GROWTH360 Alums: Why They Love This No-Cost Class, And Why You Should Apply

Do you want to learn how to grow your business and prime it to scale later?

Mark your calendars because this is the best thing for your business on Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon starting Sept. 18 to Nov. 20.

The 11-session GROWTH360 course will help you avoid blind spots and make better business decisions. Plus you’ll uncover how the GrowthWheel framework can help your operations, and you’ll take home tools, decision sheets and plans for 30, 60 and 90 days.

In addition to getting access to top-notch business coaching (you’ll meet each of the coaches later in this post), you’ll also develop a network of like-minded diverse small business owners from a variety of backgrounds and industries. Many alums say that the connections in the class helped prime their businesses for growth and set them up for success, even when the pandemic hit. (And we’ve got some cool success stories from alums of the class below.)
So if you want to stop just working IN your business so you can work ON your business, here are the qualifications you’ll have to meet:

• be in business for at least 2 years
• have $50,000 in sales for the prior year (2019)
• be the owner of the business and work full time on the business.

Other bonuses of GROWTH360: You’ll get a diversity of perspectives, industries and experiences, which will elevate your experience. For example, the most recent active participants in the latest cohort featured 94% from underrepresented communities, and alums always talk about the great connections they made in class.

But don’t just take our word for it. Listen to how the course helped some GROWTH360 alums and why they think you should apply …

Success stories from GROWTH360 alumni

See how these GROWTH360 alums used what they learned in the course to grow their businesses.

Mishawnda and James Mintz | InvestMintz Properties LLC
Grandview, Missouri

Mishawnda and James Mintz learned how to incorporate business processes to schedule jobs more efficiently, vet contractors, develop a runway for future marketing and better manage business finances, all so they could get the right perspective to be proactive instead of reactive.

“GROWTH360 definitely changed our mindset in how we approach our company,” Mishawnda says. “I’ve always been a creative thinker, but the course pushed me to think outside my comfort zone.”

Larry Smith | L&K Hardwoods
Independence, Missouri

Larry Smith of L&K Hardwoods says GROWTH360 solved his bookkeeping problems, which would later prepare the veteran when COVID-19 hit so his business was primed to purchase new equipment and a 40-acre tract of land. The pandemic shut down his business for weeks, but Larry says when he reopened, he had a record month and credits part of that success to the course.

“I would tell anyone that if they get the opportunity to do the GROWTH360 class, it’s such a huge eye-opener,” Larry says. “I learned how to work on my business and not just in my business. It allowed me to prioritize the money we needed to spend, optimize things to be more cost-effective and simplify processes.”

More below …
[[CTA]]

Tony Davis | Primo Construction LLC
Kansas City, Missouri

Anthony Davis of Primo Construction LLC says GROWTH360 taught him to set aside time each week to get organized, plan ahead, use his contractors more efficiently and more. He says it even primed him to land a sizable job near 63rd Street and Troost Avenue.

“It resolidified a lot of things that business owners forget while they’re operating their business,” Tony says. “A lot of things in the class revolved around personal growth and personal sanity. I learned to organize my time and pick a day in the week to sit down and work out my goals. It sounds simple, but it was something I wasn’t doing. Now, I think about it a lot differently.”

Angel Canady | Natural High Wellness Center
Leawood, Kansas

Angel Canady of Natural High Wellness Center was at a crossroads a few years ago. Her business was growing, and she knew she needed to make a shift, but she wasn’t sure how to do it. GROWTH360 helped her iron out her financials and armed her with the knowledge and a plan to reset her business for bigger things ahead. Years later, she’s moved from growth and is scaling her business with a goal to franchise.

“If my GROWTH360 coach hadn’t given me the courage, knowledge and information so I could have that reset, I don’t know if I would be where I am today,” Angel says. “We opened up bigger and better than ever.”

Meet the coaches

GROWTH360 is taught by trained and certified business consultants who have been successful entrepreneurs and who come from diverse backgrounds.

Jill Hathaway, GROWTH360 Facilitator and Business Development Consultant

Jill Hathaway brings her expertise to startup and established businesses to create opportunities for growth. Working in a family manufacturing business, as well as owning retail and consulting businesses, Jill has an extensive background in operations, sales and marketing. She oversees the ScaleUP! Kansas City program, teaches ELEVATIONLAB™ courses and coaches business owners on financial analysis, marketing strategies and succession planning.

With corporate experience in banking, product design and manufacturing, sales and business development, Jill humbly shares 30+ years of experience with business owners.

Delia Marin, Business Development Consultant

As a business development consultant with the Missouri Small Business Development Center at UMKC, Delia Marin provides one-on-one coaching to address a variety of entrepreneurial and growth business management issues, including capital needs, financing and equity, marketing, international trade, strategic planning and business assessment. She is also a business owner and partner in various businesses in a variety of industries, and is a procurement specialist and government contracting expert with Missouri PTAC.

Delia is bilingual in English and Spanish and offers a multi-cultural and community outreach expertise. Delia developed her entrepreneurial acumen through more than 30 years growing up in a family business and her own broad base of experience in diverse industries.

David Neal, Business Development Consultant

David Neal harnesses his decades of experience working with business data and his dedication to entrepreneurs for his role as business development consultant with the Missouri Small Business Development Center at UMKC.

Throughout his career, David has worked in business development for a variety of companies. He is also a seasoned entrepreneur and owns D Neal Consulting, where he focuses on minority- and woman-owned small businesses. In addition to his comprehensive experience and well-rounded perspective, David also offered his expertise as a contributing author for the 2020 book “Game Changers for Government Contractors.”