Boost Your Business Like These KC Entrepreneurs with Low- and No-Cost Courses

New is good. And it’s a new year … so here’s how you can start that next venture or grow your business. Sound good?

Even if this is your first go at entrepreneurship or if you’ve been running a business for years, the suite of low- and no-cost courses from the Urban Business Growth Initiative will help take your business to the next level. Don’t believe us? Keep reading and see what the course has done for two recent KC alums of the program.

New this year: UBGI alums as of April 2020, in addition to receiving major scholarships worth hundreds of dollars to take these course (listed below), will be eligible for funds from the City of Kansas City, Missouri, to help them start or grow their business or nonprofit … we’re talking thousands of dollars in microgrants.

Subscribe to our newsletter and follow KCSourceLink on Facebook and Twitter, and we’ll send out the details. To qualify for a scholarship and the contest, you must live in or work in Kansas City, Missouri. If you’re good there, just sign up for one of the upcoming courses listed below: NEW VENTURE, Entrepreneurial Mindset Training, CONSTRUCTION VENTURE, GROWTH VENTURE, GROWTH360 and TECH VENTURE. If you’ve already taken one of these courses, congrats! You’re eligible to enter the contest.

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UBGI is way more than just a class you drop in on and leave. It gives you time to actually work ON your business instead of just IN it; expert coaching from professionals who’ve been entrepreneurs themselves; and a community of ambitious folks who are ready to help your business succeed and understand your struggles and dreams.

Don’t just take our word for it; see how the program has recently helped a few KC area entrepreneurs:

What UBGI did for Mishawnda, James and Rhonda

Need some proof these programs are super valuable? Take James and Mishawnda Mintz, who had their share of headaches that kept their real estate investing business, InvestMintz Properties LLC, from growing and reaching its true potential. (We’re talkin’ fickle contractors, scheduling headaches and other issues that forced the couple to get their hands dirty on the job site, rather than handling business in the office.)

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

>>> Read James and Mishawnda’s story and explore facts and figures in the 2019 annual report.

How do you build a tech business in 18 months after losing your full-time job … and become the Greater Kansas City Chamber’s 2019 Entrepreneur of the year?

Rhonda Dolan, a single mother of three, created a personal assistant app Üdo with the help of some key connections in KC’s tech community when she took the ELEVATIONLAB TECH VENTURE course, which helped her get skills and coaching she’s leveraged beyond the classroom.

“There were things I had to work on, like balance sheets and profit and loss statements, and working with mentors to build that knowledge base helped me get to the next level.”

So What Does UBGI Do Exactly for Folks in KC?

The UBGI program creates economic impact and empowerment in Kansas City’s urban core. In fiscal year 2019, it helped business owners in Kansas City, Missouri, reach more than $6 million in revenue and helped create 105 new jobs through courses and counseling from the Missouri Small Business Development Center at UMKC.

Read the full 2019 impact report here.

Here’s the gist: These scholarships help people who live and work in Kansas City, Missouri, make a real, positive impact in their communities.

Upcoming Classes with Available UBGI Scholarships

This winter, UBGI will help more KCMO small-business owners, contractors and construction business owners develop their entrepreneurial mindset, plan and solidify their businesses’ financials and prepare for strategic growth with scholarships to selected programs.

Click on the class title to apply. Scholarships go fast. Don’t wait to apply:

ELEVATIONLAB™ NEW VENTURE

Jan. 21 – Feb. 18 on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

If you want to own your own business, this program will help you see if you idea will work and help you make the tweaks to ensure you’ll have a successful business. You’ll hear guest speakers and entrepreneurs who understand what it’s like to start and run a business, and you’ll get access to coaching that’ll help inspire you and solidify your idea. Plus, this course is geared toward those who want an accelerated program in just five sessions.

Cost: $649

$75 after UBGI scholarship

Entrepreneurial Mindset Training

Jan. 29 – March 25 on Wednesdays from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Have a business idea but don’t know where to start? Do you want to learn how to be an entrepreneur? Get that vital foundation (and some inspiration) during this course.

Cost: $649

$75 after UBGI scholarship

ELEVATIONLAB™ CONSTRUCTION VENTURE for Home Rehabbers and Small Contractors

Feb. 3 – April 6 on Mondays from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Do you have a construction business you’re eager to grow? Work on your business strategy with the help of experts who understand the industry and can guide you how to apply what you learn to your real-world operation. Plus, after the 10-session course is up, you’ll still have access to those coaches so you can keep your business moving forward.

Cost: $649

$75 after UBGI scholarship

ELEVATIONLAB™ GROWTH VENTURE

Feb. 7 – April 17 on Fridays from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Get a 360-degree perspective to help you avoid those blind spots in your business and make smarter decisions. Using the GrowthWheel® Framework, you’ll take home tools, decision sheets and 30-, 60- and 90-day plans to help your business grow.

Cost: $649

$75 after UBGI scholarship

ELEVATIONLAB™ TECH VENTURE

Feb. 20 – April 16 on Thursdays from 3 – 6 p.m.

If you’re in a tech or science-based field, this course (designed by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs) will give you a proven framework and connections to help grow your great idea into the next viable innovation.

Cost: $649

$75 after UBGI scholarship

And again, spoilers: All alums of these above courses (NEW VENTURE, Entrepreneurial Mindset Training, CONSTRUCTION VENTURE, GROWTH VENTURE and TECH VENTURE) are eligible to win at least thousands of dollars in microgrants. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay in the loop.

Social Media Road Map for Business

Feb. 25 from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Want to learn how to craft a social media strategy for your company? This is the course. Get examples and ideas, understand what really matters for your biz, find out what to do about ugly comments and bad news and learn a whole lot more. You’ll leave with a clear action plan you can use.

Cost: $199

$0 after UBGI scholarship

Reading and Understanding Financial Statements: It’s All about the Benjamins!

March 3 from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Financial statements may be complicated, but they’re also the core of any successful business. Experts will guide you through every tricky bit.

Cost: $149

$0 after UBGI scholarship

This is close to what I need but not quite. What else do you have for budding entrepreneurs?

Glad you asked. KCSourceLink is the go-to for KC entrepreneurship. We can plug you into the right course, mentor, organization or group for your small business, startup, passion project, side hustle or idea-in-the-making.

Just give us a call at 816-235-6500 or fill out your request over here at www.kcsourcelink.com/myplan. We’ll develop your very own personal action plan to help connect with resources and opportunities so you can hit that next milestone.