How to Be an Entrepreneur, Small Business Owner in Kansas City

So you think you want to be an entrepreneur.

Your head is probably swimming with questions, like what do I need to get started? And what does it take to be an entrepreneur in Kansas City …. and do I have what it takes?

Are you an entrepreneur?

First things first: Entrepreneurs see a gap and fill it, and provide a product or service to meet a need.

They are doers, dreamers, makers, innovators, pioneers, forward-thinkers, believers and trail-blazers who make things better, find solutions, embrace change, persevere when things get tough, test their assumptions, make new connections and aren’t afraid to dive in.

They can spot opportunity in a haystack, have the stomach for risk, are driven to create and have the vision and perseverance to make an idea a reality.

Does that sound like you?

If you dream of having a physical shop or dining location, running a craft business from your home, offering your talents to customers, running an innovation-led venture that’s disrupting an industry or doing something else that people pay you for, congrats: You can be an entrepreneur.

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What else does it take to be an entrepreneur?

Did you know that about half of all small businesses fail in the first five years? Did you know that about 70 percent of those businesses fail because of cash problems?

So in addition to being a creative person who sees opportunities and has the drive to persevere and navigate those rough spots when things get tough, you have to keep the business side of things in mind, too. Things like financials, cash flow, bookkeeping, etc., shouldn’t fall by the wayside because you don’t care to tend to them … or don’t want to learn how to.

Also, if you want to start a business, you have to think about what problem it will solve for your customers or clients. So instead of thinking of the classic question “What do I want to be when I grow up,” flip the script and ask “What problems is my business solving five years from now?”

Because at its core, a business is really just a repeatable process of solving problems for other people. The problem just has to be big enough that customers and clients will pay for your product or service. If you’re an entrepreneur, really all that means is that you’re a problem solver.

It all begins with the awareness that we have to figure out how to be useful to others so we can empower ourselves.

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How do you develop an entrepreneurial mindset?

A mindset is really just the underlying beliefs and assumptions you make that influence how you act. And you can shape and change the way your brain is programmed so you can think like an entrepreneur.

Lucky for you, among the 240+ organizations and resources in Kansas City that can help you start or grow a business, there are quite a few that can help you get started.

Check out these Resource Partners that offer courses to help get you in the entrepreneurial mindset:

> > > > Not sure which is right for you? Give us a call at 816-235-6500 or send us a message, and we’ll hook you up (for free) with the resources in Kansas City that can help your business.

Have anything else to help me?

Hop the Resource Rail

Before you set out on your journey, get a map for the road ahead. That’s why we’ve taken the more than 240 nonprofit Resource Partner organizations in Kansas City that can help start, grow and fund your business and plotted them on a track to show you which can help you right when you need them, no matter what stage your business is in.

Take a Class

Check out Kansas City’s most comprehensive calendar for small businesses. Peruse tons of events each month that can help your business and connect you with other like-minded entrepreneurs in KC. Take a class (many are free or at a reduced cost) to give you that expert perspective while you’re in the classroom and mentorship from a business coach after you’ve graduated.

Learn from Those Who’ve Been There, Done That

And stay in the know with helpful advice from experts, read some inspirational stories of KC entrepreneurs who are rockin’ it and get a curated list of key events in the metro that’ll help your business. Sign up for our newsletter.

Not Sure Where to Start? Get Your (Free) Personal Action Plan

If all this seems like a bit too much, call us at 816-235-6500 or tell us a bit about what you need, and we’ll craft your very own (totally doable) action plan that’ll show you exactly whom (like real phone numbers for real helpful people and organizations) in Kansas City you can contact to move your business or nonprofit forward.

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