KCSourceLink has access to proprietary databases that allow us to track the entrepreneurial density of the Kansas City region—when young companies hire their first employees and what industries they represent.
KC’s entrepreneurs launch new businesses that create jobs and spark economic growth. On average, 4,400 KC-area startups hire their first employees each year. Startup is defined as first-time employers in the nine-county, Kansas City area who paid for unemployment insurance in Kansas or Missouri.
The number of first-time employers has been consistent across industries, with “services, education, administration” ranking highest. “Innovation-led” accounts for about 12.5 percent of the startups in 2015. This includes a wide range of firms, including aerospace, architectural engineering, computer hardware and software, telecommunications, pharmaceutical/medicine production and scientific research. Health care services jumped after 2012 due in part to a change in industry classification from other services into health care services.
KCSourceLink Studies and Surveys
We also conduct primary research around a variety of issues concerning entrepreneurship community. Some are designed to provide insights into entrepreneurs; others can help guide planning and program delivery.