Meet the Bracket: 16 of Kansas City's Second-Stage Businesses
In this post we take on the epic entrepreneurs, those businesses that have turned a fledgling idea into a bonafide and booming business
(Wait, there's more than one type of "entrepreneur"? Indeed. Read more about the four types of entrepreneurship straight from Maria Meyers, founder of KCSourceLink, U.S.SourceLink, and director of the UMKC Innovation Center.)
What Is a Second-Stage Company?
Second-stage enterprises have survived the startup phase and have owners who are focused on growing and expanding. Theses firms generally have between 10 to 99 employees and/or $750,000 to $50 million in revenue.
For these companies, business plans have morphed into strategic marketing plans. Finding a location is replaced by funding an expansion. Defining a market niche transforms into finding new markets, launching a new product line, exporting or selling to the government. And finding a team to launch the business becomes a search to find the experts who can take the business to the next level.
The “Coaches” behind KC's Second Stagers
With 240+ Resource Partners in the KCSourceLink network, navigating the wide expanse of business-building resources can be daunting, to be sure. (Unless you hop on a ride on, say, a Resource Rail.) Over the past 10 years, we’ve mapped (yes, literally) and categorized entrepreneur support organizations across the 18-county Kansas City region. And this is what we’ve found: support organizations cluster, just like the businesses they serve.
Established and growing companies often find the help they need to expand through:
- Banks
- Accountants
- Attorneys
- Insurance Agents
- Management Consultants
- Economic Development Corporations
- Chambers of Commerce
- Revolving Loan Fund Programs
- Procurement Technical Assistance Centers
- Manufacturing Extension Programs
- Small Business Development Centers (SBA)
- Trade Adjustment Assistance Centers
- Export programs
- Market Research
- SBA Lenders
Our Resource Navigator helps you find, filter and map the right matches for your innovation based on your need, your business stage and/or your location.
Meet the Second-Stage Companies in the Battle of the Brands
Out of companies’ nominations, the good folks of Kansas City chose the following 16 established and growing companies to represent Kansas City in this year’s Battle of the Brands. Just a few—FINDitKC, Grade A Tree Care, Rosehill Gardens, Sporting KC and Tippin's Pies—have battled before (so expect to see some good game from them). The rest and majority of the bracket are new and unknowns and have a solid fan base to move them forward.
Here are the contenders—and quick links to learn more about them on their own websites and connect with them on Facebook and Twitter:
Allied Global Services
www.alliedglobalservices.com
Facebook: alliedglobalservices
Twitter: @allied_global
AlphaGraphics Kansas City
www.alphagraphicskc.com
Facebook: alphagraphicskc
Twitter: @alphagraphicskc
Instagram: @alphagraphicskc
FINDitKC
www.FINDitKC.com
Facebook: FINDitKC
Twitter: @FINDitKC
Instagram: @FINDitKC
Grade A Tree Care
gradeatree.com
Facebook: Grade-A-Tree-Care
Twitter: @gradeatreecare
Gragg Advertising
www.graggadv.com
Facebook: graggadv
Twitter: @GoWithGragg
Great Day Moving
www.greatdaymoving.com
Facebook: greatdaymoving
Twitter: @greatdaymoving
J. Rieger & Co.
www.JRiegerCo.com
Facebook: JRiegerCo
Twitter: @JRiegerCo
Instagram: @JRiegerCo
Johnny Lightning Strikes Again
www.jlsa.com
Facebook: strikesagain
Twitter: @omg_jlsa
Instagram: @omg_jlsa
KC Classic Gourmet Foods
www.kcclassicgourmetfoods.com
Facebook: KCClassicGourmetFoods
MEDiAHEAD
www.mymediahead.com
Facebook: mymediahead
Twitter: @mymediahead
Nerdery
nerdery.com/
Facebook: The-Nerdery-Kansas-City
Twitter: @the_nerdery
Instagram: @the_nerdery
Rawxies
www.rawxies.com
Facebook: rawxies
Twitter: @Rawxies
Instagram: @Rawxies
Rosehill Gardens
rosehillgardens.com
Facebook: RosehillGardensInc
Twitter: @RosehillKC
Sporting Kansas City
www.sportingkc.com
Facebook: sportingkc
Twitter: @sportingkc
Instagram: @sportingkc
Tippin’s Pies
www.tippins.net
Facebook: tippinspies
Twitter: @TippinsPies
Instagram: @TippinsPies
TREKK Design Group, LLC
www.trekkdesigngroup.com
Facebook: trekkdesigngroup
Twitter: TREKKDesign