Assembling a Small-Business Advisory Board

GUIDE: GROWING YOUR BUSINESS > PART FIVE

Boards and Advisors

Outside oversight can drive business growth and expansion. See what it can do for your business.

Outside oversight and input becomes increasingly vital as a company grows. Official boards of directors and unofficial advisory boards can provide connections and ideas to drive business expansion.

Mentors, peer groups and roundtables also offer some measure of input.

Determination, Incorporated

Determination, Incorporated is a nonprofit based in the Kansas City metro that creates a pathway to opportunity for formerly incarcerated people through entrepreneurship.

Specializes in: Forming a Business

Entrepreneurial Legal Services Clinic and Intellectual Property Clinic at UMKC School of Law

The Entrepreneurial Legal Services Clinic and Intellectual Property Clinic delivers legal advice and facilitates the delivery of professional business planning and intellectual property services to owners of small businesses – both existing and startups — who cannot afford the market rates for such services. University of Missouri-Kansas City faculty will supervise law students as they provide legal and professional services to qualified clients.

Specializes in: Forming a Business

KC BizCare

KCBizCare is a division of the city of Kansas City, Missouri, City Manager's Office. KC BizCare is a free business resource, advocacy and information center for new and existing businesses operating within the city.

Specializes in: Forming a Business

M-Powerment Solutions

Anyone with less than perfect credit looking to buy a home, vehicle, or apply for a high paying career. I help people with no credit, derogatory marks, and those with decent credit looking to get a credit score of 750+.

Specializes in: Forming a Business

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: Forming a Business

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: Forming a Business

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.

Specializes in: Forming a Business

Well Well Marketing

Our vision is to make the world healthier by promoting health and wellness businesses. We provide holistic marketing to holistic brands.

Specializes in: Forming a Business

Accelefund

Accelefund helps aspiring entrepreneurs invest in their companies using retirement savings without paying taxes, early withdrawal penalties or taking out a loan.

Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce

The Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce provides business assistance, networking opportunities and other services related to growing businesses in Blue Springs, Missouri.

City of Richmond, MO - Economic Development Department

The mission of the Richmond Department of Economic Development is to promote and support business and economic development within the community of Richmond, Missouri.

Gardner Chamber of Commerce

The Gardner Chamber of Commerce provides business assistance, networking opportunities and other services for businesses operating or wishing to operate in the Kansas towns of Gardner, Edgerton or New Century.

Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City

The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City is dedicated to the creation, advancement, promotion and development of economic opportunities within the Hispanic market and business community.

InterUrban ArtHouse

InterUrban ArtHouse is creating a regional hub where artists can work and prosper in an affordable, sustainable and inclusive environment to drive innovation, economic vibrancy and community culture.

Johnson County Missouri Economic Development Corporation (JCEDC)

The Johnson County, Missouri, Economic Development Corporation (JCEDC) provides confidential one-on-one business assistance, microloan funds, financing options and incentives for new and existing businesses, small to large, for all Johnson County, Missouri.

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 Public Library - Small Business & Entrepreneurship

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

Kansas City Volunteer Lawyers & Accountants for the Arts

Kansas City Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization that provides legal and accounting assistance to qualifying artists and arts organizations from all creative disciplines. The ArtSmarts program provides seminars in arts law to help artists avoid common pitfalls in their professional arts careers.

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 Secretary of State

The Kansas Secretary of State operates the Business Filing Center, which registers business entities, trademarks and handles trade names and liens made pursuant to the Uniform Commercial Code.

Leavenworth County Development Corporation

The Leavenworth County Development Corporation provides resources and solutions to small businesses and entrepreneurs at no cost, in addition to attracting new business and retaining existing businesses to grow the community.

Liberty Economic Development Corporation / LINK Business Facilitation

The Liberty, Missouri Economic Development Corporation is a public private organization dedicated to the growth and prosperity of the Liberty area. LINK Business Facilitation is a free resource for small businesses and entrepreneurs in the Liberty area and is for all phases of business.

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

Missouri Secretary of State, Kansas City Branch Office

The Missouri Secretary of State's Office, Secretary of State offers a variety of information useful to business owners. The Secretary of State's office provides the necessary information and forms to register a business in the state as well as information pertinent to corporations, LLCs and sole proprietorships.

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.

SCORE

The Kansas City SCORE Chapter is comprised of more than 70 volunteers who provide free mentoring and workshops to entrepreneurs. Volunteers are professionals with time-tested knowledge and experience in almost every industry.

The Porter House KC

The Porter House KC is a inner city based co-working community who provides entrepreneurship access and resources to underserved populations in the Kansas City Metro area. Our mission is to be a bridge for underrepresented individuals that typically don't have access to the entrepreneurial dream.

The Sewing Labs

The Sewing Labs is a nonprofit community resource center providing classes and jobs training in sewing-related arts in the Kansas City community. The newest program, The Sewing Salon Training Program, provides an unconventional entrepreneurial hub for marginalized and at-risk individuals to develop their sewing businesses.

The Sewing Labs is an inclusive and welcoming community teaching the legacy of sewing for employment, entrepreneurship and enrichment.

VetBiz

VetBiz is dedicated to helping U.S. veterans and military families achieve their dream of owning a business by transitioning military skills to business success through training, counseling and mentorship.

Whiteboard2Boardroom

Whiteboard2Boardroom connects entrepreneurs and established businesses to technologies available for licensing at institutions of higher education, hospitals and corporations in the bi-state region to stimulate applied research, leverage innovation i

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