GUIDE: GROWING YOUR BUSINESS > PART ONE

Drive Profits through Market Research and Planning

Know what your customers want and make it easy for them to buy what you sell.

Completing basic research — like market research — can save time, money and a lot of trouble. To sustain a real business, you have to:

find people who will be willing to pay for your product or service (and there have to be enough of them to make it worth your while) – research market potential using census data and demographic databases
deliver the services or manufacture the products – research production options using business databases
know who you compete with – research competitors using business databases
understand whether your products are unique or proprietary – research patent filings

The Missouri Small Business Development Center offers a Guide to Developing a Marketing Plan.

The Small Business Administration provides an online tool that allows small business owners to see how their companies compares to the competition. Research your competitive edge by checking out the SBA’s Size Standards Tool.

Contact the following KCSourceLink Resource Partners for more assistance with marketing.

SKIP TO PART TWO: EXPORTING TO EXPAND SALES

Basic Research

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Digital Sandbox KC

Digital Sandbox KC provides proof-of-concept resources, including market validation, prototyping and beta-testing support for development of digital technologies within new and existing businesses.

Specializes in: Market Research

Grain Valley Partnership

The Grain Valley Chamber Partnership is dedicated to being the primary advocate for businesses in the Grain Valley, Missouri, area by promoting economic development, providing educational resources and partnering with our members to improve the business environment and community image.

Specializes in: Market Research

Mid-Continent Public Library Culinary Center

The Mid-Continent Public Library Culinary Center is a destination and resource for anyone interested in learning more about food and culinary entrepreneurship. Housed in the Green Hills Library Center, the Culinary Center features a teaching and demonstration kitchen and two shared commercial kitchens for use by startup food businesses.

Specializes in: Market Research

The Black MasterMind Group Charitable Foundation

The Black MasterMind Group Charitable Foundation is designed to create strategies to help the Black entrepreneurial community start, stabilize, sustain and scale businesses. It educates, trains, coaches, mentors, develops and provides funding initiatives

Specializes in: Market Research

Blue Valley CAPS

Blue Valley Schools’ Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) represents the collaboration of education, business and community, providing students with a unique, immersive experience resulting in highly skilled, adaptable, global innovators and leaders.

City of Gladstone, Missouri - Economic Development Department

The Gladstone, Missouri Economic Development Department is dedicated to improving the economic welfare of Gladstone, Missouri.

Great Plains Technology & Manufacturing Cluster

The Great Plains Technology and Manufacturing Cluster assists manufacturers and technology entrepreneurs in making the critical connections to innovation resources required to protect, develop, launch and grow new products and businesses.

Hispanic Economic Development Corporation of Greater Kansas City

The Hispanic Economic Development Corporation (HEDC) is dedicated to improving the lives of Latinos within the greater Kansas City. HEDC achieves this through business development and economic and community wealth creation initiatives.

K-State Technology Development Institute (TDI)

The Technology Development Institute provides a variety of resources and services through collaborative engineering and business development partnerships to advance technologies, people and companies.

Kansas City Area Transportation Authority

The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority connects people to opportunities through safe, reliable public transportation. KCATA is a bi-state agency charged with serving the transportation and development needs of the Kansas City region.

Kansas City Kansas Public Library

The Kansas City, Kansas Public Library offers business reference services, including access to information for small business or those contemplating starting a small business.

Kansas City Public Library - Small Business & Entrepreneurship

The Kansas City Public Library provides resource materials and online databases that entrepreneurs and business owners can use.

Kansas Department of Agriculture - Agriculture Marketing, Advocacy and Outreach Team

The mission of the KDA Agricultural Marketing, Advocacy and Outreach Team is to serve all Kansans through innovative programming and delivering solutions designed to create an environment that facilitates growth and expansion in agriculture while increasing pride in and awareness of the state’s largest industry – agriculture.

Kansas Small Business Development Center at JCCC (SBDC)

The Kansas Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Johnson County Community College provides business assistance to aspiring and existing small business owners in Johnson, Miami and Wyandotte counties in Kansas through low cost training events and no-charge one-on-one business counseling.

Kansas Small Business Development Center at KU (SBDC)

The Kansas Small Business Development Center at the University of Kansas provides free and confidential individual advising to small business owners, managers and prospective owners. The center can work with any company that fits into the Small Business Administration's definition of a "small business."

KU Innovation Park

KU Innovation Park, with locations at both the University of Kansas Lawrence Campus and Kansas University Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas, is the largest incubator system in the state. It is comprised of three separate facilities totaling approximately 90,000 square feet of wet lab, office space and shared work spaces.

Lawrence Public Library

The Lawrence, Kansas Public Library is a public library located in Lawrence, Kansas. It serves the city of Lawrence. Through its membership in the Northeast Kansas Library System is a community hub where its patrons can learn, connect, create and grow through access to its vast collections, resources, services, programs and knowledgeable staff.

Miami County Economic Development Department

The Miami County, Kansas Economic Development Department assists businesses in their development and expansion while promoting the region's economic growth.

Mid-America Trade Adjustment Assistance Center (TAAC)

The Mid-America Trade Adjustment Assistance Center assists domestic manufacturers negatively impacted by import competition by providing cost share funding to implement improvement projects to make a business more globally competitive.

Missouri Department of Agriculture

The Missouri Department of Agriculture sets agriculture policy, provides assistance to farmers throughout the state and focuses on food-related businesses.

Missouri Department of Economic Development - Kansas City Region

The Business Development team within the Missouri Department of Economic Development is ready to assist your existing Missouri Business.

Missouri Enterprise, Kansas City and Northwest Missouri

Missouri Enterprise is a dedicated manufacturing expert and your partner to strengthen and grow your company. The organization assists manufacturers with workforce development, technology, lean principles, exporting, quality, food safety and more.

Missouri SBDC at Northwest Missouri State University - St. Joseph

The SBTDC offers confidential, one-on-one counseling, coaching and training to existing businesses and emerging business owners.

Missouri SBDC at University of Missouri Kansas City

Missouri SBDC at UMKC is OPEN for business; both virtually and in-person for our trainings and counseling. Contact us at [email protected] to talk how we can help you SOAR with your entrepreneurial journey

Northland CAPS

Northland CAPS students use business standard software, equipment and employer mentorship to solve real world problems for entrepreneurs and business owners.

Piper School District

We're looking to produce client projects for area businesses through our various academies.
If your organization has a problem, or a project that’s No. 10 on your “to do” list, give it to our students. They're ready for real world learning.

Square One Small Business and Workforce Development Services by Mid-Continent Public Library

Square One Small Business Services at Mid-Continent Public Library supports local entrepreneurs through access to information, programs and opportunity. Whether owning a business is a brand new dream or your life’s work, MCPL is committed to helping you succeed.

The Freelance Exchange

The Freelance Exchange is Kansas City’s outsource resource. Here, “solopreneurs” from the advertising and marketing industry come together as a community to share best practices, become savvier business owners and expand their networks. FX also serves as a free resource for local ad agencies and businesses to find quality talent easily and quickly.

The Toolbox: Small Business Resource Center

The Toolbox: Small Business Resource Center is the go-to resource for everything small business in Wyandotte County, Kansas. All services are offered at no cost to local residents and businesses. The Toolbox provides support with planning, registering, funding, operating and growing your business through private one-on-one small business coaching.