Next Stop for Second Stage Biz: World Domination
Your business has survived the startup phase. You have employees, a product line and you’ve found your customers.
If this is you, you’ve entered the “second stage” of business. Next stop: world domination.
What Is a Second Stage Company?
Second-stage firms have 10 to 99 employees and/or $750,000 to $50 million in revenue—and while they may have survived the struggles of the startup, they still have their own growing pains.
(Read more about the
four types of entrepreneurship from Maria Meyers, founder of U.S.SourceLink and director of the Innovation Center at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.)
Resources for Second-Stage Businesses
With 230+ Resource Partners in the
KCSourceLink network, navigating the wide expanse of business-building resources could be daunting. No worries: we make it easy.
- Get tips, get inspired, get educated: The KCSourceLink website lets you tailor your user experience. By choosing “second stage” (or “microenterprise” or “innovation-led” or “startup” or “Main Street”) as your entrepreneurial type, you can filter content (tips, events, resources, success stories) for your entrepreneurial journey.
- Find your resource: KCSourceLink’s Resource Navigator helps growing businesses like yours find just the right resource for your size, stage and challenge.
Grow Your Business
For second-stagers, business plans have morphed into
strategic marketing plans. Finding a location is replaced by funding an expansion. Defining a market niche transforms into
market diversification. And finding a team to launch the business becomes a quest to realize new operational efficiencies and the search to
find, or train, the people who can take the business to the next level.
Get tips to grow your business.
Do More for Your Business with a Mentor
Ready for a mentor? Ready to share your knowledge? From formal mentoring programs like HEMP to informal roundtables, find the right kind of mentor for your business and your schedule.
Find a mentor.
Exporting to Expand Sales
Ready to expand your market? Take the
Export Questionnaire at export.gov. Based on your scores, we can refer you to local resources that can help you go global.
Get ready to export.
Six Steps to Begin Exporting
With 96 percent of the world's population and two-thirds of its purchase power outside the United States, you can't ignore the vast growth opportunities on international markets.
To start, learn some fundamentals about how to begin exporting.
Explore exporting with the SBA. Smooth Sailing for Savvy Exporters
Missouri and Kansas trade offices are key resources as you plan to do business in global markets.
Navigate exporting.
3 Rules for Doing Business Overseas
Every country has its own place-specific challenges. Here's how to protect your company when you’re doing business overseas.
Learn the rules.
Image by Flickr User Kenneth Lu.