Simple Steps to Starting Your Business [Free Workshops]

There are a lot of great reasons to start a business: you have a profitable idea, it's your lifelong dream, you wish to make a positive change in your community, the list is a mile long. Whatever your reason, we want to see you succeed and to help you get started on the right foot. 

A great place to start is with the Kansas City SCORE Chapter and their three part series "Simple Steps to Starting Your Business".  Each session will provide valuable information to help entrepreneurs and small business owners make smart decisions in their journey toward small business success.

Session 1 - Start Up Basics - July 9, 2016 - 10 a.m. - 12 noon

Start Up Basics focuses on testing your business idea and identifying the key factors that influence startup success. Start Up Basics provides you with:

• an overview of the skills and tools you need when deciding to start a business
• the advantages and disadvantages of owning a business
• the most profitable form for your business
• the fundamentals of formation, organization, marketing, cash flow and funding sources
  

Session 2 - Business Concepts/Marketing - July 16, 2016 - 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Business Concept provides step-by-step guidance in researching your idea, your market and your competition. At the end of the Business Concept section, you are able to:

• identify your target markets
• describe your products/services
• collect key competitive information to support your feasibility plan

Marketing Strategy provides you with an introduction to marketing methods and tools to maximize your customer reach. This session covers pricing strategies, positioning, the difference between features and benefits and different marketing strategies. At the end of this session, you will know how to:

• outline your marketing strategy
• test your marketing message
• choose the right sales channel
• exercise your marketing strategy
  

Session 3 - Financial Projections/Funding Sources - July 23, 2016 - 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Financial Projections uses exercises to help you better understand financial concepts. We will review sales and prices, financial risks and rewards, true startup costs, ongoing operating expenses, setting benchmarks for tracking progress and the organization of all your financial information. You will learn how to use our financial model to forecast cash flow, sales revenue and build solid pro-forma financial forecasts.

Funding Sources and Next Steps offers information on how to finance your small business. Discussions include sources of funds, the six C’s of credit, banking relations, ratio analysis and monthly preparation and review of financial statements. You will get an inside view of how a bank assesses the merits of business plans and loan applications.

All sessions will be held at:

UMKC Innovation Center
SCORE Office
4747 Troost
Kansas City, MO 64110
816-235-6675

All sessions are at no cost.

To register, please visit the SCORE website and click on "Local Workshops."