Navigating Entrepreneurial Resources in Kansas City

The Kansas City metro area has a robust tech startup culture, which means that new startups have a plethora of resources available to them. With such a wide range of options among support organizations, accelerators/incubators, educational programs, co-working spaces and business services providers, the hard part can be knowing which ones to choose.

There’s no real shortcut to making the right choices, but you can begin by understanding the landscape and meeting other entrepreneurs at varying stages of development.

1. Get to know some of the major players

If you’re just beginning to get involved with the startup environment in KC, it helps to familiarize yourself with some of the groups that promote and encourage local entrepreneurship.

• The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation has a long history of supporting entrepreneurship in Kansas City with a wide variety of programs and services. Their initiatives include the Fasttrac program to teach you about launching a business; the Kauffman Founders School, a free online entrepreneur education program; and 1 Million Cups, a weekly networking event for entrepreneurs.

• KCSourceLink has a searchable Resource Navigator that can help you find assistance based on your industry, specific need, and stage and type of business. KCSourceLink is itself a product of the KC startup community, created with the support of the Kauffman Foundation, the University of Missouri-Kansas City Innovation Center and the U.S. Small Business Administration.

• Ennovation Center has a business incubator that provides specialized and customized services for their clients at no cost. To date they have helped over 60 businesses.

• Startland News covers the startup landscape in Kansas City, which makes it a great place to keep up with the latest news and information on funding, resources, events, jobs and more.

• The H&R Block Business and Career Center at the Kansas City Public Library offers training and resources for entrepreneurs.

• The Kansas City Startup Foundation offers education and networking opportunities for entrepreneurs.

• Startup KC is an active Facebook group of people in and adjacent to the tech startup community. Members share all kinds of useful news information with one another and it’s a good place to learn about events, opportunities, ideas and tips.

• Kansas City Women in Technology provides training and networking opportunities for women in the tech field.

• Sprint Accelerator and Techstars both have a variety of accelerator programs for startups at all levels. On the other side of the state line, Enterprise Center of Johnson County offers an incubator program for early stage entrepreneurs that provides education, mentoring and consulting.

2. Get to know some of the major players

Now that you know where to look for event listings, it’s time to meet some people face to face. There’s no substitute for learning from your fellow entrepreneurs and getting firsthand recommendations to help your business grow and thrive.

• The aforementioned 1 Million Cups is held each week at the Kauffman Foundation. Each event features entrepreneurs giving presentations about their startup companies and learning about community resources to help their businesses grow.

• Big annual events that are perfect for networking include Tech Week (this year’s dates still TBD) and Techstars Startup Weekend.

• Even if you don’t participate in an accelerator program, you can make good contacts and learn a lot by attending their program demo days.

With the great abundance and variety of resources for entrepreneurs of all types in Kansas City, the perfect solutions for your business are out there. Start checking event calendars and applying for educational opportunities today. Welcome to the KC startup community!