market shares that you can immediately sell for cash, private equity investments have much less liquidity.

In general, there are only three ways that buying private equity shares can lead to profit for investors: If the company enters an initial public offering (IPO), if the company merges with another company or is purchased, or if there’s a secondary market

MAKE MONEY

where investors can trade their private equity shares for cash.

It usually takes several years for a company to enter an IPO, merge or be purchased, and most businesses fail before they reach this stage. In addition, there are currently few secondary markets for trading private equity shares, and the ones that do exist are limited in the types of shares and companies they trade.

IT’S BEST TO INVEST WITH BOTH YOUR HEAD

// You might like a company’s brand or vision, but without a product or service that fits a specific market niche, it probably won’t succeed. In addition, company management needs to have a well-developed business plan and preferably a track record of success in the industry.

Finally, you should only invest in companies that represent something in which you truly believe. This way, you can feel good about making what’s most likely a long-term commitment before you receive a return.

AND YOUR HEART

DON’T PLAN TO INVEST YOUR LIFE SAVINGS

One thing that can’t be overstated is that equity crowdfunding is risky. Thus, you shouldn’t invest more money than you’re

//

willing or able to lose. Furthermore, the SEC dictates that if you have less than $107,000 in the bank, you can only invest up to $2,200 per year in equity crowdfunding, or 5 percent of your net worth, whichever is lower.

In equity crowdfunding, as in life, there’s no reward without risk. However, if you do your due diligence and make smart investment choices, you could enjoy substantial returns when your company succeeds. In addition, you’ll know that its success might not have been possible without you.

Kevin Williams is a serial entrepreneur and is the founder and CEO of WISE Power Inc., an IoT-enabled intelligent energy storage and lifestyle management company. You can learn more about WISE’s equity crowdfunding campaign at StartEngine.com/wise-llc.

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Better Hires Lead to Better Customer Service Focus on training, strategies early on to reduce complaints.

( BY AARON REESE )

F

or many small businesses, an employee is the only point of contact a customer will ever have with a business.

In industries such as moving and transportation, utilities and restaurants, business owners rely heavily on employees making good and lasting impressions on customers.

Employees are tasked with broadcasting the business’s branded message and ensuring customers have accurate and actionable information about their products or services.

When these ambassadors do not have proper communication skills to perform 34

these tasks, customers start filing complaints with the BBB. The BBB of Greater Kansas City handled thousands of complaints in the past 12 months from customers who claimed a business representative told them something that the business could not or would not follow through on.

In the 1,385 complaints that mentioned an employee, the vast majority complained about miscommunication. Eighty-eight complaints in the same timeframe mentioned that an employee had been fired.

Most of those complaints claimed the employee made promises they had no business making and had since been terminated.

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REDUCING CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS

Employee training can remedy many of these problems, but the BBB explored ways that could further reduce the number of customer complaints caused by miscommunication between employees and customers. BBB tapped ThriveOn Concepts for its expertise. ThriveOn is a BBB-accredited leadership coaching organization that advises businesses on best practices for professional development.

ThriveOn strongly recommends businesses adopt modern strategies that augment the traditional hiring process: 1. Listing a job opening

2. Reviewing applications 3. Interviewing candidates 4. Selecting a candidate

If employers do nothing more, they may be faced with problems: With the traditional hiring model, employers are more likely to cave in to their own subjectivity.

Perhaps the candidate shares an alma mater with the employer, creating an instant connection that does not have anything to do with the job parameters. Perhaps the employer has had good luck with graduates from a particular college, or a trusted friend recommended someone for the job.

Unfortunately, these influences do not guarantee the candidate possesses the skills required to perform well in the position.

It can bias the employer into hiring an unqualified candidate, and the business continues to generate customer service complaints.

JOB BENCHMARKING

To eliminate these biases, ThiveOn recommends businesses implement a modern hiring strategy known as job benchmarking.

Job benchmarking is the process of letting a position’s job parameters tell employers what is required for superior performance. This process allows employ-

ers to avoid relying on a candidate’s listed experience and education. An employer can see a candidate’s actual proficiencies and be proactive in protecting relationships with customers by hiring employees with an aptitude for positive customer interaction.

THE PROCESS HAS THREE PROMINENT STEPS

1

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES // Before employers make a hiring decision, they should ask themselves a series of questions: » Why does the job exist? » What does success in the job look like? » How does the job fit the company’s strategy?

Limit to only three key accountabilities to be as clear and concise as possible.

2

ASSESSMENT // After

determining key accountabilities, an employer should assess the top 2-3 candidates’ proficiency in those areas. For instance, a customer service representative should be able to adapt to an emotional response from a customer. Assessments exist for just about any skill, including emotional intelligence.

Implement these assessments to get concrete data on a candidate’s ability to deal with the situation rather than rely on the candidate’s word that they can handle it.

3

GAP ANALYSIS // Assessments give numerical values for any skills the employer decides to test on. Employers can use the assessments to measure aptitude in definitive terms. It allows them to conveniently compare proficiencies with other top candidates.

The process reveals gaps in a candidate’s knowledge or skill set that an employer can address during subsequent interviews.

ThriveOn advises against directly revealing these gaps in proficiency to the candidate.

That way, an employer can devise an individual development plan for the employee’s growth in the position.

Hiring the right person for the right job limits the likelihood of confusion between a manager and the employee and between the employee and customer. For employers using job benchmarking, employees are more likely to improve the customer experience.

BBB of Greater Kansas City has been helping to create trust between consumers and businesses since 1916.

Aaron Reese not only educates the public about consumer and business matters, he is also an investigator for BBB. K C E DI T I O N // I T H I N KBIGGER .CO M

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NOW BIGGER AND BETTER!

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ESTABLISHED growing

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ESTABLISHED & GROWING

Invest in the Power of Training 4 Steps to Effectively Developing Your Employees

DEVELOPING EMPLOYEES

An effective employee development program has four key steps.

1

( BY MIKE MONTAGUE )

small businesses struggle A lotwithofemployee development. If you

train people and they leave, it hurts. If you don’t train them and they stay, it hurts even more!

When thinking about employee development, ask yourself this one question: Does my organization consistently contribute to the growth of its people in a manner that leads to positive results for them and the company?

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EVALUATION // First, you are going to need to know three things: where your team is now, where you want them to be, and where are the gaps.

Start with an accurate assessment of your current reality. The evaluation phase should include self-assessment by the participants; a 360-degree assessment by peers, managers, subordinates and clients; and an objective assessment by a third-party consultant or online evaluation tool.

Once you have an accurate picture of your team, you can begin to benchmark them against top performers and identify the training needs.

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2

// The next phase is quick-hitting training for the immediate impact of baseline knowledge.

Typically, this is a boot-camp-style training where you can get everyone on the same page very quickly. It can be virtual, live instructor-led or even a recorded online course, but the goals are the same.

IMPACT TRAINING

You will want your team to become aware of your new expectations and build the foundations of knowledge that will help them to learn and execute the desired behavior.

Impact training is great for short-term motivation, building consensus, and communicating best practices and processes.

This step is normally the first 60-90 days of the training program.

of new concepts to ownership and mastery of them, they are going to need help.

Managers, trainers and peer accountability partners play a crucial role in helping participants stay on track. Usually, two or more accountability partners yield the best results, like a manager and a peer. These partners can meet in person, by phone or via web conference; the important part is maintaining good communication and the new habits you have worked so hard to instill.

The accountability phase should begin right after the impact training—and it should never end.

REPEATING THE CYCLE

The path to mastery never ends, and neither should employee development. Once you have completed all four steps, it will be time to start back over at evaluation. Look

3

REINFORCEMENT // Impact training rarely creates lasting success. For that, you are going to need to practice what you preached in kicking off the training.

It is time for your participants to apply the strategy and tactics, and challenge the current status quo. This phase is the most crucial because it is where the participants must reach outside of their comfort zones to try something different—and then keep trying until it becomes a new habit.

This step also usually requires some coaching from a leader because participants will have lots of questions and challenges as they implement new habits or processes for the first time.

Reinforcement is the key to any training taking hold. It is never-ending because lasting results require lifelong learning, but a solid reinforcement plan will have curriculums lasting 18 months to three years.

4

ACCOUNTABILITY

// The final step

at your progress, set new benchmarks, and critique what is working and what is not.

Invest the time, money and resources to design an effective training process with evaluation, impact, reinforcement and accountability for your team. It is the only way to create long-term change and improve the performance of your organization.

Mike Montague is a certified trainer at Sandler Training, where he teaches the behaviors, attitudes and techniques of interpersonal communication needed to be more successful in business. He is a collector of best practices for management, sales and marketing, and he is passionate about empowering ambitious entrepreneurs with options for growth they didn’t know they had. (816) 505-2500 // mike.montague@ sandler.com // Twitter: @mikedmontague

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involves coaching and accountability.

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ESTABLISHED & GROWING // KEEP GROWING

How to Avoid the Blurred Lines of Harassment The #MeToo movement put a spotlight on workplace interactions. ( BY BELINDA WAGGONER )

T

he recent torrent of sexual harassment headlines has created significant uneasiness in workplaces across the country.

In February, the Lean In organization released a survey that showed that after #MeToo: » Male managers are twice as uncomfortable working alone with women. » Senior-ranking men are more than three times more likely to avoid a work dinner with a female colleague. » Senior-ranking men are five times more likely to avoid travel with a 40

female colleague.

This uneasiness is understandable, but for most non-creeps, it’s really not necessary. The #MeToo movement should not mean avoiding interactions with our coworkers. Instead, it’s a good opportunity to reevaluate our actions and work to build constructive, healthy working relationships with people of all genders.

Here are a few tips for non-creepily navigating the workplace.

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HOW TO GIVE A COMPLIMENT

Genuine, polite compliments are essential at work. They encourage employees to continue positive actions, and they improve morale.

Focus on professional achievements, hard work or intelligence. Some examples: » “You made my job easier.” » “You made the company money.” » “You acted like an owner.”

Steer clear of superficial topics like body, weight, clothing or anything appearance-related. They can be open to misinter-

pretation and, depending on delivery, may border on the creepy.

HOW TO HAVE APPROPRIATE PHYSICAL CONTACT

Just like compliments, friendly touch can communicate feelings of trust and cooperation. When that touch is appropriate and wanted, it acts as social glue.

Handshakes, high fives and fist bumps are usually fine. As with any interaction, pay attention to how the other person responds. Some people are less comfortable with physical touch than others—respect that. For some, casual hugs may be welcome; let your relationship evolve to that comfort level.

When in doubt, keep your hands to yourself.

HOW TO TRAVEL WITH COLLEAGUES

Many client interactions and significant projects happen on business trips, but travel isn’t without risks—alcohol, hotel rooms and late nights among them. To avoid even the appearance of impropriety:

AVOID SPENDING TIME IN ANY COWORKER’S

Meet in common spaces instead.

HOTEL ROOM //

DRINK IN MODERATION // Late nights are not only fertile ground for inappropriate behavior, they may also impede your ability to work the next day. Don’t be afraid to turn in early.

USE YOUR EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE //

Evaluate your travel teams for obvious power imbalances or tricky pairings. If adding a third member to a travel team mitigates potential discomfort (or potential claims), it’s well worth the expense.

Make sure employees know there’s no “code of the road.” You may be out of the office, but you’re still at work—and inappropriate actions will be investigated and addressed.

SET THE STANDARD //

HOW TO MANAGE CONSENSUAL RELATIONSHIPS

A whopping 37 percent of workers have dated a coworker, according to a CareerBuilder survey. Because dating someone at

work is gnarly business—even when the relationship is healthy and welcome—it’s helpful to have a policy that articulates what is appropriate.

It’s hard to forbid all workplace dating, but it’s prudent to prohibit fraternization between supervisors and direct reports. Allowing managers to date their reports risks, at a minimum, the appearance of favoritism or special treatment.

When breakups occur, enforce your standard for civility and professionalism.

Ideally, maturity will prevail, and the erstwhile lovers can behave at the coffee pot or the copy machine. If not, observe and document bad behavior and promptly address any squabbling.

Belinda Waggoner is the CEO of People People, which provides cultural development and support, organizational scaling, recruiting, traditional HR services and business consulting for entrepreneurs. // belinda@peoplepeople.us.

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ESTABLISHED & GROWING

‘Ban the Box’ Expands in Kansas City, Mo. New ordinance affects all companies with six or more employees.

( BY HANK ZERBE )

you’ve probably heard of “ban BTheythenow, box.” legislative movement aims to increase the opportunities for gainful employment in candidates with criminal histories by banning the checkbox commonly found on job applications that asks, “Have you ever been convicted of a crime?”

This “box” has become the focal point for this initiative as it hopes to reduce recidivism by forcing employers to give all job candidates a fair chance at consideration for employment before their criminal histories are assessed.

This allows candidates an opportunity to showcase their skill sets and aptitude for the role without being immediately disqualified from a position due to their criminal history.

“Ban the box” has been sweeping the nation in recent years and promises to change the way we hire. More than 150 cities, counties and states have passed their own version of this ordinance, and the trend doesn’t appear to be slowing.

LOCAL HISTORY OF BAN THE BOX

This isn’t the first time “ban the box” has made it to Kansas City. In 2013, the City Council of Kansas City, Mo., passed a similar ordinance that directed its city manager to eliminate the “box” requiring a disclosure of a criminal history from all of the city’s employment applications.

“Ban the box” has seen similar traction 42

across the state line in Wyandotte County when in 2014 the Unified Government of Kansas City, Kan., and Wyandotte County passed an ordinance that specifically eliminated the “box” on all applications for Unified Government positions. Even Missouri has joined the initiative by becoming the 22nd state to “ban the box” for all government positions.

While the phrase “ban the box” may not be new to the Kansas City area, it’s worth noting that no previous laws come close to the breadth of this 2018 ordinance by Kansas City, Mo. Previously, only government positions were affected; now, all organizations within Kansas City, Mo., with six or more employees fall within the scope of the regulation.

NEW ORDINANCE

So what does “ban the box” mean for Kansas City?

On Feb. 1, 2018 the City Council of Kansas City, Mo., passed an ordinance effectively “banning the box” for all private employers that operate within Kansas City, Mo. With this ordinance going into effect on June 9, there isn’t much time to get your hiring practices in order if you’re unfamiliar with the implications of this type of legislation.

Written similarly to recent legislation in other jurisdictions, Kansas City’s “ban the box” ordinance tackles the issue using many approaches that have become standard throughout the “ban the box” initiative. However, like most other jurisdictions, the Kansas City ordinance comes with its own unique and nuanced requirements.

Here are four key takeaways that all employers throughout Kansas City should note.

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All private employers employing six or more people in the City of Kansas City, Mo., are required to follow the new “ban the box” ordinance.

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Under this new ordinance, employers must wait until two conditions have been met before they can inquire into an applicant’s criminal history: » It has been determined that the individual is otherwise qualified for the position » The applicant has been interviewed for the position Once these conditions have been met, applicants are considered “within the final selection pool of candidates,” at which point an inquiry into their criminal histories may be made.

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Similar to the EEOC’s requirement of “consistency with business necessity,” employers must do a “totality of the circumstances” review of the candidate’s criminal history as it relates to the duties and function of the particular job role at issue.

4

Employers are still able to conduct a pre-employment background check through their employment screening vendor.

Employers with employees in Kansas City should review their employment applications and relevant employment forms to ensure compliance with federal, state and local law, especially if using standardized forms across multiple jurisdictions. Impacted employers also should ensure that all hiring and recruiting personnel are aware of “ban the box” jurisdictions.

Hank Zerbe is director of communications and digital strategy at Validity Screening Solutions, a premiere provider of employment screening. He shares his expertise on employment, HR technology and company culture.

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ESTABLISHED & GROWING

Six Employment Issues Every Small Business Should Address Avoid major headaches down the road. Adopt these policies now. ( BY JIM HOLLAND )

have only so much time E ntrepreneurs and energy. Most of it is dedicated to

doing whatever it takes to get their nascent ventures off the ground, including developing their products or services, pursuing capital and developing sales channels.

Even when the company begins hiring its first few employees, entrepreneurs often 44

remain focused on those foundational activities and don’t pay attention to another essential aspect of the business: employment issues.

Ultimately, though, these matters are critical because the actions of employees who come and go over time will have enormous impact on the company’s ability to succeed.

THE VALUE OF EMPLOYMENT POLICIES

Entrepreneurs often believe they don’t need employment policies because employees have embraced the owner’s vision

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and will always have the company’s best interests at heart. Sadly, many of these entrepreneurs experience negative employee situations they never thought would happen.

With very few exceptions, the law doesn’t require small businesses to implement any particular policies. From a legal standpoint, however, certain policies are essential.

Every startup founder—and every small business, for that matter—needs written employee policies and procedures that protect the company. Developing the policies also compels the company owner to think through the culture he or she wants to

DEVELOPING THE POLICIES ALSO COMPELS THE COMPANY OWNER TO THINK THROUGH THE CULTURE HE OR SHE WANTS TO CREATE.

create. That clarity, coupled with policies that support the cultural vision, makes the company a better employer and ensures compliance with relevant laws.

EMPLOYMENT POLICIES AND COMPLIANCE

The following are basic policies and compliance issues for entrepreneurial businesses:

1

WORKER CLASSIFICATION

// Small

businesses often hire “independent contractors” to supplement employee expertise or manage increased seasonal demands. Similarly, many small businesses believe every “salaried” worker is exempt from overtime pay. However, the Department of Labor has strict regulations about who qualifies as an employee vs. an independent contractor or as an exempt vs. nonexempt employee. Businesses that misclassify workers are at risk for expensive fines and potential litigation that can cost thousands.

2

NONCOMPETE AGREEMENTS // These agreements can forbid departing employees from competing in certain geographic areas for certain periods of time, soliciting fellow employees or customers or disclosing confidential information. Small businesses often use internet resources to draft their own agreements, but many courts have declined to honor such “blanket” noncompetes. Entrepreneurs should consider seeking legal counsel in drafting or reviewing noncompetes to make sure the document can be enforced in the state in which the company operates.

3

TRADE SECRET PROTECTIONS

// A

young firm’s employees often have full access to customer lists, formulas, methods, processes, techniques, programs and product secrets. Employee mobili-

ty is increasing, and confidential work and proprietary models can be prone to covert theft when employees change jobs.

Small businesses should ask employees to sign confidentiality or nondisclosure agreements that forbid the employee from disclosing trade secrets or using proprietary information against the company if the employee leaves.

4

ANTI-DISCRIMINATION

5

TECHNOLOGY

AND ANTI-HARASSMENT // Small businesses should have a policy against discrimination or harassment in any form. The policy should not only prohibit unlawful discrimination and harassment, but should also state that the company expects employees to treat each other in a professional and respectful manner at all times. The policy should outline a process by which an employee can make a discrimination or harassment complaint and prohibit retaliation against any who do complain.

// The National Labor Relations Board has not looked favorably on policies that attempt to limit employees from making negative social media or blog posts about the company.

However, it’s a good idea to have a policy about the company’s expectations regarding social media posts. The policy also should reference when cellphones can be used at work and how employees are expected to use devices the company provides.

6

ARBITRATION AGREEMENT

// No

entrepreneur wants to experience an employee lawsuit, but they do happen. If employees have signed arbitration agreements, the outcome of an employee lawsuit will be decided by an arbitrator instead of in a public courtroom with a jury. With these agreements, the company avoids the risk of a jury decision that awards exorbitant monetary damages to the employee.

Small business owners are good at running their businesses but aren’t necessarily skilled at addressing employment policies that may be critical to their success.

Multiple policies need to be discussed and tailored for each company in order to help it succeed. Seeking legal advice on the front end to make sure policies and compliance issues are correctly addressed can save hundreds of thousands of dollars on the back end.

Jim Holland is managing partner in the Kansas City office of labor and employment firm Fisher Phillips. (816) 842-8770 // jholland@fisherphillips. com

"FIND BETTER BUSINESSES" Better Business Bureau 816-421-7800 8080 Ward Parkway, Suite 401 Kansas City, MO 64114 BBB.org/Kansas-City

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ESTABLISHED & GROWING

No Drama From Mama Hiring friends and family? Here’s how to set the stage for success.

( BY ALEXANDRA COOK )

I

f you need help at work, hiring friends and family members can seem like a no-brainer. You want employees you can count on, and if you can’t trust Mom, your cousin or your old college roommate, who can you trust?

In reality, though, hiring loved ones comes with special challenges, too.

Follow these five steps to help avoid the drama, ensure your team will hit the ground running and be prepared for any pitfalls.

ENSURE ALL PRE-EMPLOYMENT PROCEDURES ARE FOLLOWED

Does the position you’re filling require a background check or a drug screen? A valid driver’s license or a clean driving record? If so, you’ll need to make sure your friend or family member can meet these conditions.

46

While you’re at it, make sure they fill out all the paperwork any other employee would be required to complete, such as: » Employment application » Benefits paperwork (even if they plan on waiving coverage) » Form I-9 » Tax documents (including federal and state withholding forms) UNDERSTAND LABOR LAWS WHEN HIRING FAMILY UNDER AGE 18

Employing younger family members can allow children to gain valuable work experience and can create tax advantages if the business owner is their parent. However, you’ll need to follow all applicable child labor laws and wage reporting requirements, both on the state and federal level.

If your business is a sole proprietorship or a partnership in which each partner is

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the parent of the child, you are not required to report FICA or FUTA as long as the child is below certain age limits. But the child’s wages are subject to income tax withholding rules and minimum wage rules for your industry.

Adhering to payroll record requirements—such as the hourly rate paid, number of hours worked and the amount earned for each pay period—will also help protect your business in the event you are ever audited by the Internal Revenue Service.

Be mindful of other applicable labor laws. These may limit the number of hours a child is allowed to work daily or weekly based on their age, and they may prohibit children from performing certain types of work.

ALTER THE REPORTING STRUCTURE, AND USE CREATIVE SCHEDULING

One of the best ways to curtail difficult situations is to create a reporting structure where your friend or family member

WORKING WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY CAN BE A REWARDING EXPERIENCE. AGAIN, THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS TO EVERY RULE, BUT BEFORE YOU MAKE YOUR NEXT HIRE, REMEMBER TO HAVE THESE IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS EARLY AND SET THE PRECEDENT FOR A HARMONIOUS WORKING RELATIONSHIP. reports to another supervisor or member of management. You should create this structure before the employee begins work.

Take time to create a policy about nepotism and abide by it. (Bonus points if you already have one, but make sure you review it.) This can help with morale and prevent any appearance of impropriety.

Ensure the new employee’s manager understands your expectations, and give them leeway to manage as they would anyone else. The manager should have the ability to determine performance expectations, fit wages and pay increases within the existing budget, and handle performance reviews.

If your business requires shift work, as in the retail or restaurant industry, try to schedule employees who have out-of-theworkplace relationships (spouses, for example) in different areas or on opposite shifts.

This will help you to avoid scheduling pitfalls should a family emergency occur or some other unexpected event arises that would require both parties to be absent at the same time.

BE PREPARED FOR REQUESTS FOR SPECIAL TREATMENT

Your friend or family member may want, or expect, extra freedom due to your

existing relationship. They might try to give you more input than you would typically expect (or want) from someone in their position. This can also take the shape of them wanting more scheduling flexibility. They might look at your deadlines or processes as suggestions instead of the mandates they actually are.

If you decide that you’d rather overlook this kind of behavior, be prepared for overall employee morale to suffer. Or other employees may start to “follow the leader” and begin to exhibit these behaviors as well. A simple conversation with the friend or family member ahead of their start date can help set expectations.

Friends and family members may ask you to consider hiring someone close to them as a special favor. Remember, the best hiring decisions generally do not start out as favors. There are exceptions to every rule, but if a person is having difficulty finding a job and needs additional help getting a foot in the door, it is likely that person is not a top candidate in his or her field. Be prepared and adjust your expectations accordingly if you decide to extend this person an opportunity.

KEEP YOUR DOOR OPEN, AND BE READY TO HAVE TOUGH CONVERSATIONS

Unfortunately, sometimes when a friend or family member leaves the company to pursue another opportunity, you will hear things regarding their performance or work ethic that you had no idea about while they were employed. Practice an open-door policy with supervisors and employees to help keep you informed. Shut down any issues before they grow out of hand.

Working with friends and family can be a rewarding experience. Again, there are exceptions to every rule, but before you make your next hire, remember to have these important conversations early and set the precedent for a harmonious working relationship.

Alexandra Cook is the director of human resources at Lever1, a professional employer organization that helps businesses outsource HR, payroll and employee benefits. info@lever1.com // (816) 994-1300 // www.lever1.com K C E DI T I O N // I T H I N KBIGGER .CO M

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ESTABLISHED & GROWING

Transform Your Employees Into Ambassadors Some of the best advocates for your business are the people who work for you.

( BY JANET SMITH )

business owner wants (and needs) E very employees who are reliable and trust-

worthy, productive and accurate, interested in their work, pleasant to be around, concerned about customer satisfaction, loyal and focused on the company’s success. Let’s call them golden employees because they are worth their proverbial weight in gold.

Golden employees typically have healthy levels of emotional intelligence, and the maturity and professionalism necessary to perform well under most conditions, for most employers. They have an intrinsic 48

desire to work hard and do their best.

Perhaps most importantly, these topnotch employees offer their employers something incredibly valuable: the potential to become company ambassadors. Ambassador, in this sense, describes employees who are such avid fans of the company they work for that they frequently sing its praises to customers, family, friends and others.

Employees who become ambassadors are worth their weight in platinum. They’re one of the best marketing resources a company can have, and they’re rather rare. According to Gallup’s 2017 State of the Workplace Report, 70 percent of Americans aren’t engaged in their jobs. The unengaged complain about their jobs to anyone who will listen, including customers. So it’s a big deal when employees spontaneously brag about their work and workplace to customers and anyone else

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they might encounter, both on the clock and off. The honest, unscripted positivity of company ambassadors is a valuable endorsement that boosts both a company’s reputation and its bottom line.

As noted, golden employees do what they do because excelling is innately rewarding to them. Turning them into ambassadors, however, is an extrinsic thing. Employees can’t become ambassadors by being asked to do so, or by having that role added to a job description. Employees become company ambassadors when they are inspired to do so.

Here are some critical sources of that inspiration.

1. EMPLOYEES ARE INSPIRED WHEN THEY’RE TREATED LIKE OWNERS

Open the books, share concerns about the

business and the industry, and seek their suggestions and feedback. The collective brain trust of employees is astronomical, yet leaders far too infrequently view employees as the valuable resources that they are. Let employees try doing things in a new way, and if it doesn’t work, encourage them to learn from the experience and keep moving forward.

When profitable, recognize and thank your stellar employees with a bonus.

2. EMPLOYEES ARE INSPIRED WHEN THEY FEEL TRUSTED

Treating them like owners will get the ball rolling. Keep it going by empowering workers to make decisions, broadening their scope of empowerment as they earn it. Intelligent, dedicated employees become apathetic when required to get the boss’s OK before taking action to satisfy a customer.

Employees also feel trusted when they have autonomy, aren’t micromanaged or secondguessed, and receive challenging work and new responsibilities.

3. EMPLOYEES ARE INSPIRED BY ENERGIZING WORK

Employees who become ambassadors find their work challenging. They’re engaged and engrossed, and time flies by. Ask employees to list both the responsibilities they enjoy and feel they do best, and those they dread or find boring. Find ways to maximize the

time they spend doing what they love and do best.

4. EMPLOYEES ARE INSPIRED WHEN THEY RECEIVE FREQUENT FEEDBACK

Employees who do a good job need to hear this, often. And when an employee makes a mistake or uses poor judgment or otherwise falls short of expectations, a calm, constructive one-on-one conversation should take place within a few days. Bosses who wait for formal review time to pay a compliment or discuss a problem don’t inspire their employees. Top performers in particular thrive on frequent feedback. Schedule one-on-ones at least every few weeks, even for 15 minutes.

Employees who become ambassadors know where they stand with their employer.

5. EMPLOYEES ARE INSPIRED BY GREAT BOSSES

Golden employees will only transform into company ambassadors if they have a great boss, whether the boss is a company owner or someone else. Great bosses are

Janet Smith is a workplace culture consultant through her company, The Power of Goodwill. She conducts employee morale assessments, facilitates high-energy workshops and provides training and coaching to bosses at all levels.

(816) 588-6400 // www.ThePowerOfGoodwill.com

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ESTABLISHED & GROWING

Hiring? Marketing Makes It Rain Resumes Establishing an employer brand makes recruiting easier in a tight job market.

( BY JEFF RANDOLPH )

4 and 6.4 percent is considered I between full employment. By any standard of mea-

n economic terms, an unemployment rate

sure, our nation is at full employment. If you are trying to fill job vacancies at your company, then you know firsthand how challenging recruiting talented employees really is today.

The Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) puts hard numbers to the things most business owners will tell you anecdotally—it’s hard to recruit and retain new talent. The SHRM LINE Report says hiring rates across manufacturing and service sectors are expected to rise, while candidate sourcing becomes more difficult.

If for no other reason than to find and recruit talent, many companies are engaging in more robust employer branding strategies.

If you’re already there or heading in that direction, keep these best practices for employer branding and marketing in mind during these hard hiring times.

KNOW YOUR EMPLOYER BRAND

You have an employer brand, even if it isn’t formally defined yet. Sites like Glassdoor give applicants a look into your interview process, pay structure and management style. But employees in any industry know the ups and downs of working for specific companies because the word on the street is out there.

50

When a company actively takes charge of its employer brand, it puts forth a cohesive external image of its workplace culture that appeals to like-minded employees.

Attracting the best match for your company means defining exactly who that match is and reaching those candidates with messages about how they will love working there. Not everyone is a great match for your company, and that’s OK. BEGIN TREATING APPLICANTS LIKE CUSTOMERS

Marketing professionals eliminate obstacles that could prevent customers from interacting with your company. Eliminating barriers, perceived or real, helps convert prospects to customers and customers into loyalists.

You approach customers with a sense of urgency because you need sales.

Recruiting applicants should be no different. Use your customer approach with applicants to get their attention and resumes.

NO MORE FORCING CANDIDATES TO JUMP THROUGH APPLICATION HOOPS

In times of full employment, and especially when working with younger demographics, employers no longer have the luxury of multi-step, company-specific application processes that take hours for applicants to complete, only to get 20-second consideration from the hiring manager in return.

Application processes need to be revamped. Barriers to entry have been knocked down when working with customers, and now the same must be done on the applicant side. You want applicants to give

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the least amount of information, in the easiest way possible, so companies can make decisions about moving on to the next stage of the hiring process. You can always continue to gather more information from applicants as you move along, just as you do with customers.

CATCH THE EYES OF THOSE WHO AREN’T LOOKING

Low unemployment means the best talent certainly already has gainful employment. They may even be happy in their current position.

To win the labor war, companies have to get their open positions in front of talent who aren’t actively looking. That’s not easy for HR to accomplish in general. It’s the kind of thing headhunters specialize in, at a hefty cost.

But it’s exactly what marketing does on a regular basis. Marketing professionals regularly find customers who don’t know they need a product, present a compelling brand message and convert people from prospects to customers. This may mean you start using tactics more often reserved for customer acquisition, like display advertising, paid social targeting, and even radio and billboards.

GIVE TOP CANDIDATES THE INFORMATION THEY WANT

According to Glassdoor, the five most important pieces of information job seekers want employers to provide are: 1 Salary/compensation 2 Benefits 3 Basic company information 4 What attributes make it an attractive

place to work 5 Company mission, vision and values

Simple enough. But employers usually leave out the first one, or weasel around it with “commensurate with experience” and “please provide salary history and requirements.”

If you were talking about a customer interaction instead of a prospective employee, would it be different? Would you withhold information, or would you be more willing to give ranges and minimums so customers could better self-identify as prospects?

When you’re working with passive job talent, companies must put more cards on the table or let your well-established employer brand lead the way.

When you build that employer brand, people start knocking on your door, even when the labor market is as tight as it is today. A well-established employer brand can lead the charge—and save you money at the same time. According to a study from 2014, 64 percent of millennials would rather make $40,000 a year at a job they love than $100,000 a year at a job they find boring.

MARKETING FOR RECRUITING AND HIRING NEEDN’T BE COMPLICATED

and candidates, and actively control your employer brand. Let the resumes rain.

Jeff Randolph is VP/Director of Client Services at EAG Advertising & Marketing. jrandolph@smallbusinessmiracles.com

Put yourself in job seekers’ shoes, apply marketing principles to both consumers K C E DI T I O N // I T H I N KBIGGER .CO M

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ESTABLISHED & GROWING

Dress Code: Le Freak or So Chic?

Defining a policy sets image expectations.

( BY JENNIFER NIEHOUSE )

can make dressing for the day a sticky K challenge. As a business owner, you may ansas City’s summer temperatures

be wondering whether a reminder about “appropriate workplace attire” needs to be on the agenda. Like it or not, beach-themed fashions may have already flip-flopped into the office.

Dress codes have been a hot topic because defining business casual is confusing.

Navigating issues around employees’ fashion sense can feel like a hassle. However, with today’s more relaxed work environments, it helps everyone to have parameters around workplace attire expectations to avoid any wardrobe blunders.

The long-term benefits can also improve your company’s brand image.

WHY CASUAL?

What did you wear to the office today?

Your outfit, most likely, is certainly less formal than what was worn a couple decades ago, when men’s and women’s closets were dominated by shoulder-padded suits (following John T. Malloy’s rules on “Dress For Success”).

Office attire shifted in the early ’90s when Silicon Valley’s casual Fridays turned into dressing casually all week long—and the fashion industry took notice of this new work wear trend.

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No matter how you say it—smart casual, business casual or just casual—people are perplexed. Expecting your employees to crack the appearance code on their own allows for office-wear blunders. With millennials (and now Gen Z-ers) growing up during these more casual times, bewilderment around dressing for the office will continue. Yet, we wonder why the youth doesn’t get what it means to dress professionally or know what to wear to an interview.

WHY APPEARANCE MATTERS

Anymore, it’s not so much about Stacy London’s “what to wear, what not to wear” but more about the “WHY.” Does is really matter what you wear? You bet it does! And as a company, understanding why dress matters could affect your bottom line.

Did you know that dressing more professionally than casually increases abstract thinking and gives people a broader perspective? According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, “wearing nicer clothes may raise one’s confidence level, affect how others perceive the wearer, and in some cases even boost the level of one’s abstract thinking, the type in which leaders and executives engage.”

Two other important factors about fashion and dress code to keep in mind are: Clothing is a nonverbal form of communication. People make snap judgments based on what you wear and how you wear it. You don’t want to risk making the wrong impression!

Clothing relates to branding. Your

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employees are “brand ambassadors,” so make sure their clothing choices best represent your company, both internally and externally.

Business owners should consider these scenarios related to fashion: » Are you 100 percent confident your sales team is making the right impression when they meet with a client or customer for the first time? » Does the sales team look fashionably current, professional and up-to-date

(not dowdy, dated or schlumpy)? » Are your employees representing the right company image when they attend networking events? » An employee is presenting in front of a large group of business people. Does the outfit convey credibility? » Are employees paying attention to details such as making sure clothing fits properly and appropriately? (Not too tight, baggy or distracting.)

Employees appreciate today’s casual

work atmosphere, including the freedom to be more fashionably creative. If your company has loosened its tie, but you don’t want to loosen standards, defining a dress code will allow you to describe what professionalism (or casualism) looks like within your company culture.

The goal is to educate your employees so they have more apparel awareness. Fashion is a powerful social tool and can offer enhanced professional development opportunities while improving company’s image

and strengthening its brand.

Jennifer Niehouse is a wardrobe consultant and image advisor. She’s the owner of It’s so U!, which has three components: Brand U, HR services and workshops; Grow U, interview attire and professional presence programming for students and teachers; and Style U, personal styling and shopping. jennifer@itssou.co // itssou.co // linkedin.com/in/itssou/ K C E DI T I O N // I T H I N KBIGGER .CO M

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ESTABLISHED & GROWING

3 Tips to Collecting Debt as a Small Business Owner Get paid on time and in full.

YOUR CONTRACTS SHOULD ( BY DEAN KAPLAN )

B

eing a small business owner can mean doing everything from washing the dishes and taking out the trash to programming an app and handling customer service complaints.

Unfortunately, being a small business owner can also mean being responsible for collecting on unpaid bills from clients.

Having other companies owe you money can seriously affect your own bottom line — and because smaller businesses run on tighter margins, having clients owe you money can be especially devastating.

These three tips will help prevent some of the issues associated with debt collection.

DO YOUR RESEARCH

One of the biggest sources of commercial debt is fraud. Taking simple measures to make sure that the companies you’re doing business with are both legitimate and good credit risks is an easy, cost-effective way to prevent bad debt.

When presented with a new client, take a minute and make sure everything checks out. Does the contact information you have match the contact information on the website? Is their address a genuine business address? Google Maps can help you determine this.

When you call, is the phone answered in a professional manner? Do they have reviews on the Better Business Bureau or Glassdoor?

54

ALSO SPELL OUT WHAT COUNTS AS ACCEPTABLE DELIVERY FOR A SERVICE OR PRODUCT. THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT FOR COMPANIES PROVIDING SERVICES THAT ARE SOMEWHAT SUBJECTIVE. When you’ve established that the company is indeed legitimate, consider running a credit report on them. Many credit reports are fairly inexpensive, especially compared with the cost of unpaid bills. Make sure that you have the company fill out a credit application and that the application includes both personal and professional contact information. You can find a variety of free, customizable credit applications online.

Your contracts should also spell out what counts as acceptable delivery for a service or product. This is especially important for companies providing services that are somewhat subjective.

For example, the success of a marketing campaign should not determine whether or not a marketing company or designer gets paid. Make sure to keep a paper trail of emails acknowledging receipt of deliverables.

ACT FAST

In a small company, details such as sending invoices can often get overlooked. Make sure to send invoices promptly and include payment terms. Very few companies (or people) will pay if they are not asked to do so.

If the terms on your contract and invoice are Net 30, then on day 31, you should send an email asking about payment. This can feel awkward, but if you allow clients to pay you late, then you wind up teaching them that it’s acceptable to pay you late. Calls and emails should be made but keep the conversation polite and professional.

Collections run on a fairly tight timetable.

Studies show that the longer a debt goes unpaid, the harder it is to collect on that debt.

If you are having trouble collecting on an invoice, you may want to consider hiring a commercial collections agency. Small companies rarely have the staff to devote someone to collecting debt full-time.

Debt collection can be a confusing and complicated process. Accounts receivable departments unfamiliar with the laws and rules can inadvertently make a situation worse. Professional collectors know how to sort out the issues and ensure you get paid.

Most reputable collections agencies will only take payment if they collect, making a professional collector a good financial choice as well.

WRITE GOOD CONTRACTS

The contracts you sign can make it easier or more difficult to collect on invoices.

Make sure that all contracts spell out fees and penalties for late payment. Different states have different rules about what kinds of fees are enforceable, so you should consider consulting with a lawyer or a trained collection professional when writing contracts.

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Dean Kaplan is President of The Kaplan Group, a commercial collection agency specializing in large claims and international transactions. He has 35 years of manufacturing and international business leadership and customer training experience. Today, he provides business planning, training and consultation to a variety of companies. // kaplancollectionagency.com

K C E DI T I O N // I T H I N KBIGGER .CO M

55

ESTABLISHED & GROWING

Glossary of ACCOUNTS PAYABLE // Amount owing to creditors for goods and services on an open account.

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE //

Amount due from customers for merchandise or services purchased on an open account.

ASSET // Anything owned by a

business or individual that has commercial or exchange value.

BALANCE SHEET // Financial statement that presents a “snapshot” of what the business owns, what it owes, and what equity it has on a given date.

CAPITAL // See Equity.

CAPITAL EXPENDITURES //

Purchases of long-term assets, such as equipment, used in manufacturing a product.

CASH FLOW // Incoming cash to

the business less the outgoing cash during a given period. Also used to refer to the figure derived from net income plus noncash items charged off in the accrual accounting process.

CHARGED OFF LOAN // An uncollec-

tible loan for which the principal and accrued interest were removed from the receivable accounts.

CLOSING // Actions and procedures

required to effect the documentation and disbursement of loan funds after the application has been approved, and the execution of all required documentation and its filing and recordation where required.

56

CLOSED LOAN // Any loan for which funds have been disbursed, and all required documentation has been executed, received and reviewed.

For statistical purposes, first or total disbursement is counted as a closed loan.

COLLATERAL // Something of value—

securities, evidence of deposit or other property—pledged to support the repayment of an obligation.

COLLATERAL DOCUMENT //

A legal document covering the item(s) pledged as collateral on a loan, i.e., note, mortgages, assignment, etc.

CONTINGENT LIABILITY //

A potential obligation that may be incurred dependent upon the occurrence of a future event. Two examples are: (1) the liability of an endorser or guarantor of a note if the primary borrower fails to pay as agreed and (2) the liability that would be incurred if a pending lawsuit is resolved in the other party’s favor.

CONTRACT // A mutually binding

legal relationship obligating the seller to furnish supplies or services (including construction) and the buyer to pay for them.

CREDIT RATING // A grade assigned

operation of the firm within one year.

the “depreciable life.”

CURRENT LIABILITIES // Debts you

DIVIDEND // Distribution of earnings

expect to pay within one year.

to shareholders.

CURRENT RATIO // Shows the firm’s

EQUITY // The ownership interest in a business remaining after its liabilities are deducted. Also the net investment of owners or stockholders in a business.

ability to pay its current obligations from current assets. Current assets divided by current liabilities.

DEBENTURE // Debt instrument evidencing the holder’s right to receive interest and principal installments from the named obligor.

Applies to all forms of unsecured, long-term debt evidenced by a certificate of debt.

DEBT CAPITAL // Business financing that normally requires periodic interest payments and repayment of the principal within a specified time.

DEBT FINANCING // The provision of long term loans to small business concerns in exchange for debt securities or a note.

DEBT RATIO // Indicates the firm’s

debt level, or leverage. Total liabilities divided by total liabilities plus capital.

DEED OF TRUST // A document

under seal which, when delivered, transfers a present interest in property. May be held as collateral.

to a business concern to denote the net worth and credit standing to which the concern is entitled in the opinion of the rating agency as a result of its investigation.

DEFAULTS // The nonpayment of

CURRENT ASSETS // Cash or other

the cost of a fixed asset, such as plant and equipment, over several years, or

assets you expect to use in the

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principal and/or interest on the due date as provided by the terms and conditions of the note.

DEPRECIATION // Amortization of

EQUITY FINANCING // The provision of funds for capital or operating expenses in exchange for capital stock, stock purchase warrants and options in the business financed, without any guaranteed return, but with the opportunity to share in the company’s profits. Equity financing includes long-term subordinated securities containing stock options and/or warrants. Utilized in SBIC financing activities.

EQUITY PARTNERSHIP // A limited

partnership arrangement for providing start-up and seed capital to businesses.

ESCROW ACCOUNTS // Funds

placed in trust with a third party, by a borrower for a specific purpose and to be delivered to the borrower only upon the fulfillment of certain conditions.

EXTRAORDINARY ITEMS // Unusual

or nonrecurring event that must be explained to shareholders or investors, such as a manufacturer’s sale of a building.

FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS //

Estimates of the future financial performance of a firm.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS // Written

Financial Terms record of the financial status of an individual or organization. Commonly include profit and loss, or income, statement; the balance sheet, which includes a statement of the company’s retained earnings; and the cash flow statement.

FIXED ASSETS // Long-term assets

such as buildings, equipment, or property that are not expected to be converted to cash in the near term.

GROSS PROFIT // Indicates the

revenues of the firm before consideration of its operating expenses.

Net sales less cost of goods sold.

GROSS PROFIT MARGIN // Measures a firm’s profitability. Gross profits divided by net sales.

GROSS INCOME // Net sales less

cost of goods sold.

GUARANTEED LOAN // A loan made and serviced by a lending institution under agreement that a governmental agency will purchase the guaranteed portion if the borrower defaults.

INSOLVENCY // The inability of a

borrower to meet financial obligations as they mature, or having insufficient assets to pay legal debts.

INSTALLMENT LOAN // Loan type

a specific borrower up to a pre-agreed amount during a specific time frame.

Usually reviewed annually and subject to cancellation without notice.

LIQUID ASSETS // Those assets that can be readily turned into cash.

LIEN // A charge upon or security

interest in real or personal property maintained to ensure the satisfaction of a debt or duty ordinarily arising by operation of law.

LIQUIDATION // The disposal, at

maximum prices, of the collateral securing a loan, and the voluntary and enforced collection of the remaining loan balance from the obligators and/ or guarantors.

LIQUIDATION VALUE // The net

value realizable in the sale (ordinarily a forced sale) of a business or a particular asset.

MATURITY // As applied to securities and commercial paper, the period end date when payment of principal is due.

MATURITY EXTENSIONS // Exten-

sions of payment beyond the original period established for repayment of a loan.

NET INCOME // The sum remaining

after all expenses have been met or deducted. Also called profit.

OPERATING PROFIT (LOSS) //

PROFIT AND LOSS STATEMENT //

Income or loss before taxes and extraordinary items resulting from transactions other than those in the normal course of business.

Summary of the revenues, costs, and expenses for a business over a period of time. Also called the income statement.

OPERATING PROFIT MARGIN //

RATIO // Denotes relationships of

Measures a firm’s profitability by examining the pre-tax profit generated from primary operations (versus extraordinary items) in relation to net sales. Operating profit divided by net sales.

items within and between financial statements (e.g., current ratio, quick ratio, inventory turnover ratio and debt/net worth ratios).

interest based on a year of 360 days, contrasting with exact interest having a base year of 365 days.

RETURN ON INVESTMENT // The amount of profit (return) based on the amount of resources (funds) used to produce it. Also, the ability of a given investment to earn a return for its use.

OUTLAYS // Net disbursements

RETAINED EARNINGS // Net profits

ORDINARY INTEREST // Simple

(cash payments in excess of cash receipts) for administrative expenses and for loans and related costs and expenses (e.g., gross disbursements for loans and expenses minus loan repayments, interest and fee income collected, and reimbursements received for services performed for other agencies).

PRIME RATE // Interest rate which

is charged business borrowers having the highest credit ratings, for short term borrowing.

INVENTORY // Value of a firm’s raw

returns and allowances.

PRINCIPAL // The currently unpaid balance of a loan, not including interest owed. Also can refer to a primary owner or investor.

materials, work in process, supplies used in operations and finished goods.

NET WORTH // Property owned (assets), minus debts and obligations owed (liabilities), is the owner’s equity (net worth).

PROFIT // Compensation an entrepreneur receives for the assumption of risk in a business venture. Also called net income.

that is paid in periodic payments, such as an automobile loan.

LINE OF CREDIT // Although not a

contract, a bank’s promise to lend to

NET SALES // Gross sales minus

kept to accumulate in a business after dividends are paid.

SECONDARY MARKET // Those who purchase an interest in a loan from an original lender, such as banks, institutional investors, insurance companies, credit unions and pension funds.

VENTURE CAPITAL // Money used

to support new or unusual commercial undertakings; equity, risk or speculative capital. This funding is provided to new or existing firms that exhibit above-average growth rates, a significant potential for market expansion and the need for additional financing for business maintenance or expansion.

Source: SBA Glossary of Terms K C E DI T I O N // I T H I N KBIGGER .CO M

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ESTABLISHED & GROWING

Find the Right Funding For Your Business

financing. JustinePetersen.org // is a sidecar fund that co-invests with institutional venture capital investors in early-stage companies based in the Kansas City area. They match local early stage companies with seasoned venture capital investors. KCRiseFund.com

KCRISE FUND

Resources for expanding companies are plentiful in Kansas City.

// focuses on entrepreneurship and helps fill resource gaps and bring national resources to the community through grants such as the i6 Challenge and the University Center grants from the Department of Commerce EDA.

KCSOURCELINK ( BY NARBELI GALINDO )

business owners look for ways to A sgrow, they may not realize there are

local funding resources available for all types of companies and industries—not just high-growth startups.

Whether a company hopes to expand locally or internationally, there are resources to help meet increased demand for products and services, increase inventory, hire personnel, participate in a trade mission trip, buy more equipment, translate collateral into another language, buy or lease land, and more.

There are 28.8 million small businesses with 56.8 million employees in the United States, according to the U.S. Small Business Adminis-tration. Small businesses (defined as businesses with fewer than 500 employees) account for 99.7 percent of all business in the U.S. According to a U.S. Bank study, 82 percent of businesses that fail do so because of cash flow problems and lack of funding resources. However, Kansas City-area companies can avoid that fate by tapping into the metro’s plentiful resources.

There are more than 20 organizations in the Kansas City area that offer funding.

These are just a few funding resources that exist in our area: ALTCAP

// offers local entrepreneurs mi-

croloans of up to $50,000 in debt capital to launch, operate or grow their microenterprise or small business. Borrowers can be from any industry and at any stage of the business life cycle. Its ARTcap microloans are available for amounts up to $50,000 to artists, artisans and makers as well as other established businesses in the creative industries in Kansas City, Mo. Alt-Cap.org/alternative-capitalAlt-Cap.org/ aux_artcap 58

ANGEL CAPITAL ASSOCIATION // is the largest angel professional development organization providing early-stage investment in the world. ACA provides an insider perspective to help make smart investment decisions.AngelCapitalAssociation.org C3 CAPITAL FUND MANAGEMENT

// is based

locally and manages three funds (C3 Capital Partners LP, C3 Capital Partners II LP and C3 Capital Partners III LP) with approximately $460 million in assets that provide capitalfor businesses to finance later stage growth, strategic acquisitions, ownership transitions and recapitalizations.

Targeted industries include chemicals, energy, business services, distribution and niche manufacturing. c3cap.com DIGITAL SANDBOX KC // is a technology grant that provides proof-of-concept resources including market validation, prototyping and beta testing support for development of digital technologies within new and existing businesses.

DigitalSandboxKC.com ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI // has two types of financial assistance programs. EDC Loan Corporation (EDCLC) is a nonprofit corporation specializing in the origination and underwriting of SBA 504 loans and revolving loan funds. Its mission is to help small business grow and expand through loan programs in an effort to attract, expand and retain jobs. EDCKC.com/agencies/edc-loan-

corporation-edcl/ HISPANIC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF GREATER KANSAS CITY’S

//

KCSourceLink.com

// a partnership between the EDCKC and Downtown Council, helps startups create jobs, attract talent, unlock value and engage follow-on investors. Eight $50,000 grants and one $100,000 grant are awarded annually. LaunchKC.org

LAUNCHKC

MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC

// has two export programs. Global Market Access Program is for Missouri small businesses, primarily manufacturers, with 500 employees or fewer and with annual sales of $25 million or less.

MDED will focus assistance to these small firms to access new geographic markets for increased sales opportunities. Missouri State Trade and Export Promotion Grant (STEP) makes grants to states to carry out export programs that assist eligible small businesses. The aim of the STEP Program is to increase the number of small businesses that are exporting and increase the value of the exports.

DEVELOPMENT (MDED)

ded.mo.gov/programs/business/gmap ExportMissouri.mo.gov/docs/defaultsource/ export_missouri/mostep-guidelines.pdf

// is an alternative lending organization that offers loans and financial education to small business owners in the Kansas City metro area.

Each loan recipient receives structured technical assistance support in the development of their business and access to a financial coach.

WOMEN’S BUSINESS CENTER

IMPACTO program offers microloans for small business owners. KCHEDC.org/hedc/

KansasWBC.com/resources/funding/we_lend

JUSTINE PETERSEN MICROLOAN PROGRAM

WORLD TRADE CENTER KANSAS CITY (WTCKC)

// offers microloans targeting businesses

// has a Global Cities Initiatives (GCI) microgrant program that offers reimburse-

that have been turned down for traditional

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ment of export-related expenses to small and medium-sized businesses. Grant awards may total $5,000 and must be spent on improving the applicant’s ability to access world markets. WTC-KC.com/World-TradeCenter/

SBA Reimagined

Micro-Grants.aspx

To learn about more resources available for your industry and type of business, contact the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City at EDCKC.com, Missouri Department of Economic Development at ded.mo.gov or Kansas Department of Commerce at KansasCommerce.com for assistance navigating the various programs.

Small Business Award Nominations Open Now—Jan. 6, 2019 at www.sba.gov/nsbw

Narbeli Galindo is Director of International Affairs for Kansas City at the Economic Development Corp. of Kansas City, Mo. Galindo assists local companies in expanding globally through exports and imports by sharing her trade expertise.

(816) 691-2139 // ngalindo@edckc.com K C E DI T I O N // I T H I N KBIGGER .CO M

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ESTABLISHED & GROWING

Know Your Numbers Or your number could be up.

( BY TIM SERNETT )

A

s a business owner, you absolutely have to know your numbers.

Entrepreneur Marcus Lemonis, the host of CNBC’s “The Profit,” has a saying: “If you don’t know your numbers, you don’t know your business!” I would add to that, “… and before long you’ll be out of business.”

So many companies get into extremely tight or emergency cash flow situations, and it seems to come as a surprise to the owner. Far too often, businesses are on 60

their way out of business, and the owner doesn’t even realize it until it’s too late.

Why? Because they don’t know their numbers! The shame of it all is that it’s not that hard to know, understand and use your numbers to build a better business.

It’s your responsibility to all who depend on the business (your family, team, customers and vendors) to generate the necessary profits and cash flow. That’s all there is to it. You choose to be a business owner, so you better understand what drives your

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business’s profitability and cash flow.

Of course, to know your numbers, the business must have a competent bookkeeping, accounting and finance function. That can mean many different things, depending on the size and complexity of your business.

So what do you need to know, in order to actually know your numbers? The following is by no means all inclusive, and is a barebones minimum.

DAILY

WEEKLY

GROSS PROFIT MARGIN // What is the

CASH POSITION AND CASH NEEDS // How

minimum gross profit margin you need on every single sale today in order to meet your profitability and cash flow goals? Every day small business owners make decisions to cut prices or give special discounts in order to make the sale. And that’s OK, but only if you understand what it’s doing to your margin on that particular sale and how it affects the business’s profits and cash flow overall.

much cash does the business have available, and what are the required cash disbursements this week?

BREAKEVEN POINT // All business owners

should have a feel for their sales breakeven point. The breakeven point is where the business has sold just enough to cover all its costs and expenses. (So the next sale past the breakeven point will put the business into a profitable state.) We typically determine the monthly sales breakeven point for our clients. But many of our clients break that down to daily sales breakeven points, so they can understand how the business is doing all the time.

VENDOR “PAYABLES AGING” AND CUSTOMER “RECEIVABLES AGING” // These should be up-

to-date and accurate.

SUMMARY OF LARGER CASH FLOW MOVEMENTS IN THE NEAR FUTURE // For ex-

ample: The loan payment is due next Tuesday, our largest customer will be paying us this Friday, biweekly payroll is next Monday, monthly payroll taxes are due in 10 days, etc.

SOME SORT OF SALES REPORT // That way,

you have a feel for how you’re doing this week and month-to-date against breakeven points or sales goals.

MONTHLY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS // This is your

income statement, balance sheet and statement of cash flows. Understanding financial statements may take some coaching and practice, but you can master this. We help our clients read financials all the time. The main point here is to gain insight every month into gross profit, net profitability, cash flow and liquidity. The focus should be more on the overall financial health of the business, and not just top-line revenue.

COMPARATIVE AND PREDICTIVE REPORTS, SUCH AS ACTUAL RESULTS VS. FORECAST // A reliable financial forecast is the next level of knowing your numbers. If you are actually using a financial forecast to help make business decisions, then you are way ahead of 99 percent of your competition.

All the above is just a starting point.

Depending on your industry, there are many other key performance indicators you should be analyzing, other than gross profit and breakeven point.

With competent accounting and finance help, knowing your numbers is not difficult or time-consuming. There’s really no excuse for not deeply understanding your numbers.

It takes just five minutes a day to review daily, weekly and month-to-date sales levels.

In 15 to 30 minutes a week, you can know your current cash position and cash needs.

You need maybe an hour or two a month to review financials and business performance against forecasted goals.

Know your numbers. Drive your business forward.

Tim Sernett, CPA, is the founder of Timothy L. Sernett, CPA, PA. The firm’s flagship service is Virtual BeanCounters, which offers outsourced accounting and related services. www.thevirtualbeancounters.com K C E DI T I O N // I T H I N KBIGGER .CO M

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ESTABLISHED & GROWING

Finding the Right Media Mix for Your Small Business You have a world of options for reaching customers.

under your nose, so sniff them out. Manage and clean your database monthly.

( BY DARRYL MATTOX )

Viewer programing is still the best way to reach the mass audience. Diversify your purchase, and rotate your strategy to maximize reach.

has changed dramatically M arketing in the last five years, and a 360-de-

gree approach to marketing should include all traditional and digital formats.

Still, everyone wants to know how to be successful. What’s the right mix of marketing channels and strategies?

Of course, the first question you must answer is how you measure success. Until you define that, there can’t be an effective plan.

But, once you understand your goals, use the following strategy as a building block to help develop a strong marketing mix.

1 REFERRALS // These are often the highest-converting inquiry source.

Incorporate referrals into your everyday marketing strategy.

2 WESITE // This goes beyond design because pretty doesn’t necessarily produce profits. Ensure the back-end is built for optimization.

3 SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION (SEO) //

Optimize on a daily basis to understand how people are getting to your brand.

Increase your traffic and conversions with well-written landing pages.

4 REMARKETING // You have qualified leads 62

5 BROADCAST, CABLE AND STREAMING //

6 PAY-PER-CLICK // Use targeted keywords and phrases from your SEO strategy. Don’t compete with yourself.

7 PAY-PER-LEAD (PPL) // Develop

standards for lead validity, and have a good sales process to work the leads. Remember that optimization is king.

8 PPL OPTIMIZATION // Implement an inquiry-scoring approach to increase conversion. Allocate appropriate time and manpower to these big data analytics.

9 SOCIAL MEDIA // Gives weight to SEO and

PPC efforts. Understand the channels your audience uses, and be committed to manage the network daily.

10 PRINT // Engaging creative will ideally fit the publication’s genre. Negotiate for position, frequency and added value such as free color or size upgrades.

Avoid Sabotaging Your Marketing’s Impact The “marketing funnel” has truly grown, and that has a lot to do with new technology. Brands are now better at reaching their

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audience with targeted messages specific to individual needs and wants. Understanding all aspects of the customer journey is important but often requires a shift away from fragmented marketing toward a more integrated approach. Having one holistic view on digital and the more traditional media channels, such as television, print and radio, can increase response in every channel.

Each channel should enhance, not sabotage, your overall marketing mix. For example, if you have a social program but lack optimized landing pages on a user-friendly website, then you’re throwing away money.

43%

42%

15%

Transferred to Online Transferred to Brand Awareness Transferred to Recorded as Primary

Figuring out how to measure each channel’s impact on your bottom line is key.

BUDGETING IN A DIRECT RESPONSE WORLD It takes, on average, seven to 12 touchpoints before a prospect becomes an inquiry—these come from three or more channels on average.

As a rule of thumb, while running a direct-response strategy, allocate 10 to 20 percent of your budget to branding and broad-based media. Define targeted media for direct response or immediate action.

According to a recent Gragg Advertis-

ing Attribution Study, 57 percent of leads generated by traditional media are not attributed to the originating source. So where are your offline leads coming from? You can understand and track attribution through a variety of methods such as dedicated phone lines, landing pages and dropdown menus for each media source. The following image illustrates the attribution effect across channels.

FIND WHAT SUPPLEMENTS YOUR MARKETING Show some creative flair as you move through testing new channels. Direct mail

has a high cost-per-lead but can be highly effective if used with emailing. A print strategy delivering a well-defined target within relevant content provides awareness, impact and helps drive interest for prospects who want to try out your product or service.

Radio typically produces a high cost-perlead but still drives strong brand awareness.

Have fun with your commercials to break the clutter. Outdoor ads should be dynamic to grab attention, with a rotation of design every 90 days.

Successful marketing is no longer predicated on interruptions or buying power dictated by large budgets and purchased views. Consult with your marketing team to further analyze strategies behind your marketing mix that work.

Remember, effective direct response marketing goes beyond ROI. It moves your audience to get involved.

Darryl Mattox is president and COO of Gragg Advertising, a full-service direct-response marketing agency and Premier Google Partner. dmattox@graggadv.com // www.graggadv.com K C E DI T I O N // I T H I N KBIGGER .CO M

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ESTABLISHED & GROWING

Should You Sta Weigh the investment of time spent on production and audience development before moving forward. ( BY JEFF JULIAN )

E

very year, Edison Research creates a report called the Infinite Dial, covering the topic of podcasting.

Since 2006, there has been a steady increase in awareness of the term—60 percent of those surveyed—and consumption of podcasts: 40 percent of survey respondents have listened to a podcast.

In the modern business era, the most critical area of sales and marketing efforts to focus on is building an audience.

Customers are moving away from wanting interaction with sales teams and

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toward self-served education for their purchase decisions.

You need to capture their attention, and a podcast might be the best, hardest way to do that. In the research from Edison, only 24 percent of those surveyed listened to podcasts monthly, leaving me to conclude most businesses will struggle to reach an audience through podcasting.

So should you start a podcast? The answer is probably no—podcasting is time-consuming, unforgiving and challenging to execute. But if you have a strong

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interest in it, here are businesses that could benefit from having a podcast: YOUR CUSTOMERS AND PROSPECTS LISTEN TO PODCASTS REGULARLY.

There are different groups of people who do listen to podcasts often. Fitness professionals, software developers, sales teams and many others in traditional B2B markets have very popular podcasts aimed at them.

If your target market demonstrates a high consumption of this type of media, you are more likely to find a way to capture their attention and maybe even steal some of the audience from other podcasts.

YOUR CUSTOMERS AND PROSPECTS LISTEN TO THEIR RADIO OR WEAR HEADPHONES FOR AN EXTENDED

art a Podcast?

PORTION OF THEIR DAY.

Do your customers travel a lot? Are they fitness fanatics? Do they sit at a desk in an open-concept office and need the ability to have peace? Are they sitting at home and enjoy consuming alternatives to primetime television? If so, you won’t have to construct a new habit for them by using audio as a way of entertainment or education.

YOUR CUSTOMERS AND PROSPECTS WANT TO LEARN SOMETHING TO BETTER THEIR LIFE OR THEIR CAREER WHILE ALSO BEING ENTERTAINED.

For podcasting to be useful, you have to be able to capture and hold their attention.

Because they desire results, whatever

audio content you’re producing has to be considered valuable. Just like the price tag you put on your products and services, the value to a customer needs to be measured because they are purchasing it with their most precious currency: time.

YOUR CUSTOMERS AND PROSPECTS CAN PURCHASE SOMETHING FROM YOU THAT IS IN LINE WITH THE TOPIC OF YOUR SHOW.

Having a plumbing business and a podcast about fitness is a long stretch for taking prospects from “lead” to “customer.” If you are a doctor but your podcast is about how to be a better magician, you likely will gain an audience that has no idea what type of

physician you are and only the super-fanatics will reach out for your services. Your topic should go hand-in-hand with what your business offers, and it should be content the majority of your customers would consume.

Whatever you decide, remember this key fact: Content marketing needs to drive value to the audience. So dig in your heels and create marketing that matters.

Jeff Julian is CEO of Squared Digital and co-founder of EnterpriseMarketer. com. He is also the best-selling author of a book on SharePoint development and Jeff recently published a book titled, Agile Marketing: Building Endurance for your Content Marketing Teams. (913) 441-0717 // jeff@squareddigital.com K C E DI T I O N // I T H I N KBIGGER .CO M

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ESTABLISHED & GROWING

3 Things You’re Doing Wrong With Referrals Use your network to your advantage by avoiding common pitfalls.

( BY KAT HUNGERFORD )

R

eferral networking – whezre people band together to help each other generate business through word-of-mouth and referrals – is all the rage. What’s not to love about other people keeping an eye out for opportunities to send you leads – for FREE? It’s especially popular because your customers trust recommendations from people they know more than any other kind of marketing. Word of mouth is the top factor in 20 to 50 percent of all purchasing decisions, and increases the effectiveness of your paid marketing by a whopping 54 percent.

While the rewards of a thriving referral network are lucrative, building and maintaining one requires real work. The task becomes more arduous with the following missteps.

YOU VIEW EVERY NETWORKING CONTACT AS A POTENTIAL REFERRAL SOURCE.

In a perfect world, everyone sends leads to each other. In practice, attempting such an endeavor is a great way to burn out on the idea of ever sending a referral again.

Trying to keep everyone’s business top-ofmind is exhausting and overwhelming. And with referrals being a two-way street, if you can’t do it, your fellow networking companions likely can’t either.

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Try this: Find three or four people with whom you can create a referral partnership. They should operate businesses complimentary – but not competitive – to yours. (Example: Foundation repair and mold remediation go hand-in-hand.)

Also look for people whose approach to business is similar to yours; your customers know you and will expect a comparable level of service from anyone you recommend (and you should, too).

Focusing your referral efforts in this manner can have a snowball effect: Frequent contact through frequent referrals leads to a greater level of trust in and knowledge of each other, enabling you to send – and receive – better referrals.

Keep in mind that greater familiarity can also lead you to the following referral-ruiner.

YOU VIEW YOUR REFERRAL PARTNERS AS YOUR SALES TEAM.

You’ve identified your referral partners.

You’ve learned a lot about each other’s business and have a solid relationship based on mutual care for your customers, and the referrals are flowing – in many ways, it feels like they’re an extension of your team.

Your partners are already in front of your potential customer talking about you – what if they knew to just mention this product?

Or that price point? Then the eventual con-

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versation would be so much easier!

Asking for or expecting this of your referral partner hurts you twice over. First, even if your referral partner is willing to talk up your product, they will never know your business as well as you do. Second, the sales team expectation can strain your partnership as you hit the inevitable missed opportunity, misstatement or accidental broken promise.

Try this: Within your partnership, set clear expectations of where a referral starts and ends. The person referring should gauge the potential customer’s interest or need, ask if they want to be referred and then provide contact information to both parties. The referrer should not make promises, do any scheduling or provide more than a cursory overview of the referred company.

The customer is getting the benefit of a referral to a trusted company. The true benefit of a referral partnership is not that it sells products, but that it sells reputation.

WHILE A REFERRAL PARTNERSHIP RARELY OPERATES EQUALLY, YOU SHOULD HAVE A SENSE OF THE VALUE IT ADDS TO YOUR BUSINESS TO KNOW IF IT’S TIME WELL SPENT. But how do you know for sure that you aren’t sending your clients to someone who operates on an “all talk, no action” motto?

If you wait until a very angry customer asks why you recommended the world’s worst whatever to them, see the next point.

YOU DON’T FOLLOW-UP ON YOUR REFERRALS.

In the example above, you’re lucky your customer tracked you down. Many will file the experience away, especially if it was just disappointing rather than disastrous. But now, they’ve mentally linked you with dissatisfaction – at best – and you don’t know to fix it.

Try this: When you make a recommendation, let both parties know you’ll follow up. This creates an understanding that you care about its conclusion. Checking back with your customer then cements that conscientiousness, even if the referral ended poorly. They may also tell you something they haven’t told your referral partner – whether negative or positive – that you can then pass on to help them build a better business.

Even after you know without a doubt that your partner is referral-worthy, make it a practice to follow up on each referral.

This furthers your relationship with both your customer and your partner while help-

ing you gauge the overall success of the affiliation.

While a referral partnership rarely operates equally, you should have a sense of the value it adds to your business to know if it’s time well spent.

Kat Hungerford is program manager for Cultivate Referral Network, a local professional development and networking group for vendors who provide services to residential and commercial real estate. //kat@cultivatereferralnetwork.com K C E DI T I O N // I T H I N KBIGGER .CO M

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ESTABLISHED & GROWING

The Psychology of Price Assess strategies that resonate with consumers before relying on a tired formula.

( BY RITCHIE SAYNER )

A

quick search on Google and you will find millions of entries on the topics of pricing psychology and pricing strategies.

I have elected to recap strategies that, at the very least, most retailers should consider to determine price.

In a practice still prevalent today, the retail price of an item is often determined by a buyer or receiving person applying a formula to the landed cost of an item in order to determine what it should sell for. Should cost really be the determining factor in what a customer is willing to pay? Does cost have anything at all to do with perceived value?

Of course not, yet we see this all the time.

I have questioned retailers about this topic for years and always get the same responses.

Most typical are “double the cost and add $2 (supposedly to cover shipping),” or “multiply the cost by 2.2.”

One strategy that I have used with buyers at market was to determine the selling price prior to knowing the cost. To do this effectively, a retail buyer must answer the question, “What will our customers be willing to pay for the item?” Once the cost is revealed, a determination can easily be made if the item fits within the company’s markup strategy or does not.

Let’s discuss some additional strategies that you might consider as you determine price going forward.

REMOVE THE COMMA // Research 68

has found

that removing commas may make the price seem lower. For example, $1,499 vs $1499.

ROUND PRICE // Round

prices are more fluently processed as opposed to non-rounded price points. Consumers can process a round price quickly. Non-round prices need more mental resources to process. Round prices are also more effective for emotional purchases, with this caveat: Try when possible to avoid price intervals like $100 or $500, as the assumptionmay be that they are artificially high and plucked out of thin air.

USE OF A PREMIUM PRICE TO SET AN EXPECTATION OF EXCELLENCE // The

iPhone X selling for between $999-$1,149 is significantly higher than past models.

Approaching or breaching the $1,000 threshold is noteworthy. Boosting prices into the four-digit realm crosses an important psychological barrier.

Here’s another example that you may remember. In 1994, after a 14-year hiatus from their 1980 well-publicized breakup, The Eagles released a new album and embarked on a world tour. What was unique was that they were the first rock-and-roll band to break the $100 ceiling for concert prices. Eagles manager Irving Azoff stated that this had nothing to do with supply and demand, but rather a statement of quality. Fans would once again get to see and hear a great American rock-and-roll band,

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not a washed up “oldies” show. This was a fascinating use of price as it set a belief of excellence in the mind of the consumer. I saw this show … and it delivered!

DISCOUNT PRICING // This is the high/low pricing strategy. Was $70, now $35. You save $35. It is important when using this strategy to frame the sale around the savings versus the amount being spent.

REDUCE THE PAIN OF PAYING // Uber

revolutionized the taxi industry. With traditional

taxi rides, you watch the meter increase with each minute stuck in traffic or each mile traveled. This evokes a painful sensation. With Uber, you know what the trip will cost before you start, and it’s billed right to your credit card. The perception of payment is also distorted by the use of gift cards and casino chips, two additional payment methods have that have created a separation between the customer’s money and the payment.

REMOVE THE $ // $$$

can remind some peo-

ple of financial pain. Ever notice that some restaurants are now pricing menu items without the $?

The next time you are tempted to slap up the 25 percent off sign and call it good, remember that percentage-off pricing is irritating to the customer. It is tremendously overused and less profitable to the retailer.

The psychology of pricing is a fascinating topic. I would encourage all retailers to experiment with a few of the points discussed in this article. You might discover a more

profitable way of pricing your products.

Ritchie Sayner is the owner of Advanced Retail Strategies LLC. His company provides planning, analysis and consulting for independent retailers. He is the author of Retail Revelations-Strategies for Improving Sales, Margins and Turnover, available on Amazon. Volunteering for SCORE in his free time, Sayner strives to give back to the small business community.rmsayner@gmail.com K C E DI T I O N // I T H I N KBIGGER .CO M

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ESTABLISHED & GROWING

How to Use LinkedIn to Grow Your Business Tweaking your profile can catch the attention of clients and partners.

( BY AARON FULK )

L

inkedIn has long been thought of as one of two things: a social media site to help you find a job or a recruiter’s alternative to picking up the phone.

Since its launch in 2003, LinkedIn has gone through an incredible amount of development and change. Since Microsoft’s purchase of the site in 2016 for $26.2 billion, the company has soared and is currently adding two new users every second, and its quarterly revenue exceeds $550 million.

With new users and advanced capabilities added to LinkedIn, it’s no secret that the site is quickly moving from “the social media site for job searching” to “the social media site that can take your business to the next level.”

Here are a few useful tips that can help you step up your LinkedIn game by utilizing the site to your advantage.

PUT YOUR BEST FACE FORWARD

Your profile picture is one of the most influential aspects of your LinkedIn account.

Whether we like it or not, the reason that platforms like Tinder and Bumble became popular in the dating world is because we all make snap judgements based on a person’s looks. We either gravitate to their appearance, demeanor and perceived personality, or we tend to withdraw due to disinterest.

Your objective is to draw people in, so it’s crucial that you put your best face forward to provide an optimum first impression to your followers. Make sure that your profile picture only includes you (your kid is cute, but save that picture for Facebook).

Your photo should radiate your business 70

persona, so ensure that your picture aligns with your career field. If you are a highpowered attorney and you post a picture from a party on a Saturday night, your future clients and/or referring partners could lose trust in you before they even meet you.

Finally, make sure that your picture is fairly recent. There is nothing worse than setting up a meeting with someone and then not recognizing them upon arrival. It’s all about trust; people work with people they trust. Don’t lose their confidence because you prefer a photo from five years ago when your hair was longer and the number on the scale was lower.

GET CREATIVE WITH YOUR HEADLINE

Did you know that your headline appears with your name and picture every time someone sees you in their newsfeed (when commenting, posting, liking)? Your headline is just as imperative (if not more) than your name on LinkedIn. You will notice that many individuals have headlines that only state their job title. Why in the world would I ever be enticed to click on another individual’s page by just glancing at their job title? However, if the individual’s headline said “10 years of experience helping people find their dream jobs,” I would probably want to know more about this person and their experience. Use your headline as leverage to set your profile apart from your competition. Your headline should reflect your personality, highlight your strengths and catch the attention of others. Use it to your advantage to stand out in the crowd!

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SHARE VALUABLE CONTENT

People are now using LinkedIn to help grow their businesses at an astonishing rate.

We are in a day and age where people are craving more information. Sharing valuable content on your LinkedIn page can help you emerge as a leader in your industry and will appeal to future clients and referral partners.

LinkedIn has provided you with all of the tools you need (right inside their software) to be able to share compelling content. With an internal blogging structure and a video platform, there is no reason to have a profile void of content. With valuable content and a proper hashtag strategy (yes, use hashtags on LinkedIn!), you will start to see the trajectory of your business propel forward to new heights.

Wherever you are in your business, whether at the beginning stages of launching a company or trying to increase your company following, LinkedIn is an effective tool to help take your business to the next level.

Remember, an appropriate picture, a captivating headline and valuable content will take you a long way. Oh, and go ahead and list three of your most impressive skills—LinkedIn reports that doing so will increase your profile’s view by 13 times. And that’s the end goal, right?

Aaron Fulk is the founder and CEO of Lillian James Creative, who has used her LinkedIn following to grow her company over 800 percent in two years.

(913) 730-0454 // aaron@lillianjamescreative.com

ESTABLISHED & GROWING

Why Working with Experts is Worth it Businesses can grow with help from specialized partners. ( BY BILL STROUT )

YWeasallBeyoncé. get 24 hours in one day. That ou have as many hours in a day

statement can open your perspective to what a world-renowned pop sensation can accomplish for her brand with the same 24 hours.

But between answering texts/emails, filling staffing holes, attending meetings, networking, attaining funding and trying to have a personal life, how do business owners also run a successful company with just 24 hours in a day?

The answer is the same for you and for Beyoncé: Surround yourself with experts.

Working with subject matter experts provides sound counsel, allows for business owners to focus and, ultimately, increases profits. And no matter whether the needed expert is in marketing, technology or insurance, all are valuable assets to a company.

TRUSTED ADVISOR

Subject-matter experts are a trusted source of deep knowledge in an aspect of business. They quickly identify risks facing an operation and understand com-

mon pain points for owners—and then bring solutions.

Since experts primarily focus in one sector, they are closely familiar with best practices and efficiencies to quickly get to the desired solution. For example, if a clothing boutique company is establishing a social media presence, partnering with a marketing team from the outset accomplishes goals much faster and improves the overall quality of work.

Working with experts also encourages owners to answer pertinent and sometimes not-yet-considered questions to prevent a sticky situation down the road. These questions also encourage decisions owners could have been avoiding, while having a trusted source to help get to a good conclusion.

TIME FOR THE GOOD STUFF

Most owners start a business to give themselves an outlet for their passion, not to meddle with payroll, direct mail or insurance claims. Having subject-matter experts on hand saves time and resources to keep business needs rolling while owners can invest themselves in their passion, both physically and mentally.

An owner with focus on his or her product or service offering can introduce new and more original products at a higher rate. In the long run, they can make a company whose product offering stands out from the

rest. With more energy going into a better product bythe owner, the business thrives all around—all while maintaining a tight ship.

DO YOUR BOTTOM LINE A FAVOR

A good expert will work to increase a company’s profitability. While it’s true partnering with an expert requires an initial investment, experts offer turnkey services and proprietary products or service offerings. These add efficiencies, therefore lowering operation expenses, giving a leg up on the competition and, ultimately, maximizing profit.

When vetting subject-matter experts, owners should ask for examples of past work and typical outcomes for a business of their size and in their industry. Knowing this will more than make up for investing in an expert partner.

When a client wins, an expert’s practice also wins, so they will invest as much of themselves as they can to see success.

While many new and longstanding business owners grapple with bringing a subject matter expert on board, working with a specialist is worth it. Experts serve as trusted advisers who avoid negative situations, free up time for owners to invest in making their business better and, in the end, provide efficiencies that add to the bottom line.

So when asked, “Who run the world?”— it’s you … and Beyoncé.

Bill Strout is president of Intrepid Direct Insurance, a direct online, comprehensive franchise business insurance company with expertise in comprehensive coverage for restaurant franchisees and auto aftermarket owners.IntrepidDirect.com K C E DI T I O N // I T H I N KBIGGER .CO M

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ESTABLISHED & GROWING

Banish Time-Wasting Meetings 5 ways high-performance organizations make meetings effective. ( BY J. ELISE KEITH )

F

or many entrepreneurs, the decision to become a founder promises both a shot at realizing a dream and an escape from the frustrations of their old jobs.

“In my company,” they vow, “we’ll never waste time in pointless meetings.”

Fast forward to employee 25, and the team is bogged down in pointless meetings.

What’s worse — that scrappy entrepreneur is leading these meetings!

It’s said that eventually we all grow up and turn into our parents. As our businesses grow up, are we doomed to meet just like the leaders from our past?

Yes — unless you take firm control of how your company meets. Here are five ways high-performing organizations avoid that fate, and you can too.

SET CLEAR EXPECTATIONS

// Meeting norms, ground rules, guidelines — these set the foundation for building an effective meeting habit. They often include things like use of an agenda and keeping meetings on time.

Whatever your rules, the leadership team must follow them. The way the leadership group meets sets the real standard everyone else follows.

FOR ALL MEETINGS

DOCUMENT AND SHARE MEETING RESULTS

// Fear of missing out (FOMO) compels people to attend meetings they shouldn't.

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Organizers don’t want to leave people out, so they invite everyone who might possibly want to weigh in. Having irrelevant people in the room de-energizes the conversation and disrupts productivity.

Documented meeting results are the fastest and easiest way to combat meeting FOMO. Before the meeting, document the meeting purpose and desired outcomes clearly. Then, send out written meeting results afterwards. When people can see in advance what a meeting is for, then see afterwards what happened, they can decide whether they need to attend. This keeps meetings more focused, and it keeps everyone more productive.

DEFINE “THE WAY” TO MEET FOR ALL CORE

// There are 16 different types of business meetings, and each has a purpose. A regular team meeting is good for confirming progress and identifying problems, but it’s a lousy place to make a big decision. Big decisions demand a dedicated decision-making meeting.

Similarly, the initial meeting with a prospective client (or funder) should look very different from the meeting where you ink the deal. Each of these pivotal meetings can be optimized to drive the results your company needs.

High-performance organizations know the type of meetings they need to run

PROCESSES

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and how to run each one well. Each meeting gets a name and becomes “the way” that kind of work gets done. For example, the team's check-in meeting becomes “the huddle.” The meeting to impress prospective clients early in the sales cycle becomes a “services briefing.” Anything called simply a “meeting” isn't specific enough. // Leaders spend up to 80 percent of their work day in meetings, and yet many have never received meeting training. Meetings aren’t just conversations with lots of people at work; there are skills and techniques to learn that radically improve meeting results.

High-performance organizations provide skills training to people leading meetings.

They also train everyone how to participate in the meetings defined as “the way” to get their job done.

Meetings represent an enormous salary investment, and high-performance organizations ensure their people get a good return on that investment.

TRAIN EVERYONE

// Once they have “the way” to meet, the organization can experiment. What happens when we meet on Monday instead of Wednesday? If we tweak the process, can we make decisions faster?

High-performance organizations have the process stability they need in order to run conclusive experiments and continuously improve their meeting practices.

Bad meetings are not inevitable. Quite the opposite: meetings can be a powerful embodiment of your company’s culture and a driver of performance, when designed and run with intention.

And the best news: You get to learn from the examples set by high-performance organizations that have already conquered this design challenge. When it comes to meeting design, the adage holds true: Well-stolen is half done!

ABL: ALWAYS BE LEARNING

J. Elise Keith is the co-founder of Lucid Meetings and the author of “Where the Action Is: The Meetings That Make or Break Your Organization.” // lucidmeetings.com // Twitter: @EliseID8.

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ESTABLISHED & GROWING

Improve Collaboration With the Right Tools G Suite can help small business teams work more effectively.

( BY CHRISTY ROGERS )

I

f you find yourself emailing a document to a colleague for review … and then it gets sent back to you with suggestions … and then you send it back to her for a second review … and then—enough!!

There is a better way. Email pingpong is not the way to do smart business.

G Suite (formerly known as Google Apps) is a toolbox. It includes application tools like Gmail, Drive for storage, Sheets 74

and Docs. Current pricing ranges from $5 to $25 a month per user. The Basic ($5) or Business ($10) edition are great options for small business.

Below are five tools that may be used in the G Suite to build a more in sync team.

COLLABORATE IN REAL TIME

Once a document is shared with another team member, the ability to collaborate in real time becomes available. As you type

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in a document, you may see your team member type in that same document. This feature allows for smart brainstorming and saves time in the editing process. No more emails to send back and forth just to get someone’s suggestion.

TEAM DRIVE

The Business and Enterprise editions include the ability to create a Team Drive. If you are using the Basic version, a folder can be created in My Drive and shared with individuals on your team. Think of it as your “team file cabinet.” Please note: Unlike files in My Drive, files in Team Drive belong to the team instead of the individual.

Once a Team Drive is created, it can be shared with team members and given permissions that range from full access to read-only. Files and folders may be added to Team Drive for others to use, view and collaborate.

SHARED CALENDARS

Create a team calendar to track days off and vacation time. You may invite the entire organization to see the calendar, or you can share with specific people.

Imagine if you had to track contractors and the jobs they were assigned. You could create a calendar showing these details and share it with the sales team and project manager, making it easy to keep everyone in the know.

CANNED RESPONSE

Canned response is a Gmail feature that allows you to send pre-designed responses. Think of it as an email template. For example, you need to send appointment confirmations to clients on a regular basis.

You could set up a generic message with time, date and location labels organized in a nice table. When it’s time to send a confirmation, canned response will pop in your saved message. Your job will be to custom-

ize it just a little by filling in the blanks.

Sharing canned response messages with your team allows for consistency and less human error.

HOST A VIRTUAL CONFERENCE CALL USING HANGOUTS MEET

Gather your team for a “face-to-face” virtual call to discuss upcoming deadlines and new ideas. The Basic and Business versions allow you to invite up to 25 people, while the Enterprise version allows up to 50. You may even invite people that are not in your organization.

There are several ways you can join a video meeting. One, enter the meeting code provided to you by the organizer on the web or mobile app. Two, click on the link provided in the email invitation. Three, go to the event on your calendar to join.

Note: While Hangouts Meet is supported across multiple types of operating systems, you’ll need Google Chrome installed to

join the meeting via web. Once in the meeting, you are able to share your screen from your desktop.

Along with these five tools, there are many other add-ins that G Suite supports to allow you to customize it for your business needs.

Christy Rogers is the founder and lead instructor at Training Umbrella, a company that specializes in teaching Microsoft and Google Applications, along with providing computer lab and event space rentals. She has been involved in the planning and training of multiple software migrations in the Kansas City area and across the United States.

(913) 735-6275 // christyrogers@trainingumbrella.com K C E DI T I O N // I T H I N KBIGGER .CO M

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EXPANSION

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EXPANSION

Develop The Road Map for Your Company’s Future Why and how to ensure your strategic plan is a success.

( BY STEPHANIE LANDIS )

S

trategic planning is an organization’s process of defining its strategy or direction, and making decisions on allocating its resources to pursue this strategy.

Benefits of strategic planning include: » Improving employee, customer and supplier relations » Reducing overall risk » Preparing for profitable growth » Maximizing long-term value » Enhancing access to capital » Increasing transferrable value In a recent Small Business Pulse survey, 75 percent of the owners surveyed believe that a written strategic plan causes their business to perform at a higher level in sales and profits.

In addition, if your business is one of the 250,000 businesses that baby boomers will 78

transition by 2030, the transferrable value of your business will be greatly enhanced by having a strategic plan in place.

So one might ask: » Why doesn’t our company have a strategic plan? » Why can’t we execute the strategic plan we have developed?

Well, many companies think the planning process in general is superfluous; as long as the business is generating revenue and has money in the bank, it is doing fine.

However, “the biggest issue in strategic planning is not the formulation, but rather the implementation,” according to the Association of Strategic Planning, the leading global nonprofit professional association dedicated to advancing thought and practice in strategy development and deployment for business, nonprofit and

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government organizations.

How do you ensure the development and execution of your company’s strategic plan?

Follow the steps below.

DISCOVER WHERE IS THE BUSINESS TODAY?

» Assess all areas of the company that impact every business regardless of size or industry: financial, planning, leadership, people, sales, marketing, operations and legal. » Complete a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities and threats) to define the internal and external factors that may impact the company’s future performance.

DEFINE THIS IS THE BIG PICTURE; TYPICALLY THREE TO FIVE YEARS IN THE FUTURE.

MISSION // An

external statement as to why the company exists: business, customers and competitive advantage.

VISION // An internal, inspirational statement defining what the company will look like in the future: beliefs, values and behavior.

OBJECTIVES // Identify three top-level objectives for the company, of which one should be EBITDA (i.e. sales—expenses before interest, taxes, depreciation or amortization) STRATEGIES // Identify

three to five strategies that are based on the company’s strengths and are focused on achieving the company’s mission.

Taking the time to clearly articulate the purpose and direction of your business will, quite simply, help your business achieve success at a much more rapid pace. It will allow you to take the focus off of the dayto-day and project a picture of the future,

Stephanie Landis is a certified value growth adviser with the Kansas Small Business Development Center at Johnson County Community College. The Kansas SBDC helps business owners set goals, identify resources and achieve success through 1:1 advising and training.

(913) 469-4485 // slandis1@jccc.edu

THE BIGGEST ISSUE IN STRATEGIC PLANNING IS NOT THE FORMULATION, BUT RATHER THE IMPLEMENTATION.

FOCUS DEVELOP THE COMPANY’S STRATEGIC PLAN UTILIZING THE DISCOVERY INFORMATION TO IDENTIFY GAPS AND OPPORTUNITIES NEEDED TO ACHIEVE ITS DEFINED MISSION, VISION, TOP-LEVEL OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES.

» Identify solutions in each of the key areas (financial, planning, leadership, people, sales, marketing, operations and legal) and ensure alignment of the departmental goals and compensation programs with these solutions. » Determine objectives for the next one to two years » Determine tactics and action items for each 90-day period » Every action should tie specifically to one of the three company objectives

New Entrepreneurs Need Your Help!

IMPLEMENT COMMUNICATE, MONITOR AND REVIEW

» Formalize future projections, including the costs associated with achieving the objectives. » Develop and monitor key performance indicators that align with and support the strategic plan. » Communicate frequently with all levels of the company, ensuring they understand their part in the company’s success. » Review progress each quarter. » Annually reset based on actual performance.

www.kansascity.score.org

Volunteer and join our professional team offering free mentoring/workshops.

SCORE is a non-profit partner of the Small Business Administration

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EXPANSION ESTABLISHED & GROWING // PEOPLE POWER

What’s Next for You and Your Small Business?

You can accomplish this by: » Paying more attention to what your competitors are doing. » Talking to your customers and listening to what they’re saying. » Examining your customers’ behavior by identifying what makes them an ideal customer for you, i.e., what are they buying from you, how often are they buying, when are they buying and how much are they buying. » Talking to your front-line people and finding out what they hear, say and do.

With this intelligence, you can create “what’s next.”

A three-step plan to recalibrate for exciting new growth. ( BY SUSAN K. SPAULDING )

entrepreneurs realize they always S mart have to keep thinking about what’s next, both for themselves and for the companies they lead. Otherwise, they won’t be ready for the next big opportunity that comes their way.

But it’s so easy to get worn down by the daily grind of running a business, to lose focus.

Get too comfortable with the way things are, and pretty soon, growth starts to stagnate or even decline.

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If you feel like you’re sliding into the danger zone, it might be time to recalibrate and engage in some “what’s next” planning.

Here’s a three-step plan for getting back on track.

RECALIBRATE

Recalibrating can involve a modest adjustment to what you’re currently doing, or it can be a sweeping change. It means encouraging disruption and examining what was and what is, then readjusting for what can be.

It all starts with understanding where you are today. Knowing what matters to you, your business, your workforce and your customers is fundamental to laying the groundwork for what’s next.

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DIFFERENTIATE

The next step is to set your company apart from its competition.

People have lots of choices today.

Customers are not limited to the neighborhood market—they can buy from around the world. So, if you don’t have a point of difference, you will be invisible.

One way to differentiate is by offering something that competing businesses do not. You can innovate your product, your serviceor your attitude.

For example, if you’re an insurance company, you can be friendly, personable and easy to understand. That’s different!

If you’re a cellphone company, you can throw out the dreaded contracts, make it

ESTABLISHED & GROWING // PEOPLE POWER

IT ALL STARTS WITH UNDERSTANDING WHERE YOU ARE TODAY. KNOWING WHAT MATTERS TO YOU, YOUR BUSINESS, YOUR WORKFORCE AND YOUR CUSTOMERS IS FUNDAMENTAL TO LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR WHAT’S NEXT. easy to transfer content and have accessories that actually work.

If you’re a fitness center, you can be centered on the fitness goals of the client rather than the latest, greatest promotion … unless it’s a promotion that adds value to the relationship you have with your clients.

Of course, that means you have to have a meaningful relationship.

To create what’s next, you have to break the existing mold.

ENGAGE

You’ve done your research and recalibrated how you look at your business. You’ve come up with exciting new ways to differentiate your company. There’s just one thing left to do: engage.

Engagement starts with you, the entrepreneur. If you don’t believe in what’s next, if you don’t have passion for this new path, no one will follow.

If you are engaged, you can engage other

people—rally them to serve as your advocates. This can include your management team, your workforce, your customers, your suppliers—anyone who is part of your organization’s circle of influence.

Engagement involves listening. Ask for feedback. Ask for ideas. Work together to find new solutions. If there’s collaboration, there’s engagement. If there’s engagement, you’ll sell more, enjoy stronger relationships with clients and have a team that is committed to your goals and interests.

But again, it all starts with you. Are you ready for what’s next?

Burnout is one of the top three reasons companies are facing a significant exodus of people—not just among rank-and-file, but among the leadership, too. Maybe you’re tired of what you’re doing and how you’re doing it.

While burnout is a real concern, it’s hard for many business owners to break loose.

Your identity is tied to the business, and

you probably haven’t thought about yourself as an individual for a long time.

If you take the time to consider what matters to you and what you might want to do, why you want to do it, how you want to be perceived and how you want to connect with others, you’ll uncover exciting possibilities for yourself and your company.

Maybe it means acquiring another company, inventing a new product, giving back or preparing to hand off your company.

Just remember that recalibrating is not a one-and-done event. It’s an opportunity to experiment and readjust and, importantly, it’s a continuous action.

Susan K. Spaulding is an author, speaker, facilitator, researcher, strategist, consultant and coach. She works with businesses and leaders to take inventory, uncover the possibilities and navigate a path forward. susan@susankspaulding.com // www.susankspaulding.com // Twitter: @susankspaulding // LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/susankspaulding K C E DI T I O N // I T H I N KBIGGER .CO M

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Supplier Diversity and Certification How certification can work for you ( BY MARY SHANNON )

helps many small businesses Certification grow. But is it right for your company?

Depending on the product or service you provide, you must decide whether certification is a fit. What are the benefits to you and your company’s goals and objectives?

When making a decision, here are some suggestions to keep in mind.

THE IMPORTANCE OF CERTIFICATION

Certification can be a worthwhile competitive business tool. It is not a guarantee of business.

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However, it can substantially increase the visibility of a small business and provide leverage in attracting new businesses that are in need of your product or service.

For instance, a certified business will be listed in an MWDBE directory provided to companies doing business with government entities. These companies rely on this directory in finding qualified, certified MBE/WBE/DBE firms to meet the government’s utilization goals, often listed on a contract-specific basis.

Many major corporations rely on a variety of local and national certifying agencies to help them find diverse-owned businesses, as well.

The Small Business Administration requires that businesses be qualified as small businesses (number of employees

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or average annual receipts) in order to contract with the federal government or institutions receiving federal funding.

The SBA’s website provides a wealth of information about the criteria for qualifying as a small business.

DOING BUSINESS WITH CORPORATIONS

What is Supplier Diversity?

Supplier diversity is defined as a proactive business process that provides equal access to procurement opportunities for all suppliers and promotes economic development in the communities in which we all live and work. These suppliers may include minority, women, veteran, LGBTQ, service disabled veteran- and disabled-owned enterprises; historically

CERTIFICATION INFORMATION underutilized businesses; and SBA-defined small business. The purpose of the business strategy is to help diversify corporate supply chains.

Supplier Diversity Business Case The same business case that supports diversity and inclusion in the workplace also applies to the need for a diverse supplier base. Having an inclusive supplier base provides diverse perspectives to help meet the challenges of a multicultural market place.

Corporations with supplier diversity programs have a strong commitment and business case for supporting small and diverse businesses. As you look to do business with corporate organizations and compete in today’s ever-changing marketplace, the following should be considered: » Be prepared and research the company you are pursuing. » Understand what’s important to the company. » Be able to articulate how your capabilities align with the corporation’s needs, your competitive advantage and what sets you apart from your competitor. » Is your company financially sound, and do your financials show positive cash flow? » At a minimum, you must deliver value-added benefits in the form of cost, quality, service and innovation. And deliver on your promise! » Bring solutions to the table, build relationships and be persistent. » Are you willing to form strategic alliances or joint ventures with other small businesses? » Is there a specific niche you can fill? » Research and complete a corporation’s online registration form. » And last, but not least, are you certified?

Certification offers both the corporation and the supplier important benefits.

For the Corporation » Certification assists in the identification and validation of diverse supplier ownership

WHAT IS CERTIFICATION?

Certification refers to the confirmation or authentication of certain requirements by an external organization. Certifying agencies may be federal, state or city departments, or nationally recognized third-party organizations. These organizations verify the ownership and operational status of a company—for example, whether it is owned by a woman or person of color.

WELL-KNOWN GOVERNMENT AND THIRD-PARTY CERTIFYING AGENCIES INCLUDE:

» Local City Certification » Local State Certification » SBA (Small Business Administration) » NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners) » NGLCC (National LGBT Chamber of Commerce)

» Committing the effort and resources to obtain certification indicates seriousness of prospective suppliers » Certification databases provide access to high-level company profiles useful in identifying supply market candidates. » Certification drives competition (on price and service levels) between the company’s existing and potential vendors » Allows a company to take advantage of new opportunities for business expansion with the emergence of new consumer needs based upon shifting demographic realities For the Supplier » Enhances company’s exposure as a diverse business » Provides access to development opportunities, workshops, business-building tools, mentoring, etc., developed explicitly for diverse businesses » Offers networking and introductions that can lead to relationship-building with prospective customers » Opens up a world of peer activities and contracting and business alliance opportunities with other diverse entrepreneurs » Grants access to corporate supplier diversity advocates » Positions supplier in a highly competitive marketplace

» NMSDC (National Minority Supplier Development Council) • Mountain Plains Minority Supplier Development Council » National Veteran Business Development Council » WBENC (Women’s Business Enterprise National Council) • WBDC (Women’s Business Development Council)

For more detailed information on supplier diversity programs, visit the websites of the companies, corporations and multinationals with which there is an interest in establishing a working relationship and review their requirements for becoming a small/small diverse business supplier.

DON’T MISS OUT

Most supplier diversity programs contract with certified businesses, so the lack of certification could mean you are missing out on opportunities.

Many government projects devote a certain spend to certified diverse suppliers – these are opportunities small businesses simply cannot afford to miss out on. Certification provides a great opportunity for organizations to discover and hire your company.

Mary Shannon is a leading professional in supplier diversity and founder of Connectus Worldwide, helping diverse business owners, navigate the certification process and corporate and government entities with supplier diversity program development and public participation and engagement consulting. // 816.977.8790 // mshannon@connectusww.com // www.connectusww.com K C E DI T I O N // I T H I N KBIGGER .CO M

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EXPANSION

Searching for Answers on Google Rankings?

3 quick tips to improve results. ( BY KARI SIMPSON )

M

any factors affect whether your website comes up in search results.

Here are the top three Google changes in 2018 that could be adversely impacting your website’s rank.

IS YOUR WEBSITE MOBILE-FRIENDLY?

Google is now indexing mobile content first.

2018 has been a big year for Google algorithm updates. So far this year, Google has confirmed nine updates to its algorithm – as many as the last two years combined, and the year’s not over.

Google typically doesn’t broadcast its algorithm updates or changes, but these were such important changes that Google started making announcements in 2017 of 84

the impending updates so businesses could bring their sites up to speed.

What does this mean to most businesses?

If your website is over a few years old, it probably does not meet Google’s guidelines today.

The first major change announced was that Google was going to index the mobile version of a website’s content first, starting in March 2018. This means the mobile version of your website will be used by Google in its indexing rather than the desktop version. If your site doesn’t have a mobile version, the desktop version can still be included in the index, but it will most likely negatively impact your ranking.

When is the last time you pulled up your website on your phone? I challenge you to do that now. Experience what your cus-

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tomers see when they go to your website.

How does it look? Would you use it? Is it mobile-friendly?

If your site doesn’t respond to the device the user is using, it will not only hurt you in search results, but with your users, too.

When users go to a site that doesn’t respond to their mobile device, they quickly leave or “bounce,” which is negative in Google’s eyes.

Users don’t have patience for websites that provide a poor user experience. They hit the back button and find another website that is easier to use.

IS YOUR WEBSITE FAST?

If your site takes more than 3 to 4 seconds to load, you are losing users and ranking.

In July 2018, two additional major changes took effect starting with the Mobile Speed Update. Your site needs to load fast—very fast. Website users don’t have patience, especially when it comes to mobile load time.

Ideally, your site should load within 3 to 4 seconds to reduce your bounce rate, which is an important ranking factor in Google’s algorithm. A bounce rate is the percentage of users that leave your site after viewing just one page. According to Google, as page load time goes from one second to five seconds, the probability of bounce increases

by 90 percent.

So how do you reduce your website’s load time? If the images on your website aren’t well optimized, they can really drag down the speed. That’s a good first step to see what is slowing down your site.

Beyond that, there are many tasks that can be done by a developer on the backend of your site that can speed it up. It may be more economical to start with a new site depending on how old your site is and what platform it is built in.

IS YOUR WEBSITE SECURE?

Over 70 percent of Google’s first-page results now reflect secure websites, and we anticipate this percentage will continue to grow over the next year. To show how serious Google is about secure websites, Chrome’s July update now flags websites without an SSL certificate as “not secure” in the browser window when users arrive at a website.

Google will flag two-thirds of the web as

unsafe this year. You don’t want your site to be flagged, so get your site updated with an SSL certificate as soon as possible.

Google wants to give users the best experience, so it continues to make changes to ensure it is serving up the best, most relevant, accurate information.

If your website isn’t responsive, secure and fast, your ranking will be negatively impacted, resulting in a reduction in your site’s traffic. Google’s algorithm is designed to serve up the most relevant results leading to the fastest, safest websites it can find to provide the best user experience.

CHECK YOUR WEBSITE’S STATUS

If you don’t know whether your site is mobile friendly, Google offers a free test.

Enter your URL in the Google Mobile Friendly Test at search.google.com/test/ mobile-friendly to see if it’s mobile friendly, or run it through the Google Speed Test at testmysite.thinkwithgoogle.com if you want to see how quickly your site loads in Google’s

eyes. You may need to update your site or risk not showing up in SERP (search engine results page).

IF YOUR SITE DOESN’T RESPOND TO THE DEVICE THE USER IS USING, IT WILL NOT ONLY HURT YOU IN SEARCH RESULTS, BUT WITH YOUR USERS, TOO. Kari Simpson founded DMI (Digital Marketing Inc.) in 1998 in the Kansas City area. Her team offers online marketing solutions to businesses and agencies of all sizes across the U.S. // (816) 537-7950 // kari@digitalmarketinginc.net // www.digitalmarketinginc.net

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EXPANSION

How 8(a) Can Help Your Business WHAT KINDS OF BENEFITS DOES 8(A) OFFER?

The U.S. Small Business Administration’s 8(a) program helps small, disadvantaged businesses to compete in the marketplace. Over the span of nine years, participants are given coaching and other help to expand their capacity, so they can compete for federal contracts.

» Participants can become eligible for sole-source federal contracts.

» Participants can team up and form “joint ventures,” especially with larger contractors, to pursue federal contracts.

» Participants receive business training, counseling, marketing assistance and other help.

WHO IS 8(A) FOR?

The 8(a) program is for companies that are at least 51 percent owned and controlled by individuals who are socially and economically disadvantaged.

Under federal law, socially disadvantaged individuals are

According to the SBA, economically disadvantaged indi-

those who have been subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice or cultural bias within American society because of their

viduals are “socially disadvantaged individuals whose ability to

identification as members of groups without regard to their individual qualities.

to diminished capital and credit opportunities.”

For purposes of the 8(a) Business Development Program, the following individuals are presumed to be socially disadvantaged:

individual’s economic status, but generally speaking …

» Black Americans » Hispanic Americans » Native Americans (Separate eligibility requirements exist for businesses owned by Alaska Native Corporations, Indian tribes, Native Hawaiian Organizations and Community Development Corporations.)

compete in the free enterprise system has been impaired due

The SBA will consider several factors when determining an

» Participants’ assets cannot exceed $4 million. » Adjusted net worth must be under $250,000 initially. » Personal income, averaged over three years, can’t exceed $250,000.

Be sure to visit the SBA’s website (www.sba.gov/8a) for more information on 8(a) economic guidelines.

» Asian Pacific Americans » Subcontinent Asian American Individuals who are not members of one or more of these groups can be considered for the 8(a) program, but they must provide substantial evidence and documentation that demonstrates that they have been subjected to bias or discrimination.

WHERE CAN KC BUSINESS OWNERS LEARN MORE ABOUT 8(A)?

Ken Surmeier with the SBA’s Kansas City District Office is a point of contact for companies interested in 8(a). You can reach him at kenneth.surmeier@sba.gov or (816) 426-4919.

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MATURE exiting

S M A R T C O M PA N I E S T H I N K I N G B I G G E R ®

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MATURE & EXITING

8 Ways to Maximize Your Company’s Sale Price Failure to prepare could lead to a lower price—or no buyers at all!

( BY SHEILA SECK )

should use the following Owners strategies to optimize the value of their

business before trying to sell it.

1

GET AN EARLY START. // Preparing

for a sale takes time. Ideally, an owner should spend one to three years prior to the sale getting the company ready, although with the assistance of an adviser, this may be done more quickly. Owners should focus on business valuation drivers such as sales growth, product offering, management team and profitability.

2

ASSEMBLE YOUR TEAM. // Gather a group of talented professionals to help with the sale. A business owner will need a CPA, a tax adviser, a business lawyer and a mergers-and-acquisitions adviser.

Each of these professionals brings different 88

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skills to assist in a sale. The team should help prepare due diligence materials, develop a buyer profile, structure the deal to minimize tax consequences and, most importantly, meet the business owner’s goals.

3

ESTABLISH LONG-TERM CONTRACTS.

// Buyers find dependable cash flow attractive in a company. This could come either in the form of recurring revenue or long-term contracts. If possible, business owners should develop contracts that have terms of one year or longer and do not require the consent of the customer to transfer the contract to the new owner.

4

DEVELOP A STRONG BRAND. // A

5

BUILD A STRONG TEAM. // A

strong brand and community awareness are distinct assets for a business and are part of the business’s value. Examples of assets affecting brand and value include copyrights or trademarks, patents, proprietary mailing lists, long-term contracts, a loyal customer base, a well-recognized name and a perception of quality. company has little value if the business is centered around the exiting owner. An owner should build a staff of key employees who have client relationships, technical expertise, knowledge of business operations and an ability to work independently from the owner. The owner should also consider offering incentives to key employees to stay through a transaction and for a period with the new owner to provide stability to the business.

6

ORGANIZE FINANCIALS. // Buyers

want to see a company’s financial data in electronic format. Unorganized and inconsistent financial data may scare off potential buyers. For a small, privately held company, a buyer may not require audited financials, but a buyer will expect to see three to five years of well- organized financial data that has been reviewed by the company’s CPA or accountant.

7

CLEAN UP OUTSTANDING ISSUES. //

Clean up any lawsuits, threatened lawsuits, insurance claims, warranty claims, supplier issues and HR issues before putting the company up for sale. Most buyers won’t accept a company with any significant outstanding problems or will

significantly discount the company’s value.

Not cleaning up these issues maysuggest to a buyer that the company is not well-managed.

8

DEVELOP A SALES STRATEGY. // A mergers-and-acquisitions specialist or adviser can help a business owner market the business. This person will work with the business owner to develop a buyer profile and business description report to attract buyers. The adviser will also justify the asking price and attract sophisticated buyers. This adviser takes on most of the work related to the sale, so the business owner can focus on growing the company.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

If you are thinking about selling your company, act now. You need adequate time to prepare for a transaction, and poor planning and execution of the sale process will likely result in a significantly lower sales price. Planning ahead can allow you to reap a significant increase in the value of your business.

Sheila Seck is the founder and managing partner of Seck & Associates, a law firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions, startups, corporate counsel, technology, intellectual property, securities and private equity. www.seckassociates.com

SOLUTIONS FOR FAMILY BUSINESSES & THEIR ADVISORS

IS THERE AN

ELEPHANT IN YOUR FAMILY BUSINESS?

Family businesses need to be ready for what's next, but they don't know where to start. Kyle Danner helps prepare family business owners and the next generation of leaders so everyone is confident about the future of their family and their business.

Download a free chapter of the ebook, Is There An Elephant In The Family Business?, at bit.ly/Kyle-FreeChapters.

www.kyledanner.com

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MATURE & EXITING

How Will Your Business Survive You? Plan early to keep best-case options available.

( BY TIM DENKER )

H

ow will your business survive you?

This is not a question anyone likes to think about.

No matter what, it is planning for the end of the run on something you have invested your heart, time and money in.

Sometimes your exit is voluntary.

Sometimes it’s not. Here are a few points every privately held business owner should consider: » Your business is the most important, and possibly the largest, asset you own.

It should be treated that way. » It’s your main source of income, your largest investment and provides your best return on investment. » You are probably not the only person that relies on your business. Consider your employees, vendors, customers and any other strategic partnerships you’ve been able to hash out. What happens to them if your business goes under? » You are the most important employee in your business. » Your business should be capable of paying out you or your family and still be able to continue without you.

So what type of planning should you consider? A business will either die with or succeed its owner. Those scenarios can be summed up as either a voluntary transfer or an involuntary transfer.

VOLUNTARY TRANSFERS

This is where you get to call your shot. You choose the who, what, when, where, why and how of your businesses succession plan.

There are several ways this can be done, and not just one way of doing it.

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Several considerations will need to be taken to figure out the best way to structure this type of transfer, and oftentimes identifying the “who” aspect can be the first step.

Some options could be: KEEP IT IN THE FAMILY? // If

this is a consideration, you will want to consider how your estate plan is (or needs to be) structured.

This is also the one example that has planning possibilities as a voluntary or involuntary transfer (to save on taxes).

KEY EMPLOYEE? // You

may have a manager or other employee you already trust to keep the business going.

COMPETITOR/STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP? //

You may be able to identify another business owner who would have an interest in taking over your business, or there may be someone interested in buying you out.

No matter who you choose, it needs to be someone who is financially capable of completing a purchase. Oftentimes the ongoing profits of the business can assist the buyer with making payments on any loans, and more often than not, a portion—if not all of it— will end up with you, providing some owner- financing on the sale.

INVOLUNTARY TRANSFERS

These transfers are caused by events completely out of your control and are usually unpredictable. They include bankruptcy, divorce, disability and death.

BANKRUPTCY AND DIVORCE // These may prove to be the most disruptive events to the members of a business, as you have to start considering the possibility of a member’s creditors taking over an interest in your LLC—think bankruptcy trustee, an exspouse, etc. In addition to making sure this

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NO MATTER WHAT, IT IS PLANNING FOR THE END OF THE RUN ON SOMETHING YOU HAVE INVESTED YOUR HEART, TIME AND MONEY IN.

is addressed in your formation documents, if you have a partner considering marriage, a prenuptial agreement should be strongly considered.

DEATH AND DISABILITY PLANNING // This should be looked into as soon as you think there is value in the company. Planning for death or disability is often done in some form of buy-sell agreement. This is basically an agreement that predetermines how your

company will be purchased in the event you become disabled or die. It could be done with another owner(s) of the company or even with a nonowner. If done early enough, and the owner is healthy enough to keep the premiums reasonable, you can use an investment vehicle like life insurance to fund all or a portion of the purchase price.

ONE FINAL TIP // Plan early, and review often. Waiting until the last minute may elim-

inate some very good options—or possibly even cause the death of your company.

Tim Denker is the owning attorney of Denker Law Firm LLC, a business and estate planning law firm. He is also a cofounder of www.LexLaunch.com, a site designed to help small business owners, startups and entrepreneurs quickly form their LLCs online with the affordable advice of a local attorney.

(816) 434-6610 // tdenker@denkerlawfirm.com K C E DI T I O N // I T H I N KBIGGER .CO M

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RESOURCE GUIDE

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DIRECTORY OF RESOURCES // AREAS OF ASSISTANCE

AREAS OF ASSISTANCE ADVOCACY/PUBLIC POLICY /LEGISLATIVE ISSUES Associated Industries of Missouri BioKansas The Builders’ Association Central Exchange City of Kansas City, Mo., Human Relations Department Clay County Economic Development Council

Parkville Economic Development Council Platte County Economic Development Council

City of Kansas City, Mo., Human Relations Department The Builders Association

Southwest Johnson County Economic Development Corp.

Hispanic Economic Development Corporation

U.S. Department of Commerce

IBSA, Inc.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Jackson County, Mo., Purchasing Department

U.S. Department of Transportation—Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization U.S. House Committee on Small Business

Kansas Department of Commerce— Department of Minority and Women Business Development

Diversity and Inclusion— Greater KC Chamber

U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship

Downtown Council of Kansas City

U.S. Small Business Administration

Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City

Velocity Lee’s Summit

Kansas Procurement Technical Assistance Center

IBSA, Inc.

Women Construction Owners and Executives

Kansas SBDC at Johnson County Community College

Independence Avenue Community Improvement District

Women Impacting Public Policy

KC SourceLink

Women Presidents’ Organization

KCBizCare

iWerx Jackson County, Mo., Purchasing Department

Kansas Department of Commerce— Kansas Statewide Certification Program

Metropolitan Community College BUYING & SELLING A BUSINESS

Missouri PTAC

Center for Entrepreneurship at Missouri Western State University

Missouri Small Business & Technology Center at University of Missouri-Kansas City

Hispanic Economic Development Corporation

MOSourceLink

Initiatives Worldwide iWerx

Mountain Plains Minority Supplier Development Council

KC SourceLink

Kansas SBDC at Johnson County Community College

National Association of Women Business Owners

KC Tech Council

KCBizCare

Leavenworth Main Street Program, Inc.

KC SourceLink

National Women Business Owners Corporation

Miami County Economic Development

KU Small Business Development Center

Minority Contractors Association of Greater Kansas City

Leavenworth Main Street Program, Inc.

Missouri Office of Equal Opportunity

Missouri S&T Small Business and Technology Development Center

Kansas City Area Development Council Kansas City Startup Foundation Kansas Department of Commerce— Department of Minority and Women Business Development Kansas Hispanic & Latino American Affairs Commission

MOSourceLink Multicultural Business Coalition National Association for the Self-Employed National Association of Women Business Owners

Missouri Enterprise

Missouri Small Business & Technology Center at University of Missouri-Kansas City Mo-Kan Development, Inc. MOSourceLink

OneKC for Women System for Award Management U.S. Small Business Administration Women’s Business Center Women’s Business Development Center Women Construction Owners and Executives World Trade Center ECONOMIC & PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT

National Association of Women in Construction

National Association of Women Business Owners

National Federation of Independent Business

CERTIFICATION & PROCUREMENT

AltCap

Northeast Industrial Association

American Red Cross

Blue Springs Economic Development Council

Advanced Manufacturing Institute

K BIGGER .CO M K C E DI T I O N // I T H I N KBIGGER

93

DIRECTORY OF RESOURCES // AREAS OF ASSISTANCE

Business & Community Development, Kansas Department of Commerce

Martin City Community Improvement District

City of Blue Springs

Miami County Economic Development

City of Kansas City, Mo., Human Relations Department

Missouri Biotechnology Association

Clay County Economic Development Council

Missouri Department of Natural Resources

Hispanic Economic Development Corporation

Missouri Small Business & Technology Center at University of Missouri-Kansas City

IBSA, Inc.

County Economic Research Institute Inc. (CERI) Diversity and Inclusion— Greater KC Chamber Downtown Council of Kansas City Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City

Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation The Freelance Exchange of Kansas City H&R Block Business & Career Center

Mo-Kan Development, Inc.

Independence Economic Development Council

MOSourceLink

Initiatives Worldwide

National Association of Women Business Owners

Inventing Workshop

NetWork Kansas North Kansas City Business Council

iWerx Kansas City Startup Foundation

Ennovation Center

Olathe Economic Development Council

Kansas SBDC at Johnson County Community College

Gladstone Economic Development Department

Overland Park Economic Development Council

KC SourceLink

Hispanic Economic Development Corporation

Parkville Economic Development Council

KU Small Business Development Center

KCBizCare

IBSA, Inc.

Platte County Economic Development Council

Independence Avenue Community Improvement District

Raytown Office of Economic Development

Independence Economic Development Council

The Sewing Labs

Missouri Department of Economic Development

Initiatives Worldwide

Shawnee Economic Development Council

Missouri Enterprise

iWerx

Southwest Johnson County Economic Development Corp.

Missouri S&T Small Business and Technology Development Center

U.S. Small Business Administration

Missouri Small Business & Technology Center at University of Missouri-Kansas City

Jackson County, Mo., Purchasing Department

Rightfully Sewn

Johnson County Economic Development Corporation

Velocity Lee’s Summit

Johnson County, Mo., Economic Development Corp.

Wakarusa Valley Development Inc.

Kansas City Area Development Council Kansas City Startup Foundation Kansas Department of Commerce Kansas SBDC at Johnson County Community College KC SourceLink KC Tech Council Kearney Area Development Council Leavenworth County Development Corp.

Veterans Business Resource Center Whiteboard 2 Boardroom World Trade Center

Miami County Economic Development Mid-Continent Public Library Square One Small Business Services

MOSourceLink National Association of Women Business Owners National Federation of Independent Business

Wyandotte Economic Development Council

Northeast Kansas Enterprise Facilitation Initiative

ENTREPRENEURIAL RESEARCH

Northland Angel Investor Network

BioKansas Blue Valley CAPS Center for Entrepreneurship at Missouri Western State University

PIPELINE Entrepreneurs Southwest Johnson County Economic Development Corp.

Topeka/Shawnee County First Opportunity Fund

Leavenworth Main Street Program, Inc.

County Economic Research Institute Inc. (CERI)

Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council

Downtown Council of Kansas City

U.S. Small Business Administration

Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City

Veterans Business Resource Center

Liberty Economic Development Corp.

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U.S. Census Bureau Velocity Lee’s Summit

KC SourceLink

Women’s Business Center

KCBizCare

Women’s Capital Connection

FINANCIAL RESOURCES & ASSISTANCE

KCRise Fund

Women’s Employment Network

AltCap

Konza Valley Capital Inc.

Wyandotte Economic Development Council

LaunchKC

World Trade Center

BioKansas Center for Entrepreneurship at Missouri Western State University Central Exchange Clay County Economic Development Council C3 Capital Digital Sandbox KC Diversity and Inclusion— Greater KC Chamber

Leavenworth Main Street Program, Inc.

IMPORT/EXPORT

Miami County Economic Development

American Association of Exporters and Importers

Mid-America Angels Mid-America Trade Adjustment Assistance Center Midwest Small Business Finance Missouri Department of Economic Development

City of Blue Springs Clay County Economic Development Council Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City Hispanic Economic Development Corporation

Missouri Department of Revenue

International Trade Council of Kansas City

Dun & Bradstreet

Missouri Linked Deposit Program

Import-Export Bank of the United States

Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City

Missouri S&T Small Business and Technology Development Center

iWerx

Ennovation Center

Missouri Secretary of State

Enterprise Center of Johnson County

Kansas Department of Commerce, Export Assistance and Marketing

Export-Import Bank of the United States

Missouri Small Business & Technology Center at University of Missouri-Kansas City

Firebrand Ventures

Missouri Technology Corporation

Kansas SBDC at Johnson County Community College

Five Elms Capital

Mo-Kan Development, Inc.

KC SourceLink

Flyover Capital

MOSourceLink

Frontier Financial Partners, Inc.

National Association of Women Business Owners

Mid-America Manufacturing Technology Center

Gladstone Economic Development Department Grow Missouri Loan Fund, Missouri Department of Economic Development

Johnson County Library MakerSpace

Midwest Small Business Finance

Northeast Kansas Enterprise Facilitation Initiative

Missouri Department of Agriculture International Trade

Northland Angel Investor Network

Missouri S&T Small Business and Technology Development Center

Heartland Business Capital

Open Air Equity Partners

Hispanic Economic Development Corporation

Open Prairie Ventures

Missouri Small Business & Technology Center at University of Missouri-Kansas City

iiM (Innovation in Motion)

RMI

MOSourceLink

Initiatives Worldwide

Royal Street Ventures

U.S. Commercial Service

Internal Revenue Service

ScaleUP! Kansas City

U.S. Council for International Business

Sprint Accelerator

U.S. Department of Commerce

TechAccel

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

TGP Investments

U.S. Small Business Administration

Topeka/Shawnee County First Opportunity Fund

World Trade Center

InvestMidwest Venture Capital Forum iWerx Johnson County Economic Development Corporation Justine Petersen Kansas Business Center

U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission

Kansas Department of Revenue, Business Tax

U.S. Small Business Administration

Kansas Secretary of State Business Filing Center

Velocity Lee’s Summit

INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS/ STUDENT SERVICES

Wakarusa Valley Development Inc.

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DIRECTORY OF RESOURCES // AREAS OF ASSISTANCE

Blue Valley CAPS

Assistance Program

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Center for Entrepreneurship at Missouri Western State University

Missouri Small Business & Technology Center at University of Missouri-Kansas City

U.S. Small Business Administration

Central Exchange

MOSourceLink

City of Blue Springs

National Association of Women Business Owners

Velocity Lee’s Summit

CoWork Waldo Ennovation Center Full Employment Council Hammerspace Community Workshop Hispanic Economic Development Corporation IBSA, Inc.

UMKC Entrepreneurial Legal Services and IP Clinic U.S. Copyright Office Library of Congress U.S. Patent and Trademark Office World Trade Center

U.S. Social Security Administration Workforce Partnership MANUFACTURING/ HIGH TECH/LIFE SCIENCES BetaBlox BioKansas BioNexus KC Bioscience & Technology Business Center

Inventing Workshop

MANAGEMENT/ HUMAN RESOURCES

iWerx

BioKansas

City of Blue Springs

Justine Petersen

Central Exchange

Ennovation Center

Kansas City University Venture Partnership

Full Employment Council

Enterprise Center of Johnson County

Kansas City Women in Technology

Hispanic Economic Development Corporation

FabLab at Metropolitan Community College

Kansas SBDC at Johnson County Community College

iWerx

InterUrban ArtHouse

KC SourceLink

Kansas Insurance Department

KCBizCare

Kansas SBDC at Johnson County Community College

Metropolitan Community College

Kansas Department of Labor

MOSourceLink

Kansas Secretary of State Business Filing Center

National Association of Women Business Owners

KC SourceLink

Blue Valley CAPS

Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer Hammerspace Community Workshop Initiatives Worldwide International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering—Midwest Chapter Kansas City Women in Technology Kansas SBDC at Johnson County Community College

Northland CAPS

KU Small Business Development Center

Southland Center for Advanced Professional Studies

Metropolitan Community College Corporate College

KC SourceLink

Missouri Department of Labor & Industrial Relations

LaunchKC

LEGAL SERVICES/ INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Advanced Manufacturing Institute BioKansas

Missouri Enterprise Missouri Office of Equal Opportunity

Bioscience & Technology Business Center

Missouri S&T Small Business and Technology Development Center

Center for Entrepreneurship at Missouri Western State University

Missouri Small Business & Technology Center at University of Missouri-Kansas City

Inventors Center of Kansas City

MOSourceLink

iWerx

National Association of Women Business Owners

Kansas City Volunteer Lawyers & Accountants for the Arts

KC SmartPort KC Tech Council Mid-America Manufacturing Technology Center Mid-America Trade Adjustment Assistance Center Missouri Biotechnology Association Missouri SBIR/STTR Technical Assistance Program Missouri S&T Small Business and Technology Development Center

North Kansas City Business Council

Missouri Small Business & Technology Center at University of Missouri-Kansas City

KC SourceLink

Rightfully Sewn

MOSourceLink

Missouri SBIR/STTR Technical

ScaleUP! Kansas City

National Association of Manufacturers

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National Association of Women Business Owners Northland Angel Investor Network Platte County Economic Development Council TechAccel Think Big Partners Women’s Business Center MARKET & FEASIBILITY RESEARCH/ MARKETING & SALES Advanced Manufacturing Institute BetaBlox

Mid-America Regional Council

(HEMP)

Mid-Continent Public Library Square One Small Business Services

Hispanic Economic Development Corporation

Missouri Enterprise

Independence Economic Development Council

Missouri S&T Small Business and Technology Development Center

Initiatives Worldwide

Missouri Small Business & Technology Center at University of Missouri-Kansas City

Inventing Workshop

MOSourceLink National Association of Women Business Owners Northeast Kansas Enterprise Facilitation Initiative

InterUrban ArtHouse iWerx Kansas City Women in Technology Kansas SBDC at Johnson County Community College KC SourceLink

OneKC for Women

LaunchKC

ScaleUP! Kansas City

The Lean Lab

U.S. Census Bureau

Metropolitan Community College

Blue Valley CAPS

U.S. General Services Administration OSBU

Miami County Economic Development

Center for Entrepreneurship at Missouri Western State University

U.S. Small Business Administration

Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership

Veterans Business Resource Center

Central Exchange

Women’s Business Center

Missouri S&T Small Business and Technology Development Center

County Economic Research Institute Inc. (CERI)

World Trade Center

Downtown Council of Kansas City Dun & Bradstreet

MENTORING/ADVISORY BOARDS/ PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Ennovation Center

BioKansas

Enterprise Center of Johnson County

Blue Valley CAPS

Hispanic Economic Development Corporation

The Builders Association

Northeast Kansas Enterprise Facilitation Initiative

IBSA, Inc.

Center for Entrepreneurship at Missouri Western State University

OneKC for Women

BioKansas Blue Hills Contractor Incubator (Community Builders of Kansas City)

Initiatives Worldwide Inventors Center of Kansas City iWerx Johnson County K-State Research and Extension Johnson County Library MakerSpace Kansas SBDC at Johnson County Community College

Central Exchange City of Blue Springs Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization Digital Sandbox KC Diversity and Inclusion —Greater KC Chamber Downtown Council of Kansas City

Missouri Small Business & Technology Center at University of Missouri-Kansas City MOSourceLink Multicultural Business Coalition National Association of Women Business Owners

1 Million Cups—Kansas City Plexpod PIPELINE Entrepreneurs Project United Knowledge Rightfully Sewn SCORE Kansas City Southland Center for Advanced Professional Studies

Kansas State University Institute for Commercialization

EnCorps45

KC SourceLink

Ennovation Center

Southwest Johnson County Economic Development Corp.

Flyover Capital

Startup Rewind

Hammerspace Community Workshop

UMKC Entrepreneurship Scholars (E-Scholars)

KCBizCare KCDMA KU Small Business Development Center

National Association of Women in Construction

The Lean Lab

Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program

U.S. Small Business Administration Velocity Lee’s Summit K C E DI T I O N // I T H I N KBIGGER K BIGGER .CO M

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DIRECTORY OF RESOURCES // AREAS OF ASSISTANCE

Platte County Economic Development Council

at University of Missouri-Kansas City

Women’s Employment Network

Plexpod

National Association of Women Business Owners

OFFICE, LABORATORY, INCUBATOR, KITCHEN, MEETING SPACE

Southwest Johnson County Economic Development Corp.

Northland Angel Investor Network

BetaBlox

SymbioBiz

Sprint Accelerator

BioKansas

TechStars Kansas City Accelerator

Bioscience & Technology Business Center

UMKC Entrepreneurship Scholars (E-Scholars)

REGULATORY COMPLIANCE & ENVIRONMENTAL ASSISTANCE

WeWork

Bridging the Gap

Whiteboard 2 Boardroom Women’s Business Center

Bloch Venture Hub Blue Hills Contractor Incubator (Community Builders of Kansas City) Blue Valley CAPS The Box at Corbin Mill Place Bridge Space City of Blue Springs

Project United Knowledge

OPERATIONS & LOGISTICS Kansas SBDC at Johnson County Community College KC SourceLink

MOSourceLink

Project United Knowledge

The Builders Association City of Blue Springs Ennovation Center Gladstone Economic Development Department

CoWork Waldo

Missouri Small Business & Technology Center at University of Missouri-Kansas City

The Device Lab

MOSourceLink

Jackson County, Mo., Purchasing Department

Eastside Collaborative

Platte County Economic Development Council

Kansas Business Center

ecafé Business and Coworking Center Ennovation Center Enterprise Center of Johnson County Farm to Table Kitchen at City Market Firebrand Collective Food Innovation Accelerator at K-State Olathe GRID Collaborative Workspace Hammerspace Community Workshop Independence Economic Development Council

GS1US Johnson County Library MakerSpace

ScaleUP! Kansas City

KCBizCare

World Trade Center

KC SourceLink K-State Pollution Prevention Institute

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

Missouri Department of Health

Advanced Manufacturing Institute Bioscience & Technology Business Center

Missouri Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration

Blue Valley CAPS

Missouri Department of Natural Resources

The Device Lab

Missouri Department of Professional Registration

Digital Sandbox KC

Missouri Division of Professional Registration

Innovation Stockyard at the Kit Bond Incubator

Enterprise Center of Johnson County Hammerspace Community Workshop

InterUrban ArtHouse

Missouri Small Business Regulatory Fairness Board

Initiatives Worldwide

iWerx

MOSourceLink

Inventing Workshop

Johnson County Library MakerSpace

Inventors Center of Kansas City

National Association of Women Business Owners

Kansas City Coworking Alliance Kansas City Startup Foundation KC SourceLink Missouri S&T Small Business and Technology Development Center MU Life Science Business Incubator at Monsanto Place Northland Angel Investor Network

iWerx Johnson County Library MakerSpace

Northeast Industrial Association

Kansas SBDC at Johnson County Community College

Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA)

Kansas State University Institute for Commercialization

24/7 Missouri U.S. Commercial Service

KC SourceLink

U.S. Green Building Council Central Plains Chapter

Office Evolution

Missouri S&T Small Business and Technology Development Center

OneKC for Women

Missouri Small Business & Technology Center

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National Federation of Independent Business

TH HEE THINKING THINKING BIGGER BIGGER GU GUIID OR K KC C EN ENTR TREPR EPREN ENEU EURRSS //// 22001188--2200119 T D EE FFOR 9

U.S. Small Business Administration World Trade Center

BUSINESS STAGE SEED & DEVELOPMENT

KCBizCare

Advanced Manufacturing Institute

KC Tech Council

AltCap

KU Small Business Development Center

BetaBlox

Leavenworth Main Street Program, Inc.

Bioscience & Technology Business Center

Mid-Continent Public Library Square One Small Business Services

Blue Springs Economic Development Council Blue Valley CAPS Center for Entrepreneurship at Missouri Western State University Central Exchange Clay County Economic Development Council County Economic Research Institute Inc. (CERI) Digital Sandbox KC EnCorps45 Ennovation Center Enterprise Center of Johnson County Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership Missouri Biotechnology Association Missouri Department of Economic Development

UMKC Entrepreneurial Legal Services and IP Clinic U.S. Small Business Administration Velocity Lee’s Summit Veterans Business Resource Center Wakarusa Valley Development Inc. Women’s Business Center LAUNCH & ADAPT Advanced Manufacturing Institute

Missouri Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration

AltCap

Missouri S&T Small Business and Technology Development Center

Bioscience & Technology Business Center

Missouri SBIR/STTR Technical Assistance Program Missouri Small Business & Technology Center at University of Missouri-Kansas City Missouri Small Business Regulatory Fairness Board

BetaBlox Bloch Venture Hub Blue Springs Economic Development Council Blue Valley CAPS Business & Community Development, Kansas Department of Commerce

Missouri Technology Corporation

Center for Entrepreneurship at Missouri Western State University

MOSourceLink

Central Exchange

Multicultural Business Coalition

City of Blue Springs

Independence Avenue Community Improvement District

National Association of Women in Construction

City of Kansas City, Mo., Human Relations Department

Independence Economic Development Council

National Federation of Independent Business

Clay County Economic Development Council

NetWork Kansas

Initiatives Worldwide Internal Revenue Service

Northeast Kansas Enterprise Facilitation Initiative

County Economic Research Institute Inc. (CERI)

Inventing Workshop

Olathe Economic Development Council

EnCorps45

Inventors Center of Kansas City

OneKC for Women

Ennovation Center

Jackson County, Mo., Purchasing Department

1 Million Cups—Kansas City

Enterprise Center of Johnson County

Johnson County Economic Development Corporation

PIPELINE Entrepreneurs

Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

Raytown Office of Economic Development

Farm to Table Kitchen at City Market

Jackson County, Mo., Purchasing Department

Rightfully Sewn

Flyover Capital

Justine Petersen

SCORE Kansas City

The Freelance Exchange of Kansas City

Kansas Business Center

Shawnee Economic Development Council

Full Employment Council

Kansas City Startup Foundation

Southland Center for Advanced Professional Studies

H&R Block Business & Career Center Hispanic Economic Development Corporation

Kansas Department of Commerce

Southwest Johnson County Economic Development Corp.

IBSA, Inc.

Kansas Insurance Department

Sprint Accelerator

Independence Avenue Community Improvement District

KC SourceLink

24/7 Missouri

Independence Economic

The Freelance Exchange of Kansas City Full Employment Council Hispanic Economic Development Corporation IBSA, Inc.

Kansas City Volunteer Lawyers & Accountants for the Arts

Digital Sandbox KC

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Development Council

Missouri Department of Natural Resources

Wakarusa Valley Development Inc.

Initiatives Worldwide

Missouri Enterprise

Whiteboard 2 Boardroom

Internal Revenue Service

Missouri Linked Deposit Program

Women Construction Owners and Executives

Inventing Workshop

Missouri SBIR/STTR Technical Assistance Program

Women’s Business Center

Missouri Small Business & Technology Center at University of Missouri-Kansas City

Workforce Partnership

Inventors Center of Kansas City InvestMidwest Venture Capital Forum iWerx Jackson County, Mo., Purchasing Department

Missouri Small Business Regulatory Fairness Board

Women’s Business Development Center World Trade Center Wyandotte Economic Development Council

Johnson County Economic Development Corporation

Missouri Technology Corporation

ESTABLISHED & GROWING

Jackson County, Mo., Purchasing Department

Mo-Kan Development, Inc. MOSourceLink

Advanced Manufacturing Institute

Multicultural Business Coalition

AltCap

National Association of Women Business Owners

Associated Industries of Missouri

National Association of Women in Construction

Bloch Venture Hub

Justine Petersen Kansas Business Center Kansas City Startup Foundation Kansas City University Venture Partnership

BioKansas

National Federation of Independent Business

Blue Hills Contractor Incubator (Community Builders of Kansas City)

Kansas Department of Commerce

NetWork Kansas

Blue Valley CAPS

Kansas Department of Commerce—Kansas Statewide Certification Program

Northeast Kansas Enterprise Facilitation Initiative

Business & Community Development, Kansas Department of Commerce

Kansas Insurance Department

Northland Angel Investor Network

KCBizCare

OneKC for Women

Center for Entrepreneurship at Missouri Western State University

KCRise Fund

1 Million Cups—Kansas City

KC SourceLink

Open Air Equity Partners

KC Tech Council

Parkville Economic Development Council

Kearney Area Development Council

PIPELINE Entrepreneurs

KU Small Business Development Center

Rightfully Sewn

The Lean Lab

Royal Street Ventures

Leavenworth Main Street Program, Inc.

SCORE Kansas City

Mid-America Angels

Shawnee Economic Development Council

Mid-America Manufacturing Technology Center

Southland Center for Advanced Professional Studies

Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City

Mid-Continent Public Library Square One Small Business Services

Southwest Johnson County Economic Development Corp.

EnCorps45 Ennovation Center

Sprint Accelerator

Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

Startup Rewind

The Freelance Exchange of Kansas City

24/7 Missouri

Full Employment Council

UMKC Entrepreneurial Legal Services and IP Clinic

H&R Block Business & Career Center

U.S. Small Business Administration Velocity Lee’s Summit

Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program (HEMP)

Veterans Business Resource Center

Hispanic Economic Development Corporation

Kansas City Volunteer Lawyers & Accountants for the Arts

Mid-America Regional Council Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership Midwest Small Business Finance Missouri Biotechnology Association Missouri Department of Economic Development Missouri Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration

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Central Exchange City of Blue Springs City of Kansas City, Mo., Human Relations Department Clay County Economic Development Council County Economic Research Institute Inc. (CERI) Diversity and Inclusion—Greater KC Chamber

Heartland Business Capital

IBSA, Inc.

Midwest Small Business Finance

Rightfully Sewn

Independence Avenue Community Improvement District

Minority Contractors Association of Greater Kansas City

RMI

Independence Economic Development Council

Missouri Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration

Shawnee Economic Development Council

Initiatives Worldwide

Missouri Enterprise

Internal Revenue Service

Missouri PTAC

Inventing Workshop

Missouri Biotechnology Association

Southwest Johnson County Economic Development Corp.

Inventors Center of Kansas City

Missouri Department of Economic Development

UMKC Entrepreneurial Legal Services and IP Clinic

Missouri Department of Natural Resources

24/7 Missouri

Missouri SBIR/STTR Technical Assistance Program

U.S. Commercial Service

Missouri S&T Small Business and Technology Development Center

U.S. General Services Administration OSBU

iWerx Jackson County, Mo., Purchasing Department Johnson County Economic Development Corporation Jackson County, Mo., Purchasing Department Justine Petersen Kansas Business Center Kansas City Area Development Council Kansas City Startup Foundation Kansas City Volunteer Lawyers & Accountants for the Arts

SCORE Kansas City Southland Center for Advanced Professional Studies

U.S. Department of Commerce

Missouri Small Business & Technology Center at University of Missouri-Kansas City

U.S. Small Business Administration

Missouri Small Business Regulatory Fairness Board

Veterans Business Resource Center

Missouri Technology Corporation Mo-Kan Development, Inc.

Velocity Lee’s Summit Wakarusa Valley Development Inc. Women’s Business Center Women’s Business Development Center

Kansas Department of Commerce

MOSourceLink

Kansas Department of Commerce—Kansas Statewide Certification Program

Mountain Plains Minority Supplier Development Council

Kansas Insurance Department

Multicultural Business Coalition

Workforce Partnership

Kansas Procurement Technical Assistance Center

National Association of Women Business Owners

World Trade Center

KC SourceLink

National Association of Women in Construction

KC Tech Council KCBizCare Kearney Area Development Council K-State Pollution Prevention Institute

National Federation of Independent Business NetWork Kansas Northeast Industrial Association

KU Small Business Development Center

Northeast Kansas Enterprise Facilitation Initiative

Leavenworth Main Street Program, Inc.

Northland Angel Investor Network

Martin City Community Improvement District

Northland CAPS

Mid-America Manufacturing Technology Center

Open Air Equity Partners

Mid-America Regional Council Mid-America Trade Adjustment Assistance Center Mid-Continent Public Library Square One Small Business Services Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership

OneKC for Women Parkville Economic Development Council PIPELINE Entrepreneurs

Women Construction Owners and Executives Women’s Employment Network

Wyandotte Economic Development Council MATURE & EXITING Advanced Manufacturing Institute AltCap American Red Cross Blue Hills Contractor Incubator (Community Builders of Kansas City) Blue Valley CAPS The Builders Association Business & Community Development, Kansas Department of Commerce Center for Entrepreneurship at Missouri Western State University

Platte County Economic Development Council

Central Exchange

Raytown Office of Economic Development

City of Kansas City, Mo., Human Relations Department

ScaleUP! Kansas City

City of Blue Springs

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Clay County Economic Development Council

Midwest Small Business Finance

County Economic Research Institute Inc. (CERI)

Missouri Department of Economic Development

Diversity and Inclusion —Greater KC Chamber

Missouri Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration

EnCorps45

Missouri Department of Natural Resources

Ennovation Center

Missouri Enterprise

Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

Missouri Linked Deposit Program

Frontier Financial Partners, Inc.

Missouri S&T Small Business and Technology Development Center

Full Employment Council H&R Block Business & Career Center Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program (HEMP) Heartland Business Capital Hispanic Economic Development Corporation Independence Avenue Community Improvement District Independence Economic Development Council Initiatives Worldwide Internal Revenue Service Inventing Workshop

Missouri Small Business & Technology Center at University of Missouri-Kansas City Missouri Small Business Regulatory Fairness Board Missouri Technology Corporation Mo-Kan Development, Inc. MOSourceLink Mountain Plains Minority Supplier Development Council Multicultural Business Coalition National Association of Women Business Owners

Inventors Center of Kansas City

National Association of Women in Construction

iWerx

NetWork Kansas

Jackson County, Mo., Purchasing Department

Northeast Industrial Association

Johnson County Economic Development Corporation

Northeast Kansas Enterprise Facilitation Initiative

Justine Petersen

Northland Angel Investor Network

Kansas Business Center

OneKC for Women

Kansas City Volunteer Lawyers & Accountants for the Arts

Parkville Economic Development Council

Kansas Department of Commerce

Platte County Economic Development Council

Kansas Insurance Department

Raytown Office of Economic Development

Kansas Procurement Technical Assistance Center

RMI

KC SourceLink KC Tech Council KU Small Business Development Center Leavenworth Main Street Program, Inc. Metropolitan Community College Mid-America Manufacturing Technology Center Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership

ScaleUP! Kansas City SCORE Kansas City Shawnee Economic Development Council Southland Center for Advanced Professional Studies Southwest Johnson County Economic Development Corp.

24/7 Missouri U.S. Commercial Service

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U.S. Department of Commerce U.S. General Services Administration OSBU U.S. Small Business Administration Velocity Lee’s Summit Veterans Business Resource Center Wakarusa Valley Development Inc. Women Construction Owners and Executives Women’s Business Center Women’s Business Development Center Workforce Partnership World Trade Center

DIRECTORY OF RESOURCES // RESOURCE 0RGANIZATIONS

RESOURCE ORGANIZATIONS This resource directory includes local, state and federal organizations and resource sites that entrepreneurs and small business owners can tap for help in a wide range of areas, from compliance to workforce development to funding, product development, certification and procurement, import/export and more. For additional information on any of these resources, please use the contact information provided in the individual entries.

24/7 MISSOURI

www.openforbiz.mo.gov This online resource serves as a single point of entry for business registrations, filings, licenses and permits for doing business in Missouri.

WEBSITE

ADVANCED MANUFACTURING INSTITUTE (AMI)

Jeff Tucker 510 McCall Road Manhattan, KS 66502 PHONE (785) 532-3421 EMAIL jwtuck@ksu.edu WEBSITE www.k-state.edu/ami The Advanced Manufacturing Institute at Kansas State University is dedicated to providing innovative technology and business development solutions through a wide array of business and engineering services. AMI offers a full range of capabilities, including IP research and creation; competitive product studies; market and customer research; product and process development; product prototyping and testing; custom equipment design and fabrication; control system development; and system integration.

ALTCAP

Ruben Alonso 3200 Wayne Ave. Kansas City, MO 64109 PHONE (816) 216-1851 EMAIL ruben@alt-cap.org WEBSITE www.alt-cap.org AltCap is a mission-driven, certified community development financial institution (CDFI) and SBA lender committed to providing capital to small businesses and communities in the Kansas City metro area that are overlooked or underserved by traditional financial institutions. AltCap offers alternative financing opportunities to job-creating businesses and catalytic, community-driven real estate development projects through the New Markets Tax Credit program. It also provides small business and micro loans to startups and established businesses and works with strategic partners to deliver entrepreneurship and business development resources to

entrepreneurs looking to grow and/or expand their business.

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF EXPORTERS AND IMPORTERS

Marianne Rowden 1717 K St. N.W., Ste. 1120 Washington, DC 20006 PHONE (202) 857-8009 WEBSITE www.aaei.org AAEI represents those immediately engaged in and directly impacted by developments related to international trade. Recognized as technical experts regarding the day-today facilitation of trade, AAEI members are importers, exporters, service providers and law firms.

AMERICAN RED CROSS

Nathan Griffin Health and Safety Services 211 W. Armour Blvd.

Kansas City, MO 64111 PHONE (913) 620-7196 WEBSITE www.redcross.org/local/missouri/

western-missouri/locations/

kansas-city TWITTER @kcredcross The American Red Cross offers training on CPR, first aid, OSHA rules and other health-related concerns for small businesses.

The organization also sells AEDs and other first-aid equipment.

ASSOCIATED INDUSTRIES OF MISSOURI

Ray McCarty 3234 W. Truman Blvd.

Jefferson City, MO 65109 PHONE (573) 634-2246 EMAIL rmccarty@aimo.com WEBSITE www.aimo.com Associated Industries of Missouri is the state’s oldest and premier business association.

AIM has represented the interests of Missouri employers in front of the General Assembly, the courts, statewide agencies and the public since 1919. Members of AIM are kept informed of governmental and court actions that impact Missouri businesses.

BETABLOX

Weston Bergmann 12022 Blue Valley Pkwy.

Overland Park, KS 66213 EMAIL weston@betablox.com WEBSITE www.betablox.com BIOKANSAS

Dennis Ridenour 4220 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Ste. 350-B Fairway, KS 66205 PHONE (913) 495-4334 EMAIL dennis@biokansas.org WEBSITE www.biokansas.org TWITTER @biokansas BioKansas is a member-funded 501(c)(3) non-profit trade association that serves as the voice of the bioscience industry in Kansas, connecting, educating and advocating to build a stronger and more interconnected life science community across Kansas and Missouri. BioKansas hosts regional events and provides access to one of the largest and most diverse life science networks in the region.

BioKansas also helps align the curriculum at universities and colleges across the region with the evolving industry needs and is working to better prepare and develop tomorrow’s life science workforce.

BIONEXUS KC

Sharon Newman 30 W. Pershing Road, Ste. 210 Kansas City, MO 64108 PHONE (816) 753-7700 EMAIL snewman@bionexuskc.org WEBSITE www.bionexuskc.org TWITTER @BioNexusKc BioNexus KC (formerly Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute) believes it can do more to care for people and animals. It inspires thinkers from different disciplines to combine their efforts for a common purpose—health care innovation. From bioinformatics to cancer research and beyond, the organization’s goal is to provide the collaborative tools needed to showcase emerging technologies and bring them from conception to reality.

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BIOSCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS CENTER

Michael Smithyman 2029 Becker Dr. Lawrence, KS 66047 PHONE (785) 832-2110 EMAIL smithyman@btbcku.com G.R. Underwood 2002 W. 39th Ave. Kansas City, KS 66103 EMAIL grunderwood@btbcku.com Ruth Bucey PHONE

(913) 945-6779 EMAIL rbucey@btbcku.com BTBC operates incubator facilities in Lawrence and at the Kansas University Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan. Features include lab and office space, access to the University of Kansas resources and assistance with capital raising and other business concerns.

See list of business incubators, pg. 35.

BLOCH VENTURE HUB

Ben Gruber 4328 Madison Ave. Kansas City, MO 64111 PHONE (816) 682-0379 EMAIL gruberb@umkc.edu WEBSITE bloch3.umkc.edu/

entrepreneurship/bloch-venture

-hub The UMKC Bloch Venture Hub is a community resource for Kansas City-area entrepreneurs. It offers three levels: EntreLab, Startup Incubator and Scale-Up Incubator.

BLUE HILLS CONTRACTOR INCUBATOR (COMMUNITY BUILDERS OF KANSAS CITY)

Shannn Hesterberg 5008 Prospect Ave. Kansas City, MO 64130 PHONE (816) 333-7870 WEBSITE www.cb-kc.org The Blue Hills Contractor Incubator is a part of Community Builders of Kansas City.

It serves small- and medium-sized contracting firms by providing office space, training opportunities and relationship building.

See list of business incubators, pg. 35.

BLUE SPRINGS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

Teresa Evans 903 W. Main St. Blue Springs, MO 64015

(816) 228-0111 tevans@bluespringsedc.com WEBSITE www.bluespringsgov.com/1634/

economic-development-council The Blue Springs EDC promotes business development and investment, job creation and economic development. The EDC provides business assistance, support, community information and referral services to existing and new employers to expand the city’s tax base through business development.

PHONE EMAIL

BLUE VALLEY CENTER FOR ADVANCED PROFESSIONAL STUDIES

Corey Mohn 7501 W. 149th Terrace Overland Park, KS 66223 (913) 239-5900 PHONE cmohn@bluevalleyk12.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.bvcaps.org Blue Valley CAPS is a nationally recognized program for high-school students in the Blue Valley School District. Students work on projects in bioscience, business, engineering and human services, helping them develop the skills required by the 21st-century workplace.

Blue Valley CAPS students regularly collaborate with small and large businesses on real-world problems.

THE BOX AT CORBIN MILL PLACE

Courtney Currie 131 S. Water St. Liberty, MO 64068 PHONE (913) 226-8225 EMAIL ccurrie@corbinmillplace.com WEBSITE www.corbinmillplace.com The Box is located in a newly revitalized historic mill featuring a 16,000-square-foot mixed-use entertainment/productivity “experience.” The Box provides a variety of unique office spaces and services for businesses, contractors, free-lancers and entrepreneurs to grow their business. In addition to office amenities, the facility offers educational and networking opportunities, dining, shopping, entertainment, events and more.

BRIDGE SPACE

Amber Monaco 210 S.W. Market St. Lee's Summit, MO 64063 PHONE (816) 548-0811 EMAIL amber@bridgespace.us WEBSITE www.bridgespace.com

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Bridge Space offers coworking, dedicated desks, private offices, conference rooms, event space and a podcast and recording studio.

BRIDGING THE GAP

Kristin Riott 1427 W. 9th St. Kansas City, MO 64101 PHONE (816) 561-1087 WEBSITE www.bridgingthegap.org Bridging the Gap promotes sustainability in the Kansas City region by connecting business, government and community. Programs include the Green Business Network, which promotes smart sustainability practices within the Kansas City business community.

THE BUILDERS’ ASSOCIATION— KANSAS CITY CHAPTER, AGC

Don Greenwell 720 Oak St. Kansas City, MO 64106 (816) 531-4741 PHONE dgreenwell@ EMAIL

buildersassociation.com WEBSITE www.buildersassociation.com The Builders’ Association serves the commercial construction industry and represents hundreds of general contractor, subcontractor, supplier and service provider member companies. It has an Education & Training Center—a 100,000-square-foot apprenticeship and management training center, which is also home to the 4,000-square-foot Builders’ Advancement Center—in North Kansas City; an administrative office and plan room service center at 720 Oak St. in Kansas City, Missouri.; and training and plan room service centers in Jefferson City and Springfield. Its sister organization, the Kansas City Chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America, currently represents more than 100 firms and is part of the largest and oldest national construction trade association in the United States.

BUSINESS & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Susan Neupoth Cadoret 1000 S.W. Jackson St., Ste. 100 Topeka, KS 66612 PHONE (785) 296-7198 EMAIL susan.neupothcadoret@ks.gov WEBSITE www.kansascommerce.gov The Business and Community Development Division aids Kansas communities seeking to

attract businesses, workers and investment.

Staffers develop incentive proposals, which include tax credits and workforce training grants; serve as a liaison with other state agencies, including the departments of Revenue, Labor, and Health & Environment; and serve as a single Kansas contact point to ensure project confidentiality.

CENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP AT MISSOURI WESTERN STATE UNIVERSITY

Annette Weeks 4525 Downs Drive, Popplewell Hall, Room 203 St. Joseph, MO 64507 (816) 271-4283 PHONE aweeks@missouriwestern.edu EMAIL WEBSITE csb-cfe.missouriwestern.edu The Center for Entrepreneurship in the Craig School of Business furnishes counseling assistance free of charge to small business owners. Assistance is available for all stages of entrepreneurship, including starting a business, operating a business and growing a business. The center staff will provide one-onone business coaching and connect clients to additional resources and programs.

CENTRAL EXCHANGE

Courtney Thomas 1020 Central St., Ste. 100 Kansas City, MO 64105 (816) 471-7560 PHONE courtney@centralexchange.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.centralexchange.org TWITTER @CentralEx Central Exchange is a leadership development organization that empowers and connects women across generations, promotes equity for women, ignites confidence in women and cultivates and accelerates women leaders. Each year, Central Exchange hosts more than 400 programs centered around empowering women, promoting well-being, igniting business and cultivating community.

Members have access to all programs and events throughout the year, but nonmembers may also register to participate.

CITY OF KANSAS CITY, MO., HUMAN RELATIONS DEPARTMENT

Phillip Yelder City Hall, Fourth Floor 414 E. 12th St. Kansas City, MO 64106

(816) 513-1836 hrdgeneral.inquiries@kcmo.org WEBSITE www.kcmo.gov/humanrelations The human relations department is responsible for investigating and processing complaints of civil rights violations that have occurred within the city limits of Kansas City, Mo. The department also is charged with helping companies become certified as disadvantaged, minority- or women-owned enterprises; as small local business enterprises; or as Section 3-certified businesses. As part of its effort to promote affirmative action, the department also monitors city construction contracts for compliance with prevailing wage laws, as well as compliance with the city’s ordinances regarding construction workforce and utilization of certified companies on all contracts that meet ordinance criteria.

PHONE EMAIL

CLAY COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

Jim Hampton 7001 N. Locust Gladstone, MO 64118 (816) 468-4989 PHONE jimh@clayedc.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.clayEDC.com The Clay County Economic Development Council is committed to economic development and provides the following resources and programs: site selection and building searches for expansion; the six-month Doniphan Leadership Institute program for executives; and capital for small businesses through its affiliate organizations the Northland Angel Investor Network and Midwest Small Business Finance, which offers 504, 7(a) and other SBA loans.

COLLEGIATE ENTERPRENEURS' ORGANIZATION

401 W. Kennedy Blvd., Box 2F Tampa, FL 33606 PHONE (813) 258-7236 WEBSITE www.c-e-o.org CEO offers leadership training and professional development programs through a national network of collegiate entrepreneurs.

COUNTY ECONOMIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE INC. (CERI)

11111 W. 95th St., Ste. 210 Overland Park, KS 66214 PHONE (913) 599-1616 EMAIL reports@cerionline.org WEBSITE www.cerionline.org

CERI is a nonprofit organization with a mission to support economic development in Johnson County through the provision of data and technical assistance. CERI publishes a variety of reports and resource data to assist local businesses in marketing and strategic planning. CERI is a local repository of U.S. Census data for the region. In addition, the institute performs small area demographic studies and publishes numerous reports, including monthly economic indicators, wage surveys, Johnson County promotional brochures, a major-employers directory, labor shed report and other special economic and demographic studies.

COWORK WALDO

Melissa Saubers 7449 Broadway Kansas City, MO 64114 (816) 651-5056 PHONE WEBSITE www.coworkwaldo.com CoWork Waldo is a coworking community for independent workers, freelancers, telecommuters, entrepreneurs, small businesses and startups. Memberships are available as well as meeting room rental.

THE DEVICE LAB

Jennifer Nickols 10316 Shawnee Mission Pkwy.

Shawnee, KS 66203 (816) 235-6661 PHONE jeffshackelford@ EMAIL

digitalsandboxkc.com WEBSITE www.digitalsandboxkc.com The Device Labs offers coworking and office spaces, classroom and meeting rooms, engineering and rapid prototyping as well as professional services for businesses.

DIGITAL SANDBOX KC

Jeff Shackelford 4747 Troost Ave. Kansas City, MO 64110 (816) 235-6661 PHONE jeffshackelford EMAIL

@digitalsandboxkc.com WEBSITE www.digitalsandboxkc.com Digital Sandbox KC and its Energy Sandbox (which works with startups in the energy industry) provide proof-of-concept resources to support early-stage commercialization commercialization processes, including access to technology, business and market experts K C E DI T I O N // I T H I N KBIGGER .CO M

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and funding for early-stage market validation, prototyping and beta-testing services. Funding is currently available for companies in Olathe, Kansas; Kansas City, Missouri; and St. Joseph, Missouri.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION— GREATER KC CHAMBER

Greg Valdovino 30 W. Pershing Road, Ste. 301 Kansas City, MO 64108 (816) 374-5494 PHONE valdovino@kcchamber.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.kcchamber.com/programs events/diverse-business.aspx The Greater Kansas City Chamber values and promotes diversity because it enhances the business community and the region’s economic development.

ECAFE BUSINESS AND COWORKING CENTER

David Rayl 10650 Roe Ave. Overland Park, KS 66207 (913) 831-8490 PHONE david.visitecafe@gmail.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.ecafecoffee.com Ecafé is a coworking coffee house that powers entrepreneurs, business teams and professionals with workspaces and a business center. Conference and meeting rooms may be rented by the hour or by the day. Day passes, monthly memberships and corporate memberships are available. Features include internet, mailboxes, personal lockers, postal services and office supplies.

DOWNTOWN COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY

Sean O’Byrne 1000 Walnut, Ste. 200 Kansas City, MO 64106 (816) 421-1539 PHONE sean@downtownkc.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.downtownkc.org TWITTER @godowntownkc The Downtown Council of Kansas City is committed to creating a vibrant, diverse and economically sustainable downtown. As a private nonprofit membership organization, the Downtown Council has more than 280 members representing Kansas City’s best businesses, property owners, small entrepreneurial companies and nonprofit organizations.

DUN & BRADSTREET

(844) 350-0793 WEBSITE www.dnb.com Visit this site to obtain a DUNS number.

The organization also provides business data and analytic insights.

PHONE

EASTSIDE COLLABORATIVE

42323 Troost Ave. Kansas City, MO 64110 (816) 944-1411 PHONE support@ EMAIL

eastsidecollaborative.com WEBSITE www.eastsidecollaborative.com Eastside Collaborative is a shared workspace and community for black entrepreneurs and independent or mobile professionals.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF KANSAS CITY, MO.

Bob Langenkamp 1100 Walnut, Ste. 1700 Kansas City, MO 64106 PHONE (816) 221-0636 EMAIL Blangenkamp@edckc.com WEBSITE www.edckc.com The EDCKC is a nonprofit, full-service economic development organization that aids new, existing and expanding businesses located in Kansas City, Missouri, or those considering a Kansas City location. Resources include lowcost, long-term financing through EDC loan programs and financial assistance information; international business support, application and qualification for state and local incentives, such as Enhanced Enterprise Zone benefits and Missouri Customized Training grants; and coordination of services and assistance. EDC Loan Corporation’s primary financing tools are the RLF loan program and the newly restructured River Market program, with both programs targeting WBE/MBE businesses and entrepreneurs in Kansas City urban corridor.

ENCORPS45

Robert Curland 1520 Clay St. North Kansas City, MO 64116 (816) 210-5550 PHONE Robert@encorps45.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.encorps45.com

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@Encorps45 EnCorps45 creates, grows and sustains multigenerational economies and entrepreneurial ecosystems. As a management and marketing services provider, it fosters relationships among business owners, economic development corporations and businesses councils while encouraging collaboration and innovation among its members and clients.

TWITTER

ENNOVATION CENTER

Xander Winkel 201 N. Forest Ave., Ste. 130, Independence, MO 64050 (816) 463-3532 PHONE info@ennovationcenter.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.ennovationcenter.com The Ennovation Center provides startup assistance, education and shared rental space to a wide range of entrepreneurs. Ennovation Center facilities include commercial kitchens, offices and office suites, and light manufacturing suites.

ENTERPRISE CENTER IN JOHNSON COUNTY

Rick Vaughn 4220 Shawnee Mission Pkwy.

Fairway, KS 66205 (913) 438-2282 PHONE rvaughn@ecjc.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.ecjc.com ECJC is a nonprofit organization that connects entrepreneurs across the region to the resources needed to grow their businesses.

It provides office space, education, mentoring and connections to capital.

EWING MARION KAUFFMAN FOUNDATION

Wendy Guilles 4801 Rockhill Road Kansas City, MO 64110 PHONE (816) 932-1000 EMAIL lbanka@kauffman.org WEBSITE www.kauffman.org TWITTER @KauffmanFDN The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is a private, nonpartisan foundation that works together with communities in education and entrepreneurship to create uncommon solutions and empower people to shape their futures and be successful. The Kauffman Foundation is based in Kansas City, Mo., and uses its $2 billion in assets to collaboratively help people be self-sufficient, productive citizens.

EXPORT-IMPORT BANK OF THE UNITED STATES (EXIM BANK)

James Burrows, Office of Small Business 811 Vermont Ave. N.W. Washington, DC 20571 (800) 565-EXIM EMAIL WEBSITE www.exim.gov EXIM is the official export credit agency of the United States. Its mission is to support jobs by facilitating the export of U.S. goods and services. When private sector lenders are unable or unwilling to provide financing, EXIM fills in the gap for American businesses by equipping them with the financing tools necessary to compete for global sales.

FABLAB AT METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Jen Dec 1775 Universal Ave. Kansas City, MO 64120 EMAIL fab.lab@mcckc.edu WEBSITE www.mcckc.edu/fablab FabLab offers tools, technology and training that allows students, community members and local businesses to design, develop, fabricate and test almost anything. The lab offers six prototyping technologies, 3D scanning, metal working, laser cutting/engraving, an array of woodworking equipment, welding equipment and many other types of tools and technologies, including a fully capable CADD and 3D-modeling lab.

FARM TO TABLE KITCHEN AT CITY MARKET

Jennifer Lewis 21 E. Third St. Kansas City, MO 64106 (816) 842-1271 PHONE jlewis@thecitymarket.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.thecitymarket.org/

farm-to-table-kitchen/overview Farm to Table Kitchen is an incubator for small businesses such as farmers’ market vendors, food trucks, caterers and more. Its facility is a commercially-licensed kitchen at Kansas City’s City Market.

FEDERAL LABORATORY CONSORTIUM FOR TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER

Brooke Pyne – Midwest Regional Coordinator 950 N. Kings Highway, Ste. 105 Cherry Hill, NJ 08034 (856) 667-7727 PHONE support@federallabs.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.federallabs.org

FLC promotes technology transfer from federal labs across the country.

FIREBRAND COLLECTIVE

Megan Hemphill 1101 Mulberry Street A2 Kansas City, MO 64101 (816) 945-2234 PHONE info@firebrandcollective.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.firebrandcollective.com Firebrand Collective is a co-working space for female entrepreneurs, freelancers, small business owners and remote workers.

FIREBRAND VENTURES

John Fein www.firebrandvc.com Firebrand Ventures is a Midwest venture fund that invests in exceptional early stage software startups.

WEBSITE

FIVE ELMS CAPITAL

Aaron Handke 4801 Main St., Ste. 700 Prairie Village, KS 66208 (913) 953-8960 PHONE ws@fiveelms.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.fiveelms.com Five Elms Capital provides expansion capital and shareholder liquidity to private companies and their stakeholders.

FLYOVER CAPITAL

Thad Langford 5700 W. 112th St., Ste. 500 Overland Park, KS 66211 PHONE (913) 904-5700 EMAIL tlangford@flyovercapital.com WEBSITE www.flyovercapital.com TWITTER @flyovercapital Flyover Capital is a venture capital firm run by area technology entrepreneurs and fund managers with operational expertise. Its goal is to provide exceptional entrepreneurs hardto-find funding when they need it the most and partner with them to accelerate their path to success.

FOOD INNOVATION ACCELERATOR AT K-STATE OLATHE

Bryan Severns 22201 W. Innovation Dr. Olathe, KS 66061 (913) 307-7317 PHONE brysev@k-state.edu EMAIL WEBSITE www.olathe.k-state.edu K-State’s Food Innovation Accelerator

offers a wide range of services to local food companies, including product development consulting, consumer panels, assistance with food safety and regulatory questions.

FREELANCE EXCHANGE

P.O. Box 412442 Kansas City, MO 64141-2442 PHONE (816) 200-0411 EMAIL info@FXofKC.com WEBSITE www.FXofKC.com The Freelance Exchange (FX) is Kansas City’s outsource resource. FX provides a network of support and friendly atmosphere in which to exchange ideas and best business practices with those who are self-employed in the advertising and marketing industry.

Additionally, FX serves as a resource for local ad agencies and businesses to find quality, affordable talent.

FRONTIER FINANCIAL PARTNERS

Clark Churchill 11025 Hauser St. Overland Park, KS 66210 PHONE (913) 424-7856 EMAIL churchill@

frontierfinancialpartners.com WEBSITE www.frontierfinancialpartners.com Frontier Financial Partners’ central focus is the SBA 504 loan program, but it also can identify other financing sources that may better meet the borrower’s needs. FFP is very knowledgeable about the following programs: SBA 504 Loan Program, SBA 7(a) Loan Program, USDA Business & Industry Guaranty Loan Program and the CDBG Loan and Grant Program.

FULL EMPLOYMENT COUNCIL

1740 Paseo Blvd.

Kansas City, MO 64108 PHONE (816) 471-2330 WEBSITE www.feckc.org The Full Employment Council is the managing entity and fiscal agent for the State of Missouri Job Centers that serve a 2,700-square-mile area, including the cities of Kansas City and Independence and the surrounding counties of Jackson, Clay, Platte, Cass and Ray. FEC operates under the jurisdiction of the Kansas City Workforce Development Board and Eastern Jackson County Workforce Development Board designated by the Missouri Division of Workforce DevelopK BIGGER .CO KC C EEDI DIT TIIO ON N // // IIT TH HIIN NK KBIGGER .COM M 107 107

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ment and the United States Department of Labor. FEC operates 10 offices that represent the Missouri regional public workforce system.

The Missouri Job Centers provide services to job seekers, including financial support, paid internships, apprenticeship, on-the-job learning and tuition assistance for classroom training credentials. Business services available to employers include recruitment, prescreening and customized on-the-job training activities.

GLADSTONE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

Robert Baer 7010 N. Homes St. Gladstone, MO 64118 (816) 436-2200 PHONE WEBSITE www.gladstone.mo.us/conomicev The Gladstone Economic Development Department works to improve the economic welfare of Gladstone, Missouri. It offers businesses assistance with business licenses, site location assistance and below-market interest rate loans for improving the exterior appearance of local businesses through its Storefront Improvement Program.

GRID COLLABORATIVE WORKSPACE

Jennifer Stearns 12022 Blue Valley Pkwy.

Overland Park, KS 66213 PHONE (913) 754-4743 EMAIL jennifer@connectatgrid.com WEBSITE www.connectatgrid.com Grid is a collaborative workspace in Overland Park and Denver that offers several office solutions: day pass, co-working, dedicated desk and private office. Event space, meeting rooms and virtual solutions for mail and voice are also available.

GROW MISSOURI LOAN FUND; MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

301 W High St., Room 770 P.O. Box 118 Jefferson City, MO 65102 (573) 751-4539 PHONE dedfin@ded.mo.gov EMAIL WEBSITE https://ded.mo.gov/sites/default/

files/programs/flyers/Grow

MissouriLoanFund.pdf The Grow Missouri Loan is a revolving loan fund that provides loans, in cooperation with private financial institutions, to ensure borrowers have enough capital for job-creating business expansion.

GS1US

Gayle Reilich Princeton Pike Corporate Center 1009 Lenox Drive, Ste. 202 Lawrenceville, NJ 08648 (937) 435-3870 PHONE info@gs1us.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.gs1us.org GS1 Standards for barcoding have been used for more than 40 years. GS1 Standards are the most widely used system of standards in the world. More than 300,000 businesses in 25 industries are members of GS1 US, including organizations in the apparel, general merchandise, grocery retail, food service and health care industries.

HAMMERSPACE COMMUNITY WORKSHOP

Dave Dalton 5200 E. 45th St. Kansas City, MO 64130 (913) 686-6562 PHONE hammerspacehobby@gmail.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.hammerspacehobby.com Hammerspace is a 7000-square-foot workshop facility for Kansas City's makers, crafters and inventors. The facility provides a variety of tools for with wood, metal, electronics and art. Classes are also available.

H&R BLOCK BUSINESS & CAREER CENTER

Eric Petersen Central Library, Kansas City Public Library 14 W. 10th St., Third Floor Kansas City, MO 64105 (816) 701-3717 PHONE bcc@kclibrary.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.kclibrary.org/business-career The H&R Block Business & Career Center offers online and print materials for entrepreneurs, including information on business plans; company, industry and marketing research; business management; business financing; business writing; and other topics.

The Block Center also has research space and computers devoted to business research.

Appointments can be made in advance and are encouraged.

HEARTLAND BUSINESS CAPITAL

Brett Larson 8900 Indian Creek Parkway, Ste. 150 Overland Park, KS 66210 PHONE (913) 599-1717 EMAIL brett@hbcloans.com WEBSITE www.hbcloans.com

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Heartland Business Capital (HBC) specializes in the Small Business Administration 504 loan for financing commercial real estate for businesses in the Kansas City metropolitan area.

The benefits of the 504 loan include up to a 25year fixed interest rate and as little as 10 percent equity injection.

HELZBERG ENTREPRENEURIAL MENTORING PROGRAM

Christina Dreiling 2000 Baltimore Ave., Ste. 200 Kansas City, MO 64108 PHONE (816) 471-4368 EMAIL christina@hempkc.org WEBSITE www.hempkc.org HEMP is dedicated to strengthening entrepreneurial leaders through excellence in mentoring. Applications to participate in the program as a mentee are due at the beginning of August of each year. Applicants must have been in business for at least three years and be the ultimate decision-maker for a business that generates around $1 million in annual revenue, with five or more full-time employees. In addition, the applicant must have a desire to substantially grow the business.

HISPANIC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORP.

Pedro Zamora 2130 Jefferson St. Kansas City, MO 64108 PHONE (816) 221-3442 EMAIL info@kchedc.org WEBSITE www.kchedc.org TWITTER @kchedc HEDC offers one-on-one consultation services for current and aspiring entrepreneurs with a focus on providing education and information. It has offices in Jackson County, Missouri, and Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas.

The organization provides loans and microfinancing options to small businesses, particularly those owned by women and minorities, that don’t qualify for traditional bank financing. The loans can range in size from $500 to $50,000, but most tend to be for $8,000 on average. The money can be used for inventory, working capital, equipment or real estate.

HEDC team members are bilingual and entrepreneurs with many years of combined education and practical experience, allowing the organization to provide quality services

that clients have come to expect for the past 20 years. While the target market is the Hispanic community, HEDC services are available to all interested in the business development services.

IBSA INC.

Lazone Grays Jr. 629 S.E. Quincy Topeka, KS 66603 PHONE (913) 735-4272 EMAIL lazoneg@ibsa-inc.org WEBSITE www.ibsa-inc.org TWITTER @ibsaonline IBSA is a Kansas nonprofit agency that provides development and support services to emerging entrepreneurs. A veteran resource partner of the Kansas Department of Commerce Office of Minority/Women Business Development, NetWork Kansas and KCSourceLink.com, IBSA assists low-to moderate-income entrepreneurs in the development of feasibility/business plans, computer needs analysis and setup, document preparation and ongoing counsel to help troubleshoot areas as needed.

IBSA has been active in the promotion and advocacy of policies and procedures that increase corporate and government procurements with disadvantaged, minority, women, veteran and low-income microenterprises. The agency conducts statistical or data research and shares these findings with government, advocacy and development agencies upon request.

IIM (INNOVATION IN MOTION)

Lydia Kinkade 6800 W. 64th St., Ste. 101 Overland Park, KS 66202 (913) 671-3325 PHONE WEBSITE www.iimkc.com iiM provides connections, expertise and access to capital to entrepreneurs and companies within the industries of agriculture, animal and human health.

INDEPENDENCE AVENUE COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT

Bobbi Baker 2657 Independence Ave. Kansas City, MO 64124 (816) 231-3312 PHONE indieavecid@gmail.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.indieavecid.com

This community improvement district runs along Independence Avenue from the Paseo to Ewing. It was established to address “crime and grime” in addition to “making cash registers chime” along the corridor. Services include beautification efforts, marketing, events and more.

INDEPENDENCE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

Tom Lesnak 210 W. Truman Road Independence, MO 64050 (816) 252-5777 PHONE info@inedc.biz EMAIL WEBSITE www.inedc.biz TWITTER @independeceedc INEDC is a nonprofit, public-private partnership for the purpose of supporting and enhancing the economic growth of Independence. INEDC contracts with the City of Independence and the Independence Chamber of Commerce to perform economic development services. INEDC hosts the Ennovation Center, a business incubator and start-up business resource in Independence, Missouri.

INITIATIVES WORLDWIDE

Melicent Boysen 11184 Antioch, Ste. 269 Overland Park, KS 66210 PHONE (816) 365-9287 EMAIL mboysen@initiativesww.com WEBSITE www.initiativesww.com Initiatives Worldwide assists entrepreneurs, innovators and enterprises with the development and commercialization of new products, business growth or expansion, acquisitions and mergers. IW’s principal has provided business consulting services for more than 30 years in diverse industries and was a regional director of NASA’s Mid-Continent Technology Transfer Center, one of NASA’s six regional technology transfer centers.

INNOVATION STOCKYARD AT THE KIT BOND INCUBATOR

Sara Hagen 4221 Mitchell Ave. St. Joseph, MO 64507 (816) 749-4012 PHONE Sara.hagen@innovationstockyard EMAIL

.com WEBSITE www.innovationstockyard.com The business incubator at Innovation Stock-

yard is focused on animal health and nutrition startups and emerging companies. It provides administrative services, business services and workforce development. Amenities include office space, wet lab and clean-room facilities.

INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE WEBSITE www.irs.gov/businesses Business & Specialty Tax Line: 800-829-4933

Local office visits by appointment Kansas City 30 W. Pershing Road Kansas City, MO 64108 (816) 966-2840 PHONE Overland Park 6717 Shawnee Mission Parkway Overland Park, KS 66202 (816) 966-2840 PHONE St. Joseph 1211 N. Belt Highway St. Joseph, MO 64506 (816) 966-2840 PHONE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR PHARMACEUTICAL ENGINEERING— MIDWEST CHAPTER

Shelley Klein, Midwest Chapter Manager 6110 Executive Blvd., Ste. 600 North Bethesda, MD 20852 (301) 364-9201 PHONE shelleyklein07@gmail.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.ispe.org ISPE is the world’s largest nonprofit association dedicated to educating and advancing pharmaceutical manufacturing professionals and their industry.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE COUNCIL OF GREATER KANSAS CITY INC.

Pam Dobies 4747 Troost, Ste. 119E Kansas City, MO 64110 PHONE (816) 235-6654 EMAIL office@itcgkc.org WEBSITE www.itcgkc.org ITCGKC is a membership-driven 501(c)(3) organization that networks Kansas City-area professionals in the international business and academic communities, delivers timely international trade education and bridges access to relevant resources.

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Women in International Business award luncheon recognizing women in international business. ITCGKC also hosts six “Fourth Friday Business Meetings” each year featuring speakers who present their perspectives on issues and potential solutions in today’s international trade industry. In 2018, ITCGKC is launching new programming to bring together university students seeking career experiences in international business with Kansas City’s international business community.

INTERURBAN ARTHOUSE

Nicole Emanuel 8001 Newton St. Overland Park, KS 66204 PHONE (913) 238-7091 EMAIL info@interurbanarthouse.org WEBSITE www.interurbanarthouse.org InterUrban ArtHouse is a regional hub and incubator for artists, including artists as entrepreneurs. It offers five ongoing programs: ArtSmart (education); ArtWorks (entrepreneurialism); ArtMatters (studio excellence); Arts Connect (community networking); ArtHeals (healing arts). The space is available for teaching, exhibiting, meetings and programs. The site also has a kitchen, retail space, conference room and large programming room.

INVENTING WORKSHOP

Carrie Jeske info@i3resources.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.inventingworkshop.com This nonprofit provides early logistical support to startups and inventors across the country. Through its Inventor Development Fund, it will help pay for patents, websites and other needs.

INVENTORS CENTER OF KANSAS CITY

Mary Moeller P.O. Box 411003 Kansas City, MO 64141 inventkc@gmail.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.inventorscenterofkc.org TWITTER @inventkc ICKC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping inventors find education, inspiration and connection to bring their ideas to fruition and achieve entrepreneurial success. ICKC hosts a free meetup on the third Tuesday of each month at Union Station. The meet-up is open to the public.

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INVESTMIDWEST VENTURE CAPITAL FORUM

Christine Walsh One Metropolitan Square, Ste. 1300 St. Louis, MO 63102 PHONE (314) 444-1151 EMAIL cwalsh@stlregionalchamber.com WEBSITE www.investmidwestforum.com InvestMidwest is an annual forum that takes place every spring in Kansas City or St. Louis. About 45 Midwestern companies specializing in technology, life sciences, food, agriculture and bioenergy are chosen to present their ideas to an audience of investors.

The 20th annual InvestMidwest will be March 19-20, 2019, in Kansas City. The application for presenting companies is available at www.investmidwestforum.com.

JACKSON COUNTY, MO., PURCHASING DEPARTMENT

415 E. 12th St., Room G-1 Kansas City, MO 64106 (816) 881-3267 PHONE purchasing@jacksongov.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.jacksongov.org/343/purchasing The Jackson County Purchasing Department handles the procurement of goods and services for county departments. Vendors can view bids, print bid documents and submit company profile information at the department’s website.

JOHNSON COUNTY K-STATE RESEARCH AND EXTENSION

Tara Markley 11811 S. Sunset Drive, Ste. 1500 Olathe, KS 66061 (913) 715-7000 PHONE Tara.Markley@jocogov.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.johnson.k-state.edu Johnson County K-State Research and Extension helps business owners make informed decisions about starting a small business. The classes offered are designed to introduce business owners to some key resource providers and other small business owners.

The organization also offers technical assistance for food, horticulture and agriculture-related businesses.

JOHNSON COUNTY LIBRARY MAKERSPACE

Thomas Maillioux Central Resource Library 9875 W 87th Street Overlad Park, KS 66212 PHONE (314) 444-1151 WEBSITE www.growjocomo.com

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The Johnson County Central Resource Library MakerSpace provides resources, tools and programs for hobbyists, entrepreneurs and small business owners. Some of the tools available are 3D printing, computers and software, electronics, A/V, sewing, laser cutting, CNC cutting and vinyl cutting.

JOHNSON COUNTY, MO., ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORP.

Tracy E. Brantner 300 N. Holden, Ste. 301 Johnson County Courthouse, Third Floor Warrensburg, MO 64093 PHONE (660) 747-0244 EMAIL info@growjocomo.com WEBSITE www.growjocomo.com The Johnson County, Mo., EDC offers a wide range of help to new and existing businesses, including assistance with site selection, financing, microloan program, workforce training and more.

JUSTINE PETERSEN

Jim Boyle (314) 533-2411 jboyle@justinepetersen.org WEBSITE www.justinepetersen.org Justine PETERSEN, a St. Louis-based nonprofit, operates a microloan program for small businesses in the Kansas City region. Loan amounts are between $500 and $50,000 with most in the $8,000 to $10,000 range. The program seeks to assist companies that may not have access to traditional bank loans.

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KANSAS BUSINESS CENTER

(877) 521-8600 info@networkkansas.com WEBSITE www.kansas.gov/businesscenter The Kansas Business Center is the official state resource for information, filings and personal assistance to start or maintain Kansas businesses. The Kansas Business Center will provide businesses the resources to help them monitor their annual requirements.

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KANSAS CITY AREA DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

Tim Cowden 30 W. Pershing Road, Ste. 200 Kansas City, MO 64108 (816) 221-2121 PHONE kcadc@thinkkc.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.thinkkc.com KCADC is charged with creating new

jobs, new payroll and new capital investment throughout the entire two-state, 18-county region of Greater Kansas City. KCADC is committed to promoting the KC region’s business and lifestyle assets, and continually strives to position the Kansas City area competitively against other U.S. metros.

KANSAS CITY COWORKING ALLIANCE

Melissa Saubers hello@kccoworking.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.kccoworking.com The KC Coworking Alliance is a collective of independent collaborative coworking spaces in the Kansas City metro area. The KCCA works to spread the word about coworking, share best practices and collaborate in the new shared economy.

KANSAS CITY STARTUP FOUNDATION

Lauren Conaway 1712 Main St., Ste. 426 Kansas City, MO 64108 (913) 937-7494 PHONE info@kcstartupfoundation.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.kcstartupfoundation.org The Kansas City Startup Foundation is a 501(c)(3) committed to building a vibrant startup ecosystem in Kansas City. Its vision is an inclusive Kansas City with connected and engaged citizens who employ entrepreneurial thinking to solve problems.

Its mission is to access the passion, ingenuity and collaborative spirit of the Kansas City startup community through education, storytelling and connections to empower individuals to solve the challenges of today.

KANSAS CITY UNIVERSITY VENTURE PARTNERSHIP

www.kcuvp.org Founded in 2017, the KCUVP is a private scholarship and experiential learning opportunity for students sponsored by Royal Street Ventures, the Kauffman Foundation and other private donors. There are two levels of involvement: intern and associate.

KCUVP students are exposed to the world of private finance, including angel investing, venture capital, growth equity and private equity. Over time, students have the opportunity to manage the entire life cycle of a private investment, from sourcing and diligence to investing and exit.

The result is not only better-prepared WEBSITE

graduates, but a more robust entrepreneurship ecosystem within the Midwest.

KANSAS CITY VOLUNTEER LAWYERS & ACCOUNTANTS FOR THE ARTS

Danielle Merrick P.O. Box 413199 Kansas City, MO 64141 PHONE (816) 974-8522 EMAIL info@kcvlaa.org WEBSITE www.kcvlaa.org KCVLAA provides legal and accounting assistance to qualifying artists and arts organizations from all creative disciplines. Its ArtSmarts program provides seminars in arts law to help artists avoid common pitfalls in their professional arts careers.

KANSAS CITY WOMEN I TECHNOLOGY

Jennifer Wadella WEBSITE www.kansascommerce.gov The mission of KCWiT is to grow the number of women in technology careers in Kansas City by providing networking events and volunteer opportunities for members as well as running programs targeted at youth that encourage girls to pursue technology. Some of the programs KCWiT runs are CoderDojoKC, Coding & Cupcakes, Coding & Cocktails, TechTalks and Learn to Code.

KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Export Assistance and Marketing Chang Lu Olathe Office 22201 W. Innovation Drive, Ste. 180D Olathe, KS 66061 PHONE (913) 307-7378 EMAIL chang.lu@ks.gov WEBSITE www.kansascommerce.gov The Kansas Department of Commerce’s international team assists Kansas companies with global market development and exporting efforts through a variety of programs. The team offers international market research, partner and distributor search, and individualized counseling; international recruitment; and international credit reports. It also offers trade missions and trade shows and the Kansas International Trade Show Assistance Program. The department puts on the Governor’s Exporter of the Year Award, recognizing the outstanding work of Kansas exporters and their contributions to Kansas economy.

Kansas Statewide Certification Program (KSCP)

Rhonda Harris 1000 S.W. Jackson St., Ste. 100 Topeka, KS 66612 (785) 296-3425 PHONE Rhonda.Harris@ks.gov EMAIL WEBSITE www.kansascommerce.gov This program is responsible for certifying disadvantaged, minority- and women-owned businesses as Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE), Minority Business Enterprises (MBE) and Women Business Enterprises (WBE). Qualifying businesses can enhance their opportunities to gain contracts and subcontracts with governmental and private entities committed to the inclusion of disadvantaged, minority and women-owned businesses in the contracting and procurement process. The Kansas Department of Transportation’s Office of Contract Compliance is a partner in the administration of the statewide certification program and leads in certifying companies that are interested in highway-related work Office of Minority and Women Business Development Rhonda Harris 1000 S.W. Jackson, Ste. 100 Topeka, KS 66612 (785) 296-3425 PHONE Rhonda.Harris@ks.gov EMAIL WEBSITE www.kansascommerce.gov Promotes business development with a focus on minority-owned and women-owned businesses. The program provides information and referrals in the following areas: procurement, contracting, subcontracting, financing and business management.

The office also partners with other business advocates to sponsor business education workshops and seminars. A directory of certified minority- and women-owned businesses is available online to assist those searching for businesses, products and services.

KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Lana Gordon 401 S.W. Topeka Blvd.

Topeka, KS 66603 Topeka: (785) 296-5027 PHONE Kansas City: (913) 596-3500 PHONE WEBSITE www.dol.ks.gov WEBSITE www.KansasEmployer.gov Programs include workers compensation, employment standards, unemployment insurance, unemployment tax, labor market K KC C EEDI DIT TIIO ON N // // IIT TH HIIN NK KBIGGER BIGGER .CO .COM M

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formation and industrial safety and health.

Download free state workplace posters.

Employment Standards PHONE (785) 296-5000, opt 0, ext. 1068 employmentstandards@dol.ks.gov EMAIL Industrial Safety and Health PHONE (785) 296-4386 indsafetyhealth@dol.ks.gov EMAIL

kid.commissioner@ks.gov WEBSITE www.ksinsurance.org The Kansas Insurance Department provides free insurance shopping information, including complaint information and worker’s compensation.

EMAIL

KANSAS PROCUREMENT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER

Workers’ Compensation PHONE Topeka: (785) 296-4000 PHONE Lenexa: (913) 642-7650 wc@dol.ks.gov EMAIL

Jessica Johnson Regnier Center, Room 244 12345 College Blvd.

Overland Park, KS 66210 (913) 469-2313 PHONE jjohn512@jccc.edu EMAIL Kansas PTAC at Johnson County Community College offers counseling, training and other services to companies competing for government contracts. The center can help business owners sort through contracting opportunities to find the best ones for their company. Other services include assistance with bid and proposal preparation and help with 8(a), WBE, DBE, MBE, SDVOSB and HUBZone certifications.

KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE, BUSINESS TAX

KANSAS SECRETARY OF STATE BUSINESS FILING CENTER

Samuel Williams Scott State Office Building 120 S.E. 10th St. Topeka, KS 66612 (785) 368-8222 PHONE KDOR_tac@ks.gov EMAIL WEBSITE www.ksrevenue.org/business.html

Memorial Hall, 1st Floor 120 S.W. 10th Ave. Topeka, KS 66612 (785) 296-4564 PHONE WEBSITE www.sos.ks.gov/business/business

.html A one-stop shop for planning, starting, operating, closing or moving your business.

It integrates online services and information from multiple state agencies, including the Kansas Secretary of State, the Kansas Department of Revenue and the Kansas Department of Labor. Check for name availability, conduct trademark searches, file formation documents, file your annual report, file a UCC, perform various searches and more.

Labor Market Information PHONE (785) 296-5000 laborstats@dol.ks.gov EMAIL Unemployment Insurance PHONE (785) 575-1460 uibenefits@dol.ks.gov EMAIL Unemployment Tax PHONE (785) 296-5027 uitax@dol.ks.gov EMAIL

KANSAS HISPANIC & LATINO AMERICAN AFFAIRS COMMISSION

Richard Martinez 900 S.W. Jackson, Ste. 100 Topeka, KS 66612 (785) 296-3465 PHONE khlaac@ks.gov EMAIL WEBSITE www.khlaac.ks.gov Part of the Kansas governor’s office, the commission offers insight into the Hispanic and Latino community and acts as a liaison between the community and the state. The commission addresses public policy concerns primarily in the areas related to education, health and business.

KANSAS INSURANCE DEPARTMENT

Ken Selzer 420 S.W. 9th St. Topeka, KS 66612 (785) 296-3071 PHONE 112

KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE FOR COMMERCIALIZATION

2oo5 Research Park Drive Manhattan, KS 66502 (785) 532-3900 PHONE ic@k-state.edu EMAIL WEBSITE www.k-state.edu/ic KSU-IC provides opportunity assessment, strategic partnership design, technology acquisition, management, licensing and more.

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KC SMARTPORT

Chris J.F. Gutierrez 30 W. Pershing Rd., Ste. 200 Kansas City, MO 64108 (816) 842-2865 PHONE kcsmartport@kcsmartport.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.kcsmartport.com KC Smartport is a nonprofit economic development organization that works to attract freight-based companies, such as manufacturing, distribution and warehouses, to the 18-county bi-state Kansas City region.

KC TECH COUNCIL

Ryan Weber 1828 Walnut St., 3rd Floor Kansas City, MO 64108 (816) 895-2820 PHONE Ryan@KCTechCouncil.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.kctechcouncil.com The KC Tech Council is committed to growing the existing base of technology firms; recruiting and attracting technology companies; aggregating and promoting our regional IT assets; and providing peer interaction and industry news. The council works to connect, promote and support the KC region’s tech industry and its member companies. It offers a jobs board, www.chutekc.com, that highlights Kansas City companies and their positions.

KCBIZCARE

John Pajor City of Kansas City, MO 1118 Oak St. Kansas City, MO 64106 (816) 513-2492 PHONE kcbizcare@kcmo.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.kcmo.gov/kcbizcare/ TWITTER @kcbizcare A free resource, advocacy and information center for owners of new and existing businesses operating within the city of Kansas City, Missouri, KCBizCare is located in a storefront office in the parking garage just west of City Hall. Services include: » Identification of local, state and federal government requirements for business located or doing business in the City of Kansas City, Missouri. » Guidance and assistance in navigating

the city’s licensing, permitting and approval processes. » Referrals to nonprofit agencies that offer education, resources and business support. » Public access to city computers to research property and zoning information, access records and submit online applications.

KCDMA

638 W. 39th St. P.O. Box 419264 Kansas City, MO 64141 (816) 561-5323 PHONE info@kcdma.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.kcdma.org KCDMA is the local affiliate of the nation’s largest and most active direct marketing association. The organization provides educational workshops and networking events.

KCRISE FUND

Darcy Howe 210 W. 19th Terrace Kansas City, MO 64108 WEBSITE www.kcdma.org KC Rise Fund is a co-investment fund that co-invests with institutional venture capital investors in early stage companies based in the Greater Kansas City area.

KCSOURCELINK

Jenny Miller 4747 Troost Kansas City, MO 64110 (816) 235-6500 PHONE info@kcsourcelink.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.kcsourcelink.com TWITTER @KCSourceLink Need help with financing or sales? Wondering where to network? Curious about KC’s capital landscape? Or maybe you’re just looking for entrepreneurial tips or inspiration? Look to KCSourceLink first. With a comprehensive business calendar and interactive directory of 250-plus business-building resources, KCSourceLink connects you to the right resources to help your business start, grow and scale, and it works to fill gaps in KC’s entrepreneurial services. KCSourceLink provides these referral services to entrepreneurs and small businesses at no cost.

KEARNEY AREA DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

Shawna Searcy P.O. Box 291 Kearney, MO 64060

(816) 628-3343 shawnasearcy@kearneyadc.com WEBSITE www.kearneyadc.com KADC was formed in 1994 to promote economic opportunity and to improve the quality of life in the Kearney area.

PHONE EMAIL

KONZA VALLEY CAPITAL INC.

Marshall Parker 40 Corporate Woods 9401 Indian Creek Pkwy., Ste. 200 Overland Park, KS 66210 (913) 262-7117 PHONE mparker@kvci.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.kvci.com Konza Valley Capital is a licensed Small Business Investment Company that provides private equity capital to lower middle-market companies, primarily Midwestern-based companies, with the potential for substantial growth and long-term equity appreciation.

K-STATE POLLUTION PREVENTION INSTITUTE

2323 Anderson Ave., Ste. 300 Manhattan, KS 66506 (800) 578-8898 PHONE sbeap@ksu.edu EMAIL WEBSITE www.sbeap.org TWITTER @sbeap The K-State pollution Prevention Institute provides free, confidential and technical environmental assistance. PPI houses the Kansas Small Business Environmental Assistance Program (SBEAP).

LAUNCHKC

Julie Nagel Drew Solomon Tommy Wilson 1712 Main St. Kansas City, MO 64108 WEBSITE www.launchkc.org LaunchKC is designed to attract tech entrepreneurs from around the country to apply and compete for a total of $500,000 in grants and the opportunity to build their businesses in downtown Kansas City. The packages also include mentorship, transitional work space and other incentives.

THE LEAN LAB

Katie Boody 3105 Gillham Road, Ste. 200 Kansas City, MO 64109 (913) 636-5918 PHONE

katie@leanlabeducation.org www.leanlabeducation.org The Lean Lab is dedicated to fostering innovations in education in order to close the achievement gap in K-12 schools. Lean Lab offers business development training and can help startups pilot-test their solutions in local schools.

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WEBSITE

LEAVENWORTH COUNTY DEVELOPMENT CORP.

Steve Jack 1294 Eisenhower Road Leavenworth, KS 66048 (913) 727-6111 PHONE sjack@lvcountyed.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.lvcountyed.org Leavenworth County Development Corp. is a 501(c)(6) public-private organization whose primary mission is to facilitate the creation and retention of jobs and capital investment in Leavenworth County. The LCDC can assist with site selection and various financing and incentive programs.

LEAVENWORTH MAIN STREET PROGRAM INC.

Wendy Scheidt 416 Cherokee Leavenworth, KS 66048 (913) 682-3924 PHONE director@ EMAIL

leavenworthmainstreet.com WEBSITE www.leavenworthmainstreet.com Leavenworth Main Street is active in keeping downtown Leavenworth economically healthy through historic preservation and revitalization. The organization supports business growth and development, maintains an available property listing for commercial and residential, offers funding assistance and opportunities while hosting many activities that showcase the merchants and historic downtown, the First City of Kansas.

LEE’S SUMMIT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

Rick McDowell 218 S.E. Main St. Lee’s Summit, MO 64063 (816) 525-6617 PHONE rmcdowell@leessummit.org, EMAIL

info@leessumit.org WEBSITE www.leessummit.org LSEDC is a public-private sector partnership devoted to improving the economic well-being of residents and businesses in Lee’s Summit.

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LIBERTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORP.

Ralph Boots 5 Victory Lane, Ste. 103 Liberty, MO 64068 (816) 883-2503 PHONE rboots@thinklibertymo.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.thinklibertymo.com The Liberty EDC is tasked with recruiting new businesses and helping all Liberty-area businesses grow and prosper.

MARTIN CITY COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT

Vickie Wolgast 311 E. 135th St. Kansas City, MO 64145 (816) 308-1023 PHONE manager@martincity.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.martincity.org The Martin City CID works to improve infrastructure, transportation, public safety and other essentials in this south Kansas City neighborhood. The CID also operates marketing campaigns to attract new business and tourism, and it hosts special events.

METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE CORPORATE COLLEGE

Juana Leonard 1775 Universal Ave. Kansas City, MO 64120 (816) 604-1000 PHONE juana.leonard@mcckc.edu EMAIL WEBSITE www.mcckc.edu/iwi MCC’s Corporate College was launched July 2018 to serve the business community by offering customized training, training coordination, consultation and workforce assessment.

It provides training in areas such as technology, leadership, HR compliance, manufacturing and performance management. Additionally, MCC is home to the only OSHA Training Institute Education Center in the region. The Corporate College helps businesses develop their most important assets by proving quality training and measuring impact.

MIAMI COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Janet McRae 201 S. Pearl, Ste. 202 Paola, KS 66071 (913) 294-4045 PHONE jmcrae@miamicountyks.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.ThinkMiamiCounty.com 114

Miami County’s team works with business owners to promote managed business development and retention in an emerging area of the state. The office acts as a resource and referral center, recruits new businesses, assists businesses in starting and growing and provides hands-on workshops along with oneon-one business advising. Additionally, it acts as an intermediary with resource providers, and it prepares and distributes reports and research data on demographics, businesses, employment market profiles, census data, workforce characteristics and available sites.

It also provides technical assistance in areas such as marketing and business management.

MID-AMERICA ANGELS

Laura McCoolidge 4220 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Ste. 350B Fairway, KS 66205 (913) 438-2282 PHONE info@midamericaangels.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.midamericaangels.com Founded in 2006, Mid-America Angels is a regional network of accredited investors dedicated to identifying and funding the most promising early-stage companies in the Kansas-Missouri region.

The MAA network funds deals in the investment range of $250,000 to $1.5 million. MAA typically participates in seed, Series A and Series B rounds. Depending on the size of the capital raise, MAA can either lead the round or be part of the investment syndicate.

The Enterprise Center in Johnson County provides professional administrative and management services for MAA. MID-AMERICA MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY CENTER

Jaylene Shea 10550 Barkley, Ste. 116 Overland Park, KS 66212 (913) 649-4333 PHONE jshea@mamtc.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.mamtc.com MAMTC consults with manufacturers across the state on how to grow their operations. The center provides manufacturing and business management services to assist companies with their challenges of growth, profitability and competitiveness. The organization helps streamline Kansas companies of nearly any size, manufacturing any product and using any technology.

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MID-AMERICA REGIONAL COUNCIL

600 Broadway Blvd., Ste. 200 Kansas City, MO 64105 (816) 474-4240 PHONE marcinfo@marc.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.marc.org MARC is a nonprofit association of city and county governments and the metropolitan planning organization for the bi-state Kansas City region. MARC works particularly in the areas of transportation and environmental planning, aging, early learning, emergency preparedness, public health and local government support services. Through its research services, MARC provides market profiles, census, business and employment reports that can be customized by county or census tract with some by ZIP code. A number of data sets and maps are available online at www.marc. org/metrodataline. Charges vary for reports not available online and aerial photographs are also available for purchase.

MID-AMERICA TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE CENTER

Donna Porch 4200 Little Blue Parkway, Ste. 590 Independence, MO 64057 (800) 336-8205 PHONE mid-amer@taacenter.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.taacenters.org Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms (TAA) is a federal program that provides financial assistance to manufacturers affected by import competition. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Commerce, this cost sharing federal assistance program pays for half the cost of consultants or industry-specific experts for projects that improve a manufacturer's competitiveness. The Mid-America TAAC Office serves manufacturers operating in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri.

MID-CONTINENT PUBLIC LIBRARY— SQUARE ONE SMALL BUSINESS SERVICES

15616 E. U.S. Highway 24 Independence, MO 64050 (816) 848-4489 PHONE squareone@mymcpl.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.mymcpl.org/square-one The Mid-Continent Public Library’s Square One Small Business service employs a team of small business specialists who can help local entrepreneurs through access to information, programs and opportunities. Square One also

hosts workshops and educational events for small business owners.

MIDWEST CENTER FOR NONPROFIT LEADERSHIP AT UMKC

Mark Culver 4747 Troost, Ste. 207 Kansas City, MO 64110 (816) 235-5720 PHONE mcnl@umkc.edu EMAIL WEBSITE www.mcnl.org The mission of the Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership is to enhance performance and effectiveness in the nonprofit sector through high-quality, community-oriented education, applied research, problem solving and service.

MIDWEST SMALL BUSINESS FINANCE

kelly@mobio.org, jessica @mobio.org WEBSITE www.mobio.org MOBIO focuses on maintaining the growth of the biotechnology industry generated by the research and development communities in Missouri. MOBIO is made up of a broad base of companies, higher education institutions and research groups affecting the life sciences.

EMAIL

MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE INTERNATIONAL TRADE

1616 Missouri Blvd.

P.O. Box 630 Jefferson City, MO 65102 (573) 751-4762 PHONE abd@mda.mo.gov EMAIL WEBSITE www.mda.mo.gov/abd/intmkt

Jim Hampton 7001 N. Locust St. Gladstone, MO 64118 (816) 468-4989 PHONE jimh@simplymoreloans.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.simplymoreloans.com Midwest Small Business Finance is a certified development company licensed by the SBA to assist small businesses with real estate and equipment financing via 504 loans.

Midwest Small Business Finance assists small businesses with an array of other loan programs offering low-money-down, fixed-interest-rate financing of fixed assets on smaller projects.

MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

MINORITY CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION OF GREATER KANSAS CITY

MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

Joe Mabin 3200 Wayne Ave., Ste. 204 Kansas City, MO 64109 (816) 924-4441 PHONE minoritycontractors@mca-gkc.org EMAIL WEBSITE mca-gkc.org MCA-GKC is a nonprofit trade association representing M/WBE contractors. Its primary focus is advocacy for contracting opportunities for its member companies. It works to maximize public-sector opportunities and increase private-sector jobs for M/WBE concerns.

MISSOURI BIOTECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION

Kelly Gillespie Jessica Grove 428 E. Capitol Ave., Ste. 300 Jefferson City, MO 65102 (573) 761-7600 PHONE

Rob Dixon P.O. Box 1157 Jefferson City, MO 65102 (573) 751-4962 PHONE ecodev@ded.mo.gov EMAIL WEBSITE www.ded.mo.gov The Department of Economic Development assists in creating jobs, community redevelopment and the growth and expansion of existing businesses in Missouri. Find a full listing of programs for businesses at www.ded.mo.gov/business-services.

Randall W. Williams 912 Wildwood P.O. Box 570 Jefferson City, MO 65102 (573) 751-6400 PHONE info@health.mo.gov EMAIL WEBSITE http://health.mo.gov The Missouri Department of Health is responsible for dispersal of information regarding licensing and regulation for businesses within the health and senior service industries.

MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE, FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION

Truman State Office Building Room 530 P.O. Box 690 Jefferson City, MO 65102 (573) 751-4126 PHONE

www.difp.mo.gov The department handles several functions, all designed to protect consumers. This includes the licensure and regulation of insurance companies and insurance professionals in the state, oversight of the state’s banks and credit unions, and professional licensing for more than 400,000 people and companies. It also operates the Insurance Consumer Hotline (1-800-726-7390) and CLAIM, which offers help with Medicaid questions, at (800) 390-3330 or www.missouriclaim.org.

WEBSITE

MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF LABOR & INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS

Anna Hui 421 E. Dunklin St. P.O. Box 504 Jefferson City, MO 65102 (573) 751-4091 PHONE diroffice@labor.mo.gov EMAIL WEBSITE www.labor.mo.gov The Missouri Labor Department consists of the Labor and Industrial Relations Committee and five divisions: Employment Security, Workers’ Compensation, Labor Standards, State Board of Mediation and the Missouri Commission on Human Rights.

Employment Security P.O. Box 59 Jefferson City, MO 65104 (573) 751-1995 PHONE esemptax@labor.mo.gov EMAIL WEBSITE https: labor.mo.gov/des Administers the state’s unemployment insurance program Labor and Industrial Relations Committee John J. Larsen, Jr. 3315 W. Truman Blvd., Room 214 P.O. Box 599 Jefferson City, MO 65102-0599 (573) 751-2461 PHONE lirc@labor.mo.gov EMAIL WEBSITE https://labor.mo.gov/lirc Labor Standards Matthew Cowell 3315 W. Truman Blvd., Room 205 P.O. Box 449 Jefferson City, MO 65102-0449 (573) 751-3403 PHONE laborstandards@labor.mo.gov EMAIL WEBSITE https://labor.mo.gov/dls This division oversees wage and hour, K KC C EEDI DIT TIIO ON N // // IIT TH HIIN NK KBIGGER BIGGER .CO .COM M

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on-site safety and health, and mine and cave safety. It determines and enforces the state’s child labor and minimum wage laws.

Missouri Commission on Human Rights Dr. Alisa Warren 3315 W. Truman Blvd., Room 212 P.O. Box 1129 Jefferson City, MO 65102 (573) 751-3325 PHONE mchr@labor.mo.gov EMAIL WEBSITE https://labor.mo.gov/

mohumanrights The Missouri Commission on Human Rights develops, recommends and implement ways to prevent and eliminate discrimination and to provide fair and timely resolutions of discrimination claims through enforcement of the Missouri Human Rights Act. State Board of Mediation Todd Smith 3315 W. Truman Blvd., Rm 211 P.O. Box 2071 Jefferson City, MO 65102 (573) 751-3614 PHONE sbm@labor.mo.gov EMAIL WEBSITE https://labor.mo.gov/sbm The State Board of Mediation administers the laws that cover most public sector employees who seek union representation.

Workers' Compensation Colleen Vetter P.O. Box 58 Jefferson City, MO 65102 (573) 751-4231 PHONE workerscomp@labor.mo.gov EMAIL WEBSITE www.labor.mo.gov/dwc Kansas City Office

1410 Genessee St., Ste. 210 Kansas City, MO 64102 (816) 889-2481 PHONE Provides services to those who have been injured on the job or exposed to occupational disease arising from employment.

MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

Steve Sturgess Kansas City Regional Office 500 N.E. Colbern Road Lee’s Summit, MO 64086 (816) 251-0700 PHONE WEBSITE www.dnr.mo.gov The Missouri Department of Natural Re116

sources’ Kansas City Regional Office works to protect the Kansas City region’s air, land and water quality. The department also provides financial and technical assistance and training to local businesses, communities and citizens.

MISSOURI DIVISION OF PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION

3605 Missouri Blvd.

P.O. Box 1335 Jefferson City, MO 65102 (573) 751-0293 PHONE profreg@pr.mo.gov EMAIL WEBSITE http://pr.mo.gov The Missouri Division of Professional Registration provides administrative support to 41 professional licensing boards and commissions responsible for licensing and regulating the activities of approximately 430,000 Missourians.

MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE

Joel W. Walters Harry S. Truman State Office Building 301 W. High St., Room 102 Jefferson City, MO 65101 (573) 751-3505 PHONE dormail@dor.mo.gov EMAIL WEBSITE https://dor.mo.gov/business Provides tax assistance, business resources and training, forms, tax calculators, tax calendars and other information related to business taxes such as sales and use tax, employer withholding, etc.

MISSOURI ENTERPRISE

R. Curtis Mullen 4240 Blue Ridge Blvd., Ste. 501 Kansas City, MO 64133 (800) 956-2682 PHONE cmullen@missourienterprise.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.missourienterprise.org TWITTER @MOEnterprise Missouri Enterprise is composed of experienced manufacturing and business management professionals who deliver hands-on business and technical assistance to small and medium-size manufacturing companies.

It provides manufacturers with access to new technologies, training and hands-on assistance in several areas: business growth, continuous improvement, sustainability, workforce and technology commercialization.

MISSOURI LINKED DEPOSIT PROGRAM

Eric Schmitt

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P.O. Box 210 Jefferson City, MO 65102 (573) 751-8533 PHONE info@treasurer.mo.gov EMAIL WEBSITE www.treasurer.mo.gov/content/

low-interest-loans The Missouri Linked Deposit Program is administered through the state treasurer’s office to enable financial institutions to make lowcost loans to businesses and farms to create jobs and help Missouri’s economy grow. The program helps lenders offer interest rates that are often 2 to 3 percent lower than normal.

MISSOURI OFFICE OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

Carmela Thornton 301 W. High St., Room 870-B Jefferson City, MO 65101 (573) 751-8130 PHONE WEBSITE oeo.mo.gov The Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) promotes a diversified workforce within state government and assists women and minorities in developing opportunities to contract with the state, economically empowering traditionally underserved communities and improving the overall fiscal vitality of Missouri.

MISSOURI PROCUREMENT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER

MO PTAC—KANSAS CITY Michelle “Shelly” Cunningham 4747 Troost, Ste. 105 Kansas City, MO 64110 (816) 235-2891 PHONE cunninghammic@umkc.edu EMAIL WEBSITE www.missouribusiness.net/ptac To help small businesses compete for local, state and federal government contracts, MO PTAC offers the following services to Missouri businesses in the greater Kansas City area: bid matching (matching a client’s products or services with what the government is currently buying); bid and proposal preparation assistance; registration assistance; certification assistance for 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, WOSB, EDWOSB, MBE, WBE and DBE; procurement research and marketing assistance; educational seminars and electronic commerce training.

MISSOURI SBIR/STTR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

Sally Williams 4747 Troost Kansas City, MO 64110 (816) 235-6074 PHONE

williamssall@umkc.edu www.missouribusiness.net/

technology One of the primary programs of the Missouri Small Business and Technology Development Centers (SBTDC) is the SBIR/STTR technical assistance program, offered through the UMKC SBTDC. Technology specialists help Missouri businesses and researchers take their intellectual property from the idea stage to commercialization and assist them in obtaining federal R&D funds through Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants. The technologies and products are transferred from the laboratory to the marketplace. Both these programs require that certain eligibility criteria be met.

EMAIL

WEBSITE

MISSOURI SECRETARY OF STATE

600 W. Main St. Jefferson City, MO 65101 (573) 751-4936 PHONE info@sos.mo.gov, corporations EMAIL

@sos.mo.gov WEBSITE www.sos.mo.gov/business The Business Services Division in Missouri includes the Corporations Unit, which handles the creation and maintenance of all business entities doing business in Missouri, including filing registration reports, registering and renewing fictitious names, resources for starting a business, business fees and forms, filing a UCC and conducting business searches.

MISSOURI SMALL BUSINESS REGULATORY FAIRNESS BOARD

Nancy Zurbuchen, chair 301 W. High St., Room 680 P.O. Box 1157 Jefferson City, MO 65102 (573) 526-3606 PHONE SBRFB@ded.mo.gov EMAIL WEBSITE www.sbrfb.ded.mo.gov The SBRFB is a key interface between state regulatory agencies and affected small businesses. The board works with state agencies to make sure that Missouri rules and regulations do not create an unfair burden for smaller companies.

MISSOURI TECHNOLOGY CORP.

Bill Anderson 301 W. High St., Ste. 680 Jefferson City, MO 65101

(573) 751-3934 william.anderson@ded.mo.gov WEBSITE www.missouritechnology.com Missouri Technology Corp. is a public-private partnership that promotes entrepreneurship and fosters the growth of new and innovative companies, especially in bioscience and technology. It operates a series of funding programs to help companies start and grow in Missouri. Its programs included Missouri TechLaunch, Seed Capital Co-Investment Program and MOBEC Grant Program.

PHONE EMAIL

MO-KAN DEVELOPMENT

Jon Ecker 224 N. 7th St. St. Joseph, MO 64501 (816) 233-3144 PHONE jecker@mo-kan.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.mo-kan.org Mo-Kan Development is a certified development company authorized by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to package 504 loans and 7(a) guaranteed loans to the small business community for the SBA in the entire state of Missouri and the counties of Atchison, Brown, Doniphan, Jackson, Jefferson and Nemaha in Kansas.

MOSOURCELINK

4747 Troost Avenue, Ste. 123 Kansas City, MO 64110 (866) 870-6500 PHONE info@mosourcelink.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.mosourcelink.com MOSourceLink offers a comprehensive business calendar and interactive directory of business-building resources, connecting business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs to the right resources to help start, grow and scale businesses. MOSourceLink provides these referral services to entrepreneurs and small businesses at no cost.

MOUNTAIN PLAINS MINORITY SUPPLIER DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

Marvin Lyman Kansas/Missouri Office 11320 W. 79th Lenexa, KS 66214 (816) 221-4200 PHONE mlyman@mpmsdc.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.mpmsdc.org Through its programs and services, the mission of the Mountain Plains Minority Supplier

Development Council is to provide academic institutions, corporations, government entities and nonprofits with greater access to the goods and services of minority-owned businesses in order to develop lasting and mutually beneficial relationships.

MU LIFE SCIENCE BUSINESS INCUBATOR AT MONSANTO PLACE

Bill Turpin or Quinten Messbarger 1601 S. Providence Road, Columbia (573) 751-3934 PHONE william.anderson@ded.mo.gov EMAIL WEBSITE www.missouritechnology.com Focused on the creation and attraction of new technology ventures to mid-Missouri.

MULTICULTURAL BUSINESS COALITION

Adrienne B. Haynes mbckansascity@gmail.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.mbckc.org TWITTER @MBC_KC The Multicultural Business Coalition is a nonprofit collective of more than 30 organizations that were created to encourage and support a thriving multicultural business community across Missouri and Kansas. MBC pursues its mission through professional development events for our membership and partners, semi-annual community networking events and partnering with organizations like the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City to conduct research on multicultural business trends.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE SELF-EMPLOYED

P.O. Box 241 Annapolis Junction, MD 20701 (800) 649-6273 PHONE WEBSITE www.nase.org Provides educational opportunities and significant discounts on business and personal services, and also works to enact legislation that gives small businesses an equal footing with their corporate counterparts.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ASIAN AMERICAN PROFESSIONALS

4850 Sugarloaf Pkwy., Ste. 209-289 Lawrenceville, GA 30044 (919) 625-1207 PHONE info@naaap.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.naaap.org Provides members tools and resources to further career advancements and to empower Asians and Pacific Islanders to become great leaders.

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NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MANUFACTURERS

Jay Timmons 733 10th Street N.W., Ste. 700 Washington, DC 20001 (800) 814-8468 PHONE manufacturing@nam.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.nam.org NAM Serves manufacturers and employees in every industrial sector.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS–KANSAS CITY (NAWBO-KC)

Julie Towner nawbokc@gmail.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.nawbokc.org NAWBO strives to stimulate business and economic opportunity for local, national and international women entrepreneurs. NAWBO attracts, supports and motivates women entrepreneurs through dynamic programming, committed and influential corporate partners, membership growth, financial strength and professionalism. Most importantly, this organization provides an opportunity to develop a network of peers.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN INCONSTRUCTION

www.kcnawic.org This is a national association that supports the advancement and employment of women in construction.

WEBSITE

NATIONAL CENTER FOR AMERICAN INDIAN ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT

953 E. Juanita Ave. Mesa, AZ 85204 (480) 545-1298 PHONE info@ncaied.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.ncaied.org NCAIED is committed to developing and expanding the American Indian private sector by establishing business relationships between Indian enterprises and private industry.

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF INDEPENDENT BUSINESS

KANSAS Dan Murray 534 S. Kansas Ave., Ste. 830 Topeka, KS 66603 (785) 217-3442 PHONE dan.murray@NFIB.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.nfib.com/kansas MISSOURI Brad Jones 118

308 E. High, Ste. 110 Jefferson City, MO 65101 (573) 634-7660 PHONE brad.jones@nfib.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.nfib.com/missouri NFIB is the nation’s largest advocacy organization representing small and independent businesses. The NFIB was created to give small and independent businesses a voice in governmental decision-making. The organization advances the concerns of small business owners among state and federal legislators and regulators.

NATIONAL WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS CORPORATION

1101 East Cumberland Ave., Ste. 301 Tampa, FL 33602 KANSAS 12828 E. 13th St. N., Ste. 9 Wichita, KS 67230 (800) 794-6140 PHONE info@nwboc.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.nwboc.org Has a private national certification program that verifies ownership and control of businesses by women and veterans.

NETWORK KANSAS

Steve Radley P.O. Box 877 Andover, KS 67002 (877) 521-8600 PHONE sradley@networkkansas.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.networkkansas.com TWITTER @networkkansas Established by the Kansas Economic Growth Act of 2004 as the Kansas Center for Entrepreneurship, NetWork Kansas is devoted to the growth of entrepreneurship and small business throughout Kansas. Backed by more than 500 partners statewide, the NetWork Kansas service promotes an entrepreneurial environment by connecting entrepreneurs and small-business owners with expertise, education and economic resources.

NORTHEAST INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATION

Jennifer Steelman P.O. Box 33551 Kansas City, MO 64120 (816) 231-8811 PHONE JSteelman@ipr-mwt.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.kcneia.org The Northeast Industrial Association,

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founded in the 1940s, is a corporate/resident member organization whose purpose is to develop and promote the welfare of the Northeast Industrial District of Kansas City, Missouri, including its industries, residents, real estate and merchants. A monthly luncheon, quarterly newsletter, networking opportunities and community events are member benefits.

NORTH KANSAS CITY BUSINESS COUNCIL

Teresa McAnerney P.O. Box 635 Wathena, KS 66090 (785) 364-0583 PHONE tm@nekef.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.nekef.org The Northeast Kansas Enterprise Facilitation Initiative provides free, confidential one-on-one business management coaching to entrepreneurs in Northeast Kansas.

Assistance is available to both aspiring and existing business owners. Examples of services include: assistance in forming a business plan and seeking funding; educational resources; help in developing a marketing plan; and support in attaining the correct licenses needed for your business.

NORTHEAST KANSAS ENTERPRISE FACILITATION INITIATIVE

Teresa McAnerney P.O. Box 635 Wathena, KS 66090 (785) 364-0583 PHONE tm@nekef.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.nekef.org The Northeast Kansas Enterprise Facilitation Initiative provides free, confidential one-on-one business management coaching to entrepreneurs in Northeast Kansas.

Assistance is available to both aspiring and existing business owners. Examples of services include: assistance in forming a business plan and seeking funding; educational resources; help in developing a marketing plan; and support in attaining the correct licenses needed for your business.

NORTHLAND ANGEL INVESTOR NETWORK

Dave Palmstein 7001 N. Locust Gladstone, MO 64118 (816) 468-4989 PHONE angel@clayedc.com EMAIL

www.NorthlandInvestors.com The Northland Angel Investor Network provides an opportunity for both investors and company founders by creating a synergistic opportunity to fund and build companies in Clay County, Missouri.

WEBSITE

NORTHLAND CENTER FOR ADVANCED PROFESSIONAL STUDIES

Sandy Henshaw 2000 N.E. 46th St. Kansas City, MO 64116 (816) 977-8111 PHONE shenshaw@northlandcaps.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.northlandcaps.org Northland CAPS is a profession-based educational model that works with eight school districts in the Northland (Excelsior Springs, Kearney, Lathrop, Liberty, North Kansas City, Park Hill, Platte County and Smithville) to provide a professional, innovative and entrepreneurial experience. It is designed to expose high school juniors and seniors to professional environments and equip them with the skills needed to be successful in the global workforce and in a competitive college environment.

Students in Northland CAPS are fully immersed in high-demand, high-skill careers, collaborating side by side with the employees at the site. They gain professional skills such as problem solving, time and project management skills, business ethics and self-discipline. Northland CAPS partners with private industry businesses, large and small, and public education to help create a workforce for tomorrow.

phone answering.

OLATHE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

18103 W. 106th St., Ste. 100 Olathe, KS 66061 (913) 764-1050 PHONE chamber@olathe.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.olathe.org/

economic-development-council The Olathe EDC provides support to companies that want to start, expand or relocate in Olathe.

ONEKC FOR WOMEN

Sherry Turner 920 Main St., Ste. 100 Kansas City, MO 64105 (816) 595-1296 PHONE sturner@onekcforwomen.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.OneKCforWomen.com The Women’s Employment Network, Women’s Business Center, Women’s Capital Connection and WE-Lend provide services that create financial growth and independence.

This alliance more fully integrates many of the current services each organization offers.

The collective mission of this alliance is to empower women to become economically self-sufficient and prosperous through career development and business growth. The integration of existing programs provides options for the following clients: unemployed, underemployed, transitioning, business startup, existing businesses, microenterprises and businesses seeking funding.

1 MILLION CUPS–KANSAS CITY

200 Constitution Ave. N.W., Room N3626 Washington, DC 20210 (800) 321-6742 PHONE WEBSITE www.osha.gov Provides information about OSHA laws, regulations and compliance.

Plexpod-Westport Commons 300 E. 39th St. Kansas City, MO 64110 WEBSITE www.1millioncups.com/kansascity TWITTER @1MillionCupsKC This grassroots event, which takes place every Wednesday at 9 a.m., features two startups that present their companies to an audience of entrepreneurs, mentors, investors and other community members.

OFFICE EVOLUTION

OPEN PRAIRIE VENTURES

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY & HEALTH ADMINISTRATION (OSHA)

8101 College Boulevard, Ste. 100 Overland Park, KS 66210 (913) 417-2022 PHONE WEBSITE www.officeevolution.com Office Evolution offers work, meeting and virtual office space solutions, including private offices, meeting room rental, coworking shared space and virtual business address and

Hayli Anderson 10900 S Clay Blair Road (913) 219-7860 PHONE hayli@openprairie.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.openprairie.com Open Prairie is a Midwest-based, multifaceted private equity fund management firm providing fund deployment, advisory and stra-

tegic planning services to companies focusing on specialty industries such as agricultural, life science, medical device, software, information technology, energy, manufacturing and real estate.

OPENAIR EQUITY PARTNERS

Ron LeMay 4520 Main St., Ste. 1400 Kansas City, MO 64111 ron@openairep.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.openairep.com OpenAir Equity Partners is a venture capital firm focused on early stage, later stage and private equity investments, especially in Internet of Things companies in the wireless, communications and mobile internet sectors.

OVERLAND PARK ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCEL

Beth Johnson 9001 W. 110th St., Ste. 150 Overland Park, KS 66210 (913) 766-7612 PHONE bjohnson@opchamber.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.opedc.org PARKVILLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

8880 Clark Ave., Ste. 218 Parkville, MO 64152 (816) 268-5006 PHONE info@parkvilleedc.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.parkvilleedc.com The Parkville EDC encourages and coordinates responsible economic activity and community improvement in Parkville and assists new companies and existing businesses.

PIPELINE

Joni Cobb 1919 W. 45th Ave. Kansas City, KS 66103 (913) 307-0004 PHONE info@pipelineentrepreneurs.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.pipelineentrepreneurs.com TWITTER @PIPELINEorg Pipeline is a fellowship of high-performing entrepreneurs who call the Midwest home.

The organization’s entrepreneurs have access to a renowned national network of experts who share a passion for the Pipeline family. Through Pipeline, entrepreneurs invest in their own professional development and give generously of their time, talent and capital to enable them to build global businesses from wherever they choose. Pipeline takes zero equity in member companies focusing on the entrepreneur first.

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The fellowship year is just the beginning—Pipeline is available for life.

PLATTE COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

Alicia Stephens 11724 N.W. Plaza Circle, Ste. 400 Kansas City, MO 64153 816-270-2109 PHONE astephens@plattecountyedc.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.plattecountyedc.com The Platte County Economic Development Council has a long history of fostering business success. PCEDC helps its existing business base expand and works to recruit new businesses to Platte County. PCEDC has several areas of focus, including public policy, infrastructure, marketing and recruitment, and business retention. It tracks available building space and sites for new and expanding businesses. PCEDC works with local, regional and state partners to provide financial and program assistance. It serves as the connector between businesses and those who can help a business grow.

PLEXPOD

Stephanie Medina 300 E. 39th St. Kansas City, MO 64111 (844) 753-9763 PHONE info@plexpod.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.plexpod.com Plexpod is a progressive co-working platform that offers next generation workspace for entrepreneurs, startups and growth-stage companies of all sizes. In addition to providing desks, offices, team spaces and meeting rooms, Plexpod offers soundstage and photography studios, performance theater and event spaces, cafes and kitchens, fitness and gaming, sport court and dance studio, as well as outdoor spaces. Plexpod has four locations in the Kansas City area: Lenexa, Westport, Crossroads and River Market.

The Westport Commons location features a renovated wing called Herspace, which is designed for women.

PROJECT UNITED KNOWLEDGE

Quest Moffat 300 E. 39th St. Kansas City, MO 64111 (816) 209-9256 PHONE info@puklabs.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.projectuk.org Project United Knowledge (ProjectUK) is a

startup studio and venture builder that helps women and underestimated founders who would like to validate their new ideas and release them to the market. It also assists with mentor matching, product development and assistance with funding. ProjectUK has helped over 40 entrepreneurs and assisted them in raising more than $2 million in nondilutive funding.

RAYTOWN OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Missy Wilson 10000 E. 59th St. Raytown, MO 64133 (816) 737-6000 PHONE missyw@raytown.mo.us EMAIL www.raytown.mo.us EMAIL The office assists businesses that want to start, expand or relocate in Raytown, including helping with site selection and pursuit of financial incentives.

RIGHTFULLY SEWN

Jennifer Lapka Pfeifer 1800 Wyandotte, Ste. 204 Kansas City, MO 64108 816-491-8136 PHONE info@rightfullysewn.org EMAIL WEBSITE http://rightfullysewn.org Rightfully Sewn provides seamstress training for at-risk women so they can thrive in a specialized workforce. At the same time, it propels Kansas City fashion designers to market so they can supply the burgeoning demand for high-quality, American-produced garments.

It offers small-batch garment production services, including pattern-making, sample sewing, sourcing assistance, production management and more. It also hosts an industry directory and jobs board.

RMI

Mindy Murray Senior Loan Officer 3324 Emerald Lane Jefferson City, MO 65109 (573) 635-0136 PHONE mindy@rmiinc.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.rmiinc.org RMI is a regional certified development company specializing in 504 loans for real estate and equipment.

ROYAL STREET VENTURES

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Laura Brady 7620 Royal St. S.E., Ste. 205 P.O. Box 3179 Park City, UT 84060 (435) 200-4930 PHONE WEBSITE www.royalstreet.vc Royal Street Ventures is a Utah-based venture capital firm. In 2016, it launched a $25 million fund in Kansas City, focused on early-stage growth companies.

SCALEUP! KANSAS CITY

4747 Troost Ave. Kansas City, MO 64110 (816) 235-6063 PHONE scaleup@umkc.edu EMAIL WEBSITE www.scaleupkc.com ScaleUP! Kansas City is an elite program for small business owners looking to increase their company’s revenues. Participants are exposed to training, coaching and peer roundtables over the course of four months. ScaleUP! is for business owners who lead a company that has been in business at least two years, has at least two employees, generates annual sales in excess of $200,000 and operates in a market that could produce more than $1 million in annual sales. There is no cost to participate in ScaleUP! SCORE

4747 Troost Ave., Ste. 101 Kansas City, MO 64110 (816) 235-6675 PHONE chapter.0019@scorevolunteer.org EMAIL WEBSITE kansascity.score.org SCORE provides free mentoring in addition to workshops and webinars for entrepreneurs and small businesses. With over 70 local volunteer business mentors, SCORE can match you with the specific help and direction you need to start a new business or expand an existing one. SCORE also has the ability to bring in a team of volunteers to analyze your operation and offer advice on how to improve efficiency.

THE SEWING LABS

Lonnie Vanderslice Linnca Stevens 1305 E. 27th St. Kansas City, MO 64108 (816) 298-0903 PHONE thesewinglabs@gmail.com EMAIL

thesewinglabs.community The Sewing Labs offers training in sewing and related skills with the goal of providing economic stability through employment in businesses utilizing the sewing arts.

WEBSITE

SHAWNEE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

Ann Smith-Tate 15100 W. 67th St., Ste. 202 Shawnee, KS 66217 (913) 631-6545 PHONE asmithtate@ EMAIL

shawneekschamber.com WEBSITE www.Shawnee-EDC.com Shawnee EDC works collaboratively with the City of Shawnee and the Shawnee Chamber of Commerce to drive job creation, business expansion and retention, and real estate development in Shawnee. Promoting Shawnee as a distinctive business location with an enhanced quality of life, the SEDC provides quality economic development projects that will have a significant impact upon the economic growth of Shawnee, including fostering and encouraging all facets of development—industrial, commercial and residential.

SOUTHLAND CENTER FOR ADVANCED PROFESSIONAL STUDIES

Katie Zeiger 11501 E. State Route 350 Raytown, MO 64138 816-268-7140 PHONE Southlandcaps@ EMAIL

raytownschools.org; or

katie.zeiger@raytownschools.org WEBSITE southlandcaps.

yourcapsnetwork.org The Center for Advanced Professional Studies represents the collaboration of education, business and community, providing students with a unique, immersive experience, resulting in highly skilled, adaptable, global innovators and leaders. Southland CAPS serves students in the Belton, Hickman Mills, Raymore-Peculiar and Raytown school districts.

The program features problem-based learning brought in by business partners. There is no minimum threshold of involvement, and finding the right fit for each business partner is a priority. Mentors and guest speakers, as well as project and internship opportunities, are always in demand.

SOUTHWEST JOHNSON COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORP.

Greg Martinette One New Century Pkwy.

New Century, KS 66031 (913) 489-3990 PHONE greg@swjocoksedc.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.swjocoksedc.com The Southwest Johnson County EDC stimulates economic growth by demonstrating to new and existing companies the unique business advantage of a southwest Johnson County location.

SPRINT ACCELERATOR

Doug Dresslaer Ari DeGrote 210 W. 19th Terrace Kansas City, MO 64108 sprintaccelerator@sprint.com EMAIL WEBSITE sprintaccel.com Sprint’s Corporate Accelerator program is a hub for corporate innovation and entrepreneurial engagement. It selects startups that align with the strategic goals of the sponsor companies for a 90-day program. It also offers free coworking hours on Wednesdays.

STARTUP REWIND

Ryan Willkerson Deer Creek Country Club 7000 W. 133rd St. Overland Park, KS 66209 ryan@wrwealth.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.startuprewind.com TWITTER @StartupRewind Overland Park South Rotary Club hosts Startup Rewind, a monthly meeting that showcases presentations from local startups.

Startup Rewind meets on the first Wednesday of the month at Deer Creek Country Club from 7:15 to 8:30 a.m.

SYMBIOBIZ

1121 Southwest Hook Road Lee’s Summit, MO 64082 Phone: (816) 588-1101 info@symbiobiz.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.symbiobiz.com SymbioBiz offers a different approach to community and economic development by partnering with businesses, churches and community organizations that want to use their underutilized space to support entrepreneurs. SymbioBiz works with their partners

and businesses to find the right host that will provide the office space at a subsidized rate.

They also offer a solution for entrepreneurial parents, childcare and business classes.

SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT

(866) 606-8220 www.SAM.gov SAM is a U.S. government website where companies must register before doing business with the federal government. The System for Award Management replaces several older websites, including CCR and ORCA. PHONE

WEBSITE

TECHACCEL LLC

Michael Helmstetter 6811 Shawnee Mission Pkwy, Ste. 215 Overland Park, KS 66202 (913) 549-4124 PHONE info@techaccel.net EMAIL WEBSITE www.techaccel.net TechAccel is a venture and technology development organization that works with startups, universities and corporate partners and invests in agriculture, animal health and food science companies, technologies and initiatives.

TECHSTARS KANSAS CITY ACCELERATOR

Lesa Mitchell WeWork Corrigan Station 1828 Walnut St., 3rd Floor Kansas City, MO 64108 (913) 568-9531 PHONE lesa.mitchell@techstars.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.techstars.com/programs

/kansas-city-program Technology-enabled startups with global potential are encouraged to apply regardless of industry focus for a three-month accelerator program.

TGP INVESTMENTS

Eric Graham 4900 Main St., Ste. 900 Kansas City, MO 64112 (816) 994-8600 PHONE graham@tgpinvestments.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.tgpinvestments.com TGP Capital Partners is a Kansas City based private-equity investment fund that makes middle-market investments in well-managed, profitable and growing companies. The company specializes in manufacturing and business services companies.

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Laura Goede 1712 Main St., Ste. 400 Kansas City, MO 64108 (816) 842-5244 PHONE laura.goede EMAIL

@thinkbigpartners.com WEBSITE www.thinkbigpartners.com Through its specialized consulting services, Think Big Labs program and Think Big Network, Think Big Partners builds smart cities, designs and implements smart technologies and helps entrepreneurs and innovators create fresh solutions to the world’s toughest challenges by accelerating technology commercialization powered by human-centered design principles.

TOPEKA/SHAWNEE COUNTY FIRST OPPORTUNITY FUND

Glenda Washington 120 S.E. 6th Ave., Ste. 110 Topeka, KS 66603 (785) 231-6000 PHONE gwashington@gotopeka.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.gotopeka.com/incentives/fof Services include a microloan program, angel investment opportunities, a small business incentive program (for Shawnee County residents only), business matchmakers, counseling and small-business training.

UMKC ENTREPRENEURIAL LEGAL SERVICES CLINIC

Danielle Merrick 4747 Troost, Ste. 213 Kansas City, MO 64110 (816) 235-6341 PHONE elsclinic@umkc.edu EMAIL WEBSITE law.umkc.edu/academics/

clinical- programs/entrepreneurial

-legal-services-clinic/ The UMKC Entrepreneurial Legal Services and Intellectual Property Clinic at the UMKC School of Law offers the legal services needed by new and existing entrepreneurs who cannot afford the market rate for those services.

Services, which are provided by UMKC law students under the supervision of licensed and experienced attorneys, include contract review and drafting, choice of entity analysis, entity creation, copyright and trademark analysis and filing, nonprofit incorporation and tax-exempt status.

UMKC ENTREPRENEURSHIP SCHOLARS (E SCHOLARS)

Ben Gruber 5108 Cherry St. Kansas City, MO 64110 (816) 235-6200 PHONE gruberb@umkc.edu EMAIL WEBSITE bloch3.umkc.edu/

entrepreneurship/

entrepreneurship-scholars E-Scholars focuses on early stage ventures. The accelerator offers a cohort of both students and community members, a mentor network and academically grounded content.

It is open to students of University of Missouri-Kansas City and other institutions, and individuals.

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

4600 Silver Hill Road Washington, DC 20233 (800) 923-8282 PHONE WEBSITE www.census.gov A source for demographic information on consumers and businesses in the United States. Search for thousands of socioeconomic and demographic data points (e.g., race, sex, age, ZIP code, residence, income, place of work, education). The data can be used to plan marketing campaigns, sites and sales territories.

U.S. COMMERCIAL SERVICE—KANSAS CITY

Sally Pacheco 1000 Walnut, Ste. 505 Kansas City, MO 64106 (816) 421-1876 PHONE office.kansascity@trade.gov EMAIL WEBSITE www.export.gov

/missouri/kansascity With its network of offices across the United States and in more than 80 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service uses its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide.

U.S. COPYRIGHT OFFICE-LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Karyn Temple James Madison Memorial Building 101 Independence Ave. S.E. Washington, D.C. (202) 707-3000 PHONE WEBSITE www.copyright.gov The site provides answers to copyright

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questions and contains a database of millions of copyrights, searchable by name, title, subject and call number.

U.S. COUNCIL FOR INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

Peter Robinson 121 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10036 (212) 354-4480 PHONE WEBSITE www.uscib.org U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE —OFFICE OF BUSINESS LIAISON

Kelly Rzendzian (202) 482-1360 PHONE businessliaison@doc.gov EMAIL WEBSITE www.commerce.gov/os/

office-business-liaison The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Business Liaison serves as the first point of contact between business leaders and the agency. It works to build relationships with the business community, provide feedback to the department on critical business issues and conduct outreach to the business community.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

245 Murray Lane S.W. Washington, DC 20528 (202) 282-8000 PHONE WEBSITE www.dhs.gov DHS provides information to small businesses about keeping employees safe in the event of a terror attack. The website also contains information on doing business with the agency, including rules for unsolicited proposals, importing and exporting, and disaster relief for businesses.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION— OFFICE OF SMALL AND DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS UTILIZATION

Willis A. Morris 1200 New Jersey Ave. S.E., W56-485 Washington, DC 20590 (800) 532-1169 PHONE WEBSITE www.transportation.gov/osdbu The mission of the USDOT’s OSDBU is to ensure that the Secretary of Transportation’s small business policies and goals are implemented in fairly, efficiently and effectively.

The Procurement Assistance Division works with small businesses to ensure they have an equal opportunity to participate in DOT's direct procurement and federal financial assistance programs, including counseling small businesses and mediating procurement-related

issues, among others.

U.S. GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

U.S. PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE

Office of Small Business Utilization Bill Strobel 2300 Main St., FIoor 2NE Kansas City, MO 64108 (816) 926-3258 PHONE business.counseling@gsa.gov; or EMAIL

william.strobel@gsa.gov WEBSITE www.gsa.gov/r6smallbusiness TWITTER @GSAR6smallbiz The OSBU offers information on doing business with the U.S. General Services Administration and its federal clients. GSA supports the federal community by providing commonly used products and services that assist agencies and the military in conducting their day-to-day operations. GSA oversees federal operations, such as the leasing, maintenance and construction of public buildings; the federal telephone system; the federal fleet of vehicles; and the federal supply system.

The office serves the states of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas.

Andrei Iancu USPTO Madison Building 600 Dulany St. Alexandria, VA 22314 (800) 786-9199 PHONE usptoinfo@uspto.gov EMAIL Contains government information on patents and trademarks, including a searchable database.

FedBizOpps www.fbo.gov The GSA’s point-of-entry for federal government procurement opportunities.

WEBSITE

Federal Acquisition Regulation and FAR Supplement WEBSITE www.acquisition.gov Contains the basic contracting principles and practices all Department of Defense agencies must follow.

U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL-CENTRAL PLAINS CHAPTER

P.O. Box 414075 Kansas City, MO 64141 (913) 735-7533 PHONE centralplains@usgbc.org EMAIL WEBSITE usgbc.org/usgbc-central-plains USGBC is dedicated to the promotion of sustainable building practices. It offers advocacy events, LEED workshops and training seminars.

U.S. HOUSE COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS

2361 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 (202) 225-5821 PHONE WEBSITE www.smallbusiness.house.gov Offers information about bills and hearings dealing with small business.

U.S. SECURITIES & EXCHANGE COMMISSION

100 F St. N.E. Washington, DC 20549 WEBSITE www.sec.gov The SEC informs and protects investors, facilitates capital formation, enforces federal securities laws, regulates securities markets and provides data. Its EDGAR online system offers free access to 21 million filings.

Office of Minority and Women Inclusion Pamela Gibbs (202)551-6046 PHONE omwi@sec.gov EMAIL This division of the SEC is committed to the fair utilization of minority- and women-owned businesses in the agency’s business activities.

U.S. SENATE COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS & ENTREPRENEURSHIP

James Risch, Chairman 428A Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20515 (202) 224-5175 PHONE WEBSITE www.sbc.senate.gov Provides information on legislation, publications, press releases and hearings relevant to small businesses.

U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION-FEDERAL HEADQUARTERS

Linda McMahon Administrator 409 3rd St. S.W. Washington, DC 20416 SBA Answer Desk: PHONE

(800) 827-5722 WEBSITE www.sba.gov The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is an independent agency of the federal government charged with aiding, counseling, assisting and protecting the interests of small businesses and to preserve free competitive

enterprise. The agency helps individuals start, build and grow businesses, specifically through access to capital and federal contracting opportunities; counseling and mentorship; and disaster assistance.

U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION-KANSAS CITY REGIONAL AND DISTRICT

1000 Walnut St., Ste. 500 Kansas City, MO 64106 Thomas Salisbury Regional Administrator, Region VII (816) 426-4840 PHONE Jon Malcolm Richards District Director, Kansas City (816) 426-4900 PHONE Jon.Richards@sba.gov EMAIL Government Contracting Program Christopher Eischen (816) 426-4911 PHONE christopher.eischen@sba.gov EMAIL WEBSITE www.sba.gov/contracting/

resources-small-businesses The SBA negotiates small business goals with each federal agency to ensure that the government-wide small business goal of 23 percent, required by the Small Business Reauthorization Act of 1997 is met. The SBA monitors agencies’ progress toward achievement of the goal.

To increase opportunities for small businesses in the federal acquisition process, the SBA negotiates goals for small business setasides, identifies new small-business sources and counsels small companies on how to do business with the federal government. Assistance is also available for prime contracting and subcontracting.

Hubzone Program Ken Surmeier (816) 426-4919 PHONE kenneth.surmeier@sba.gov EMAIL This program encourages economic development in historically underutilized business zones (HUBZones) through the establishment of federal contract award preferences for qualified small businesses located in such areas. To qualify for the HUBZone Program, a small business generally must be located in a HUBZone, be owned and controlled by one or more U.S. citizens and have at least 35 percent of its employees residing in a HUBZone.

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Lender Relations Division Mike McWhorter (816) 426-4916 PHONE michael.mcwhorter@sba.gov EMAIL The agency’s finance programs enhance the ability of lenders to provide long- and shortterm loans to small businesses that might not qualify through normal lending channels.

There are four basic types of SBA lending and equity investment programs available: the 7(a) Loan Guaranty Program, the 7(m) Microloan Program, the 504 Certified Development Company Loan Program and the Small Business Investment Company Program.

Will Katz 718 New Hampshire Lawrence, KS 66044 (785) 843-8844 PHONE willkatz@ku.edu EMAIL WEBSITE www.business.ku.edu/

ku-small-business development-center The center, based at the University of Kansas, provides low-cost training seminars and one-on-one counseling services to Kansas-based businesses. The KU-KSBDC serves Douglas, Franklin, Jefferson, Atchison, Leavenworth and Doniphan counties in Kansas.

U.S. SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTERS

Missouri S&T Small Business and Technology Development Center Keith Strassner 900 Innovation Drive, Ste. 145 Rolla, MO 65409 (573) 341-4690 PHONE kdstrass @mst.edu EMAIL WEBSITE ecodevo.mst.edu The Missouri S&T SBTDC is a technology-based business development center. The SBTDC seeks to promote technologies developed at Missouri S&T and help clients launch their business ideas.

The U.S. Small Business Development Centers offer no-charge, one-on-one business advising to new and established business owners. Center advisors can help business owners tackle business problems and plan for new opportunities. The SBDCs, which are supported by the U.S. Small Business Administration, also offer workshops on accounting, marketing, government contracting, strategic planning and other topics at reasonable prices.

Kansas SBDC at Johnson County Community College Elisa Waldman 12345 College Blvd.

Regnier Center Room 240 Overland Park, KS 66210 (913) 469-3878 PHONE ksbdc@jccc.edu EMAIL WEBSITE www.jccc.edu/ksbdc TWITTER @sbdcatjccc In addition to training and general business advisors, the Kansas Small Business Development Center at Johnson County Community College (Kansas SBDC at JCCC) offers expertise in helping existing small businesses grow. Its special programs include GAME (Growth through Action, Measurement and Engagement), a series of active learning sessions to help business owners achieve growth; the Strategic Management Program, which provides customized strategic plans, ongoing mentoring and other services; Business Advisory Boards, and Riddle of the Exporter, devoted to international market research. The Kansas SBDC at JCCC serves Johnson, Miami and Wyandotte counties in Kansas.

KU Small Business Development Center

Missouri Small Business & Technology Development Center at University of Missouri-Kansas City Carmen DeHart 4747 Troost, Ste. 104A Kansas City, MO 64110 (816) 235-6063 PHONE umkcsbtdc@umkc.edu EMAIL WEBSITE https://sbtdc.umkc.edu The Missouri Small Business & Technology Development Center at University of Missouri – Kansas City provides entrepreneurs, researchers and businesses at every stage, from concept to startup, growth to renewal, maturity to succession with business expertise, guidance and resources to start and grow a business through business coaching services and its ELEVATIONLAB training courses on business model canvas, marketing, finance and equity capitalization, and other topics at reasonable prices.

NWMSU Small Business and

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Technology Development Center Rebecca Lobina 3003 Frederick Ave. St. Joseph, MO 64506 (816) 364-4105 PHONE lobina@nwmissouri.edu EMAIL WEBSITE www.nwmissouri.edu/

services/sbtdc The Northwest Missouri State University SBTDC counsels small businesses and individuals on management, marketing, financial analysis and other issues. It also coordinates and conducts market research into technical and general small business problems. The center serves clients throughout northwest Missouri.

University of Missouri Extension– Jackson County SBTDC Jeff Samborski 1600 N.E. Coronado Drive Blue Springs, MO 64014 (816) 252-5051 PHONE samborskij@missouri.edu EMAIL WEBSITE http://extension.missouri.edu/

Website/DisplayPage.aspx?

PID=4067&County=jackson The Jackson County SBTDC is part of a statewide network of centers known as the Missouri Business Development Program.

Business programs coordinated by MU Extension SBTDC help owners of new and existing businesses start and grow their companies.

U.S. SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

Steve Chabot, Chairman Kansas City Area Offices 15375 W. 95th Street Lenexa, KS 66219 850 Nebraska Ave. Kansas City, KS 66101 6320 Euclid Ave. Kansas City, MO 64132 2021 Independence Ave. Kansas City, MO 64124 3520 S. Noland Road Independence, MO 64055 (800) 772-1213 PHONE WEBSITE www.ssa.gov Provides information about employer wage reporting, selling to the SSA, vendor payments, international agreements and other details about the SSA’s services for businesses.

VELOCITY LEE’S SUMMIT

Chuck Cooper City Hall 220 SE Green Lee’s Summit, MO 64063 816-969-1000 PHONE info@velocityleessummit.org EMAIL TWITTER @velocityLS Velocity Lee’s Summit is a nonprofit organization that seeks to empower the entrepreneur and rapidly growing small business owner through business support and advocacy.

It sponsors frequent events for startup businesses, presenting entrepreneurial-themed content with mentoring, networking and collaborative business expansion opportunities.

The organization also offers resources such as mentorship programs and leadership services.

Additionally, Velocity seeks to link community stakeholders in an intentional and material way. By helping to identify the entrepreneur’s needs, then locating relevant resources to assist, Velocity serves as the conduit to supply this collaborative connection.

VETERANS BUSINESS RESOURCE CENTER

James Thompson Kansas City Office 1000 Walnut St., Ste. 500 Kansas City, MO 64106 (314) 531-VETS (8387) PHONE WEBSITE thompson@vetbiz.com The Veterans Business Resource Center helps veterans and transitioning service members who want to launch, grow or sell their businesses. The center provides counseling, mentoring, resources and education for veterans, active-duty personnel who are transitioning to civilian life, and Reserve and National Guard members.

WAKARUSA VALLEY DEVELOPMENT INC.

Troy Roberts 4321 W. 6th St., Ste. B Lawrence, KS 66049 (785) 749-7600 PHONE info@wakarusavalley.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.wakarusavalley.org TWITTER @WakarusaValley Wakarusa Valley Development Inc. (WVDI) is a nonprofit, community-based organization certified by the U.S. Small Business Administration to originate and service SBA 504 loans throughout Kansas. The SBA 504 loan program is designed to assist small businesses with their expansion plans by providing 10-

and 20-year, fixed, low-interest-rate loans for the purchase of fixed assets and large equipment. In addition, WVDI works with local banks and small businesses that seek funding under the SBA 7(a) loan guarantee program by providing packaging services and technical assistance.

WBDC-MIDWEST KANSAS CITY

Ann M. DeAngelo Enterprise Center in Johnson County 4220 Shawnee Mission Pkwy., Ste. 350B Fairway, Kansas 66205 (913) 971-1050 PHONE adeangelo@wbdc.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.wbdc.org;

www.wbenc.org TWITTER @WBDC The mission of the Women’s Business Development Center is to support and accelerate business development and growth, focusing on women and serving all diverse business owners to strengthen their participation in, and impact on, the economy.

WBDC-Midwest Kansas City delivers women business enterprise certification and certification support services for Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa.

WEWORK

Erik Wullschleger 1828 Walnut St., 3rd Floor Kansas City, MO 64108 (877) 843-0299 PHONE WEBSITE www.wework.com/kansas-city WeWork offers co-working space in nearly 500 office locations in 90 cities around the world. Private offices, dedicated desks and “hot” desks are available. Amenities include internet, daily cleaning, IT support, printers, mail and package handling, among others.

WHITEBOARD 2 BOARDROOM

James Baxendale 4747 Troost Ave. Kansas City, MO 64110 (816) 235-6429 PHONE baxendalej@umkc.edu EMAIL WEBSITE www.whiteboard2boardroom.com The Whiteboard 2 Boardroom program provides several services to the bistate entrepreneurial community. These include, but are not limited to, identification of CEO talent, advisors and mentors for new companies, access to innovations developed at its 23 bi-state regional academic institutions,

hospitals and corporations, establishment of strategic partnerships and identification of sources of capital.

Whiteboard 2 Boardroom also offers its Tech Alert System, a yearly subscription feebased system in which W2B staff will search its technology portfolio for matches to technology requests received from entrepreneurs and established companies. As new technologies are added to the W2B portfolio, these technologies are also sent out to Tech Alert System participants.

WOMEN CONSTRUCTION OWNERS AND EXECUTIVES USA

1032 15th St. N.W., Ste. 300 Washington, DC 20005 (202) 276-0646 PHONE info@wcoeusa.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.wcoeusa.org Women Construction Owners and Executives USA unites women across the nation to promote contracting opportunities and influence legislation. Services include assistance in WOSB government contracting, peer-topeer networking, workshops and conferences, resource assistance and referrals.

WOMEN IMPACTING PUBLIC POLICY

Candace Waterman 1120 Connecticut Ave. N.W., Ste. 100 Washington, DC 20036 (888) 488-9477 PHONE cwaterman@wipp.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.WIPP.org WIPP is a national nonpartisan public policy organization that advocates for women business owners and women in business.

WOMEN PRESIDENTS’ ORGANIZATION

Marsha Firestone 155 E. 555th St., Ste. 4H New York, NY 10022 (212) 688-4114 PHONE marsha EMAIL

@womenpresidentsorg.com WEBSITE www.womenpresidentsorg.com This nonprofit organization is for women presidents of multimillion-dollar companies.

It strives to improve business conditions for women.

WOMEN’S BUSINESS CENTER

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Fairway, KS 66205 (913) 492-5922 PHONE bstitt@kansascitywbc.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.kansascitywbc.com The Women’s Business Center is a resource for women entrepreneurs in the metro Kansas City community who intend to grow their businesses. Services include workshops, Launch U business plan classes, certification education, access to volunteer advisers, access to capital, credit-building assistance and more.

The Women’s Business Center connects women entrepreneurs with the resources best suited to assist them with their business challenges. The WBC also works with two capital programs: WE-Lend, a microloan fund for women business owners; and the Women’s Capital Connection, a women’s angel investor network.

WOMEN’S BUSINESS ENTERPRISE NATIONAL COUNCIL

Pamela Prince-Eason 1120 Connecticut Ave. N.W., Ste. 1000 Washington, DC 20036 (202) 872-5515 PHONE WEBSITE www.wbenc.org WBENC is a national advocate for women-owned businesses as suppliers to U.S. corporations and is also a certifying agency for women business owners.

WOMEN'S CAPITAL CONNECTION

Kelly Sievers 4220 Shawnee Mission Pkwy.

Fairway, KS 66205 (913) 492-5922 PHONE ksievers EMAIL

@womenscapitalconnection.com WEBSITE www.womenscapitalconnection.com Women's Capital Connection (WCC) is a regional network of accredited angel investors that identifies and funds promising start-up business opportunities in the region. The organization launched with 32 investors in 2008 and is committed to investing in women-led Kansas City-based ventures.

WOMEN’S EMPLOYMENT NETWORK

Sherry Turner 920 Main, Ste. 100 Kansas City, MO 64105 (816) 822-8083 PHONE WEBSITE www.kcwen.org Women's Employment Network (WEN) is a

nonprofit organization dedicated to providing women with the skills, training, and confidence to help them achieve economic self-sufficiency for themselves and their families.

WEN’s mission is to assist women in raising their self-esteem and achieving economic independence through sustained employment.

Through structured and personalized signature programming and career services, WEN creates positive change in the lives of women who struggle with social, economic, and educational barriers to employment. WEN offers individualized coaching, computer training, a professional clothing bank and professional case management to help women address personal obstacles to successful employment.

WORKFORCE PARTNERSHIP

JOHNSON COUNTY 8535 Bluejacket St. Lenexa, KS 66214 (913) 577-5900 PHONE LEAVENWORTH COUNTY 515 Limit, Ste. 200 Leavenworth, KS 66048 (913) 651-1800 PHONE WYANDOTTE COUNTY 626 Minnesota Ave. Kansas City, KS 66101 (913) 279-2600 PHONE WEBSITE www.workforcepartnership.com The Workforce Partnership can connect local employers with qualified job candidates in Johnson, Leavenworth and Wyandotte counties. It offers a wide range of employer solutions in the areas of hiring and recruiting, training, retention and expansion to businesses of all sizes. Its staff will design a unique strategy based on the individual needs of each company.

WORLD TRADE CENTER KANSAS CITY

Kaitlin Bastand Melissa Miller 30 W. Pershing Road, Ste. 301 Kansas City, MO 64108 (816) 374-5469 PHONE bast@kcchamber.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.wtc-kc.com The World Trade Center Kansas City is the largest international business network of its kind in the Kansas City metropolitan region.

Today, more than 2,500 Kansas City firms

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are impacted by WTCKC global connections, events, international visitors’ programs and business services. In addition, WTCKC serves as one of the region’s top international resources for programs, events and seminars related to the world of export and international trade.

In 2016, the World Trade Center Kansas City launched the Export Concierge program as part of the Global Cities Initiative (GCI) export plan for the KC region. The Export Concierge provides one-to-one guidance and resource referrals to current and prospective exporters, helping them navigate the complex process of entry into foreign markets.

The WTCKC also offers educational programs, customized research reports, processing of certificates of origin and an international network for businesses interested in exporting. The World Trade Center Kansas City is the Regional Export Promotion Program (REPP) for EXIM Bank and the Private Sector Liaison Officer (PSLO) for the World Bank Group.

WYANDOTTE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

727 Minnesota Ave. Kansas City, KS 66101 (913) 371-3198 PHONE info@wyedc.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.wyedc.org The Wyandotte Economic Development Council is a nonprofit economic development corporation that promotes and strengthens Wyandotte County’s economy. The EDC provides businesses with site identification assistance, potential incentives, retention and expansion information and workforce solutions.

DIRECTORY OF RESOURCES // CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE

ASIAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF KANSAS CITY

Sook Park 8645 College Blvd., Ste. 110 Overland Park, KS 66210 (913) 338-0774 PHONE sook_park@asianchamberkc.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.asianchamberkc.com BALDWIN CITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Jeannette Blackmar 718 High St. Baldwin City, KS 66006 (785) 594-3200 PHONE jeannette EMAIL

@baldwincitychamber.com WEBSITE www.baldwincitychamber.com BASEHOR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

P.O. Box 35 Basehor, KS 66007 (913) 724-9000 PHONE info.basehorchamber@gmail.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.basehorchamber.org BELTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Diane Huckshorn 323 Main St., P.O. Box 350 Belton, MO 64012 (816) 331-2420 PHONE chamberbelton@gmail.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.beltonmochamber.com BLUE SPRINGS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Lara Vermillion 1000 W. Main St. Blue Springs, MO 64015 (816) 229-8558 PHONE lvermillion EMAIL

@bluespringschamber.com WEBSITE www.bluespringschamber.com BONNER SPRINGS-EDWARDSVILLE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Physical: 309 Oak St. (inside Union Bank & Trust) Mailing: PO Box 548 Bonner Springs, KS 66012 (913) 422-5044 PHONE info@bsedwchamber.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.bsedwchamber.org BROOKSIDE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION

6814 Troost Ave. Kansas City, MO 64131

PHONE WEBSITE

(816) 523-5553 www.brooksidekc.org

DE SOTO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Sara R. Ritter, IOM 32904 W. 84th St. De Soto, KS 66018 (913) 583-1585 PHONE sritter@desotoks.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.desotoks.org EUDORA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Mary Kirkendoll 706 Main St. Eudora, KS 66025 (785) 542-1212 PHONE info@eudorakschamber.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.eudorakschamber.com EXCELSIOR SPRINGS AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Tosha Jackson 461 S. Thompson Ave., P.O. Box 632 Excelsior Springs, MO 64024 (816) 630-6161 PHONE tosha@exspgschamber.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.exspgschamber.com GARDNER EDGERTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Jason Camis 109 E. Main St., P.O. Box 402 Gardner, KS 66030 (913) 856-6464 PHONE jason@gardneredgerton.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.gardneredgerton.org GLADSTONE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Amy Harlin 7001 N. Oak Trafficway, Ste. 101 Gladstone, MO 64118 (816) 436-4523 PHONE info@gladstonechamber.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.gladstonechamber.com GRAIN VALLEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Tasha Lindsey 1450 SW Eagles Parkway Grain Valley, MO 64029 (816) 443-5162 PHONE info@growgrainvalley.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.growgainvalley.org GRANDVIEW CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Kim Curtis 12500 S. 71 Highway, Ste. 100 Grandview, MO 64030

PHONE EMAIL WEBSITE

(816) 761-6505 ksc@grandview.org www.grandview.org/chamber

GREATER KANSAS CITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Joe Reardon 30 W. Pershing, Ste. 301 Kansas City, MO 64108 (816) 221-2424 PHONE jreardon@kcchamber.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.kcchamber.com GREATER TOPEKA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE/GO TOPEKA

Matt Pivarnik 120 S.E. Sixth Ave., Ste. 110 Topeka, KS 66603 (785) 234-2644 PHONE info@topekachamber.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.topekachamber.org HARRISONVILLE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

LynnDa Roberts 106 S. Independence Harrisonville, MO 64701 (816) 380-5271 PHONE lynnda EMAIL

@harrisonvillechamber.com WEBSITE www.harrisonvillechamber.com HEARTLAND BLACK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

600 Minnesota Ave. Kansas City, KS 66101 hearlandbcc@gmail.com EMAIL FACEBOOK facebook.com/heartlandblackchamber HIGGINSVILLE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Donald Knehans 1813 N. Main St. Higginsville, MO 64037 (660) 584-3030 PHONE chamber@ctcis.net EMAIL WEBSITE www.higginsvillechamber.org HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF GREATER KANSAS CITY

Carlos Gomez 107 W. 10th St. Kansas City, MO 64105 (816) 472-6767 PHONE cgomez@hccgkc.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.hccgkc.com INDEPENDENCE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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Independence, MO 64050 (816) 252-4745 PHONE tom@iChamber.biz EMAIL WEBSITE www.ichamber.biz KANSAS CITY KANSAS AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Daniel Silva 727 Minnesota Ave. Kansas City, KS 66101 (913) 371-3070 PHONE info@kckchamber.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.kckchamber.com KANSAS CITY KANSAS WOMEN’S CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

P.O. Box 12611 Kansas City, KS 66112 (913) 233-3305 PHONE kckwcc@gmail.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.womenschamberkck.org KANSAS CITY WOMEN’S CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Karla Elenz Martinez P.O. Box 165316 Kansas City, MO 64116 (816) 701-9890 PHONE karla@kcwomenschamber.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.kcwomenschamber.com KEARNEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Jamie Watson P.O. Box 242 Kearney, MO 64060 (816) 628-4229 PHONE jwatson@kearneychamber.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.kearneychamber.org LAWRENCE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Larry McElwain 718 New Hampshire St. Lawrence, KS 66044 (785) 865-4411 PHONE lmcelwain@lawrencechamber.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.lawrencechamber.com LEAVENWORTH-LANSING AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Brandon Johannes 518 Shawnee St. Leavenworth, KS 66048 (913) 682-4112 PHONE brandon@llchamber.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.llchamber.com

LEAWOOD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Kevin Jeffries 13451 Briar, Ste.201 Leawood, KS 66209 (913) 498-1514 PHONE kevinj@leawoodchamber.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.leawoodchamber.org LEE’S SUMMIT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Blake Fry 220 S.E. Main St. Lee’s Summit, MO 64063 (816) 524-2424 PHONE bfry@lschamber.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.lschamber.com LENEXA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Blake Schreck, CED 11180 Lackman Rd. Lenexa, KS 66219 (913) 888-1414 PHONE bschreck@lenexa.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.lenexa.org LIBERTY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Gayle Potter 1170 W. Kansas St., Ste. H Liberty, MO 64068 (816) 781-5200 PHONE gaylep@libertychamber.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.libertychamber.com LOUISBURG CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Becky Bowes 16 S. Broadway, P.O. Box 245 Louisburg, KS 66053 (913) 837-2826 PHONE chamber@louisburgkansas.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.louisburgkansas.com MID-AMERICA GAY AND LESBIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Michael Lintecum P.O. Box 5961 Kansas City, MO 64171 (816) 474-3558 PHONE info@maglcc.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.maglcc.org NORTHEAST JOHNSON COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Deb Settle 5800 Foxridge Dr., Ste. 100 Mission, KS 66202 (913) 262-2141 PHONE

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EMAIL WEBSITE

dsettle@nejcchamber.com www.nejcchamber.com

NORTHEAST KANSAS CITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Bobbi Baker 2657 Independence Ave. Kansas City, MO 64124 (816) 231-3312 PHONE nekcchamber@aol.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.nekcchamber.com NORTHLAND REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Sheila Tracy 634 N.W. Englewood Rd. Kansas City, MO 64118 (816) 455-9911 PHONE sheila@northlandchamber.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.northlandchamber.com OAK GROVE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

ToniAnn Richard 1404 S. Broadway, Ste. D, P.O. Box 586 Oak Grove, MO 64075 (816) 690-4147 PHONE oakgrovechamber@gmail.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.oakgrovechamber.com OLATHE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Tim McKee 18103 W. 106th St., Ste. 100 Olathe, KS 66061 (913) 764-1050 PHONE tmckee@olathe.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.olathe.org OTTAWA AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

John Coen 109 E. Second St., P.O. Box 580 Ottawa, KS 66067 (785) 242-1000 PHONE chamber@ottawakansas.org EMAIL WEBSITE ottawakansas.org OVERLAND PARK CHAMBER & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

Tracey Osborne Oltjen 9001 W. 110th St., Ste. 150 Overland Park, KS 66210 (913) 491-3600 PHONE tosborne@opchamber.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.opchamber.org PAOLA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

6 W. Peoria St.

Paola, KS 66071 (913) 294-4335 PHONE info@paolachamber.org EMAIL WEBSITE http://www.paolachamber.org

Richmond, MO 64085 (816) 776-6916 PHONE director@richmondchamber.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.richmondchamber.org

PARKVILLE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

RIVERSIDE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Marsha VanDever 8878 N.W. 63rd St., Ste. 103 Parkville, MO 64152 (816) 587-2700 PHONE executivedirector EMAIL

@parkvillechamber.com WEBSITE www.parkvillechamber.com

April Roberson 2950 N.W. Vivion Rd. Riverside, MO 64150 (816) 741-9985 PHONE riversidemochamber@gmail.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.riversidemochamber.com

PECULIAR AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Ann Smith-Tate 15100 W. 67th St., Ste. 202 Shawnee, KS 66217 (913) 631-6545 PHONE asmithtate@shawneekschamber.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.shawneekschamber.com

P.O. Box 462 Peculiar, MO 64078 (816) 779-2223 PHONE secretary@peculiarchamber.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.peculiarchamber.com PLATTE CITY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

Angie Mutti 620 Third St., P.O. Box 650 Platte City, MO 64079 (816) 858-5270 PHONE angie@plattecitymo.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.plattecitymo.com PLEASANT HILL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

SHAWNEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

SMITHVILLE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Carol Noecker 105 W. Main St. Smithville, MO 64089 (816) 532-0946 PHONE director@smithvillechamber.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.smithvillechamber.org SOUTH KANSAS CITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

100 Wyoming St., P.O. Box 32 Pleasant Hill, MO 64080 PHONE (816) 540-2070 pleasanthillchamber@centurylink.net EMAIL WEBSITE www.pleasanthillmochamber.com

Vickie Wolgast 406 E. Bannister Rd., Ste. F Kansas City, MO 64131 (816) 761-7660 PHONE vwolgast@southkcchamber.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.southkcchamber.com

RAYMORE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

SOUTHTOWN COUNCIL

Cherie Turney 1000 W. Foxwood Dr., Ste. 200 Raymore, MO 64083 (816) 322-0599 PHONE raymorechamber@sbcglobal.net EMAIL WEBSITE www.raymorechamber.com RAYTOWN AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Vicki Turnbow 5909 Raytown Trafficway Raytown, MO 64133 (816) 353-8500 PHONE staff@raytownchamber.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.raytownchamber.com RICHMOND AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Natalie Lamar 104 W. North Main St.

Sean Ackerson 6814 Troost Ave. Kansas City, MO 64131 (816) 523-5553 PHONE WEBSITE www.southtown.org SPRING HILL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Sharon Mitchell 613 S. Race St., P.O. Box 15 Spring Hill, KS 66083 (913) 592-3893 PHONE chamber@springhillks.org EMAIL WEBSITE www.springhillks.org ST. JOSEPH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

PHONE EMAIL WEBSITE

(816) 232-4461 plilly@saintjoseph.com www.saintjoseph.com

TONGANOXIE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION

1000 West St. Tonganoxie, KS 66086 (913) 417-3900 PHONE tonganoxiebusinessassociation EMAIL

@gmail.com U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Thomas Donohue 1615 H Street N.W. Washington, DC 20062 Main: (202) 659-6000 PHONE KS and MO region: PHONE

(972) 443-6200 WEBSITE www.uschamber.com The U.S. Chamber of Commerce represents the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes sectors, and regions. Members range from mom-and-pop shops and local chambers to leading industry associations and large corporations. The Chamber is an advocate on issues impacting businesses and offers access, resources, information and best practices related to advocacy and communications.

U.S. HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Fernand Fernandez 2175 K Street N.W., Ste. 100 Washington, DC 20037 (202) 842-1212 PHONE WEBSITE www.ushcc.com USHCC works to advocate, promote and facilitate the success of Hispanic business.

WALDO AREA BUSINESS ASSOCIATION

7222 Wornall Rd. Kansas City, MO 64114 (816) 286-4523 PHONE WEBSITE www.waldokc.org WESTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Jill Gonzalez 526 Main St. Weston, MO 64098 (816) 640-2909 PHONE info@westonmo.com EMAIL WEBSITE www.westonmo.com

R. Patt Lilly 3003 Frederick Ave., Ste. A St. Joseph, MO 64506 K C E DI T I O N // I T H I N KBIGGER .CO M

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DIRECTORY OF RESOURCES // MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT LISTINGS

BALDWIN CITY (785) 594-6427 City Hall: 803 Eighth St. City Clerk: Laura Hartman www.baldwincity.org BASEHOR (913) 724-1370 City Hall: 2620 N. 155th St. City Clerk: Katherine Renn www.cityofbasehor.org BELTON (816) 331-4331 City Hall: 506 Main St. City Clerk: Patti Ledford www.belton.org BLUE SPRINGS (816) 228-0110 City Hall: 903 W. Main St. City Clerk: Sheryl Morgan www.bluespringsgov.com BONNER SPRINGS (913) 422-1020 City Hall: 205 E. Second St. City Clerk: Amber McCullough www.bonnersprings.org BUCKNER (816) 650-3191 City Hall: 315 S. Hudson St. City Clerk: Rick Childers www.cityofbuckner.org CLAYCOMO (816) 452-5539 City Hall: 115 E. Hwy. 69 Village Clerk: Sheri Chapman www.claycomo.org DE SOTO (913) 583-1182 City Hall: 32905 W. 84th St., P.O. Box C City Clerk: Lana McPherson www.desotoks.us EDGERTON (913) 893-6231 City Hall: 404 E. Nelson St. City Clerk: Janeice Rawles www.edgertonks.org EDWARDSVILLE (913) 356-6000 City Hall: 690 S. Fourth St., P.O. Box 13738 City Clerk: Zack Daniel www.edwardsvilleks.org EUDORA (785) 542-2153 City Hall: 4 E. Seventh St. City Clerk: Pamela Schmeck www.cityofeudoraks.gov EXCELSIOR SPRINGS (816) 630-0761 City Hall: 201 E. Broadway City Clerk: Shannon Stroud www.cityofesmo.com FAIRWAY (913) 262-0350

City Hall: 5240 Belinder Rd. City Clerk: Kim H. Young www.fairwaykansas.org GARDNER (913) 856-7535 City Hall: 120 E. Main St. City Clerk: Amy Waller www.gardnerkansas.gov GLADSTONE (816) 436-2200 City Hall: 7010 N. Holmes St. City Clerk: Ruth Bocchino www.gladstone.mo.us GRAIN VALLEY (816) 847-6200 City Hall: 711 Main St. City Clerk: Theresa Osenbaugh www.cityofgrainvalley.org GRANDVIEW (816) 316-4800 City Hall: 1200 Main St. City Clerk: Becky Schimmel www.grandview.org GREENWOOD (816) 537-6969 City Hall: 709 W. Main St. City Clerk: Dot Watkins www.greenwoodmo.com HARRISONVILLE (816) 380-8900 City Hall: 300 E. Pearl St. City Clerk: Randy Jones www.ci.harrisonville.mo.u HIGGINSVILLE (660) 584-2106 City Hall: 1922 Main St. P.O. Box 110 City Clerk: Sheri Tieman www.higginsville.org INDEPENDENCE (816) 325-7000 City Hall: 111 E. Maple Ave. City Clerk: Sarah Carnes-Lemp www.ci.independence.mo.us KANSAS CITY, KAN. / WYANDOTTE COUNTY (913) 573-5000 City Hall: 701 N. Seventh St. County Clerk: Bridgette Cobbins www.wycokck.org

www.cityoflakequivira.org

www.cityofoakgrove.com

LANSING (913) 727-3233 City Hall: 800 First Ter. City Clerk: Sarah Bodensteiner www.lansing.ks.us

OLATHE (913) 971-8600 City Hall: 100 E. Santa Fe St. City Clerk: David Bryant www.olatheks.org

LAWRENCE (785) 832-3000 City Hall: 6 E. Sixth St. City Clerk: Sherri Riedemann www.lawrenceks.org

OTTAWA (785) 229-3600 City Hall: 101 S. Hickory St. City Clerk: Amy Finch www.ottawaks.gov

LEAVENWORTH (913) 682-9201 City Hall: 100 N. Fifth St. City Clerk: Carla Williamson www.lvks.org

OVERLAND PARK (913) 895-6000 City Hall: 8500 Santa Fe Dr. City Clerk: Elizabeth Kelly www.opkansas.org

LEAWOOD (913) 339-6700 City Hall: 4800 Town Center Dr. City Clerk: Deb Harper www.leawood.org

PAOLA (913) 259-3600 City Hall: 19 E. Peoria St. City Clerk: Dan Droste www.cityofpaola.com

LEE’S SUMMIT (816) 969-1000 City Hall: 220 S.E. Green City Clerk: Trisha Fowler Arcuri www.cityofls.net

PARKVILLE (816) 741-7676 City Hall: 8880 Clark Ave. City Clerk: Melissa McChesney www.parkvillemo.gov

LENEXA (913) 477-7500 City Hall: 17101 W. 87th St. Pkwy.

City Clerk: Danielle Dulin www.lenexa.com

PECULIAR (816) 779-5212 City Hall: 250 S. Main St. Deputy City Clerk: Cyndora Gauthreaux www.cityofpeculiar.com

LIBERTY (816) 439-4400 City Hall: 101 E. Kansas St. Deputy City Clerk: Janet Pittman www.libertymissouri.gov LOUISBURG (913) 837-5371 City Hall: 215 S. Broadway St. City Clerk: Traci Storey www.louisburgkansas.gov MERRIAM (913) 322-5500 City Hall: 9001 W. 62nd St. City Clerk: Juli Pinnick www.merriam.or MISSION (913) 676-8350 City Hall: 6090 Woodson Rd. City Clerk: Martha Sumrall www.missionks.org

KANSAS CITY, MO. (816) 513-6401 City Hall: 414 E. 12th St. City Clerk: Marilyn Sanders www.kcmo.gov

MISSION HILLS (913) 362-9620 City Hall: 6300 State Line Rd. City Clerk: Meghan Woolbright www.missionhillsks.gov

KEARNEY (816) 628-4142 City Hall: 100 E. Washington St. City Clerk: Jim Eldridge www.ci.kearney.mo.us

NORTH KANSAS CITY (816) 274-6000 City Hall: 2010 Howell St. City Clerk: Crystal Doss www.nkc.org

LAKE QUIVIRA (913) 631-5300 City Hall: 10 Crescent Blvd.

City Clerk: Diane Newton

OAK GROVE (816) 690-3773 City Hall: 1300 S. Broadway St. City Clerk: Cathy Smith

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PLATTE CITY (816) 858-3046 City Hall: 400 Main St. City Clerk: Amy Edwards www.plattecity.org PLEASANT HILL (816) 540-3135 City Hall: 203 Paul St. City Clerk: Jessica Elliot www.pleasanthill.com PRAIRIE VILLAGE (913) 381-6464 City Hall: 7700 Mission Rd. City Clerk: Joyce Hagen Mundy www.pvkansas.com RAYMORE (816) 331-0488 City Hall: 100 Municipal Circle City Clerk: Jeanie Woerner www.raymore.com RAYTOWN (816) 737-6000 City Hall: 10000 E. 59th St. City Clerk: Teresa Henry www.raytown.mo.us RICHMOND (816) 776-5304 City Hall: 205 Summit St. City Clerk: Tonya Willim www.cityofrichmondmo.org

RIVERSIDE (816) 741-3993 City Hall: 2950 N.W. Vivion Rd. City Clerk: Robin Kincaid www.riversidemo.com ROELAND PARK (913) 722-2600 City Hall: 4600 W. 51st St. City Clerk: Kelley Bohon www.roelandpark.ne SHAWNEE (913) 631-2500 City Hall: 11110 Johnson Dr. City Clerk: Stephen Powell www.cityofshawnee.org SMITHVILLE (816) 532-3897 City Hall: 107 W. Main St. City Clerk: Linda Drummond www.smithvillemo.org SPRING HILL (913) 592-3664 City Hall: 102 S. Main St., P.O. Box 424 City Clerk: Glenda Gerrity www.springhillks.com ST. JOSEPH (816) 271-5300 City Hall: 1100 Frederick Ave. City Clerk: Paula Heyde www.stjoemo.info SUGAR CREEK (816) 252-4400 City Hall: 103 S. Sterling Ave. City Clerk: Jana Olivarez-Dickerson www.sugar-creek.mo.us TONGANOXIE (913) 845-2620 City Hall: 526 E. 4th St. City Clerk/Clerk of Court: Patty Hagg www.tonganoxie.org TOPEKA (785) 368-3111 City Hall: 215 S.E. Seventh St. City Clerk: Brenda Younger www.topeka.org WESTON (816) 640-2752 City Hall: 300 Main St. City Clerk: Kim Kirby www.westonmo.us WESTWOOD (913) 362-1550 City Hall: 4700 Rainbow Blvd.

City Clerk: Fred Sherman www.westwoodks.org

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