GET HELP FOR YOUR BUSINESS. GET YOUR PERSONAL ACTION PLAN.

Ready to turn your side hustle into a small business? Or maybe you want to grow what you’ve started into something bigger? Or perhaps you’re looking for capital, investors, mentors or just inspiration.

KCSourceLink is your first stop and your connection to entrepreneurship in Kansas City.

QUICK LINKSWorkshop and classes: kcsourcelink.com/calendar

Awards and competitions: kcsourcelink.com/awards

Personal Action Plan: kcsourcelink.com/myplan

Ecosystem news and eship inspiration: kcsourcelink.com/blog

Ecosystem reports: wecreatekc.com

HOURS OF SERVICEBusiness days: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Hotline: 816-235-6500

Spanish hotline: 816-235-8040

Email: info@kcsourcelink.com

Guides, tips and stories: kcsourcelink.com

KCSourceLink’s services are always free.

YOUR FIRST STOP: KCSOURCELINKKCSourceLink connects aspiring and existing business owners to a network of hundreds of business-building organizations in the bistate 18-county Kansas City region. Our mission is to help small businesses thrive by providing easy, free (yes!), one-stop access to needed resources.

That is why KCSourceLink should be your first stop when you’re ready to start or grow a business—and why you should stop back often.

WELCOME TO THE RESOURCE RAILKCSourceLink’s Resource Rail™ ecosystem map is your visual guide to entrepreneurial experts across our region who are ready to help your business start and grow, whether you’re launching a company or are ready to scale it, whether you’re leading an innovation-led business or a Main Street icon.

WE MIND THE GAPSKCSourceLink also looks at gaps in the entrepreneurial ecosystem and works with our Resource Partners to bring programs, capital and other collaborations to Kansas City that will help our entrepreneurs and economy grow. Access the entire network at kcsourcelink.com.

WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO Ready to connect with resources on the Resource Rail? Call us at 816-235-6500 (talk with real people) or visit The Resource Navigator® entrepreneurship directory at kcsourcelink.com to find the resource you need right now. (And queue up the ones you’ll need as you grow.)

For further tricks, tips, inspiration and events, visit our blog, BuyKC directory and comprehensive business calendar, open to all at kcsourcelink.com.

WHAT’S YOUR NEXT STEP?The Resource Rail is the big picture of KC’s business-building resources, from inception to exit. But what’s your next step?

Call us at 816-235-6500 to find out whom you need to talk to next, or fill out a request for your Personal Action Plan at kcsourcelink.com/myplan, and we’ll get back to you with a hand-crafted list of whom you need to meet and what you need to do next. Yep, it’s free and for anyone.

WHAT TYPE OF BUSINESS ARE YOU GROWING?How does the Resource Rail™ ecosystem map work? Just choose your line below and follow it on the Rail to find the resources to help you start and grow your business through all four stages: inception, proof of concept, rollout and expansion.

YELLOW: INNOVATION LINE

This line is for businesses that form around a new technology or breakthrough process. These businesses go through the same stages as other startups but often at a faster pace, and they sometimes need assistance with proof of concept, pitching for equity investments and building leadership teams.

BLUE: MAIN STREET LINE

Follow this line if you have a brick-and-mortar business. These companies have employees, need operations support and are typically focused on sales. Other challenges include cash flow and funding.

LIME: MICROENTERPRISE LINE

Companies in this category require little capital to launch. Most are focused around the owner’s personal expertise, and they may not require a physical location. Online businesses and solopreneurs also fall into this group.

PURPLE: SECOND STAGE LINE

Second-stage firms have enough employees to exceed the comfortable control span of one owner and benefit from adding professional managers. A business typically enters second stage when it approaches $1 million in total receipts, and that business can be in any industry.

GREEN: MONEY LINE

From inception to expansion, the Money Line takes you through the Kansas City resources that help fund businesses, from equity to debt and every stop in between.

WHAT IS YOUR BUSINESS STAGE?STAGE 1: INCEPTION/IDEA

You have a business idea, but you haven’t developed a plan. At this stage, you learn how to turn your dream into a real-life business—and who in your region can help.

STAGE 2: MARKET INTRO

You have validated your idea, and you know you have a market. Now, you’re ready to develop your product, enter the market and get your first customers. To get there, you’ll need to test your concept, market your product or service and distribute to your customers.

STAGE 3: ROLLOUT

You have a business model, a proven value proposition, operations processes that work and customers. Congrats! You’re fine-tuning your business operations, growing your professional network and maybe even looking for additional capital, all so you can keep the momentum going.

STAGE 4: GROWTH/EXPANSION

You have an established business and are generating a consistent flow of income. It’s been a whirlwind of a ride, and you’re ready to kick things up a notch. You’re hiring more employees, expanding your workspace and want to reach more markets, whether it’s locally or exporting globally.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCESAsterisks on the Resource Rail™ ecosystem map refer to these additional resources.

LIBRARIES/RESEARCH County Economic Research Institute

Kansas City, Kansas, Public Library

Kansas City, Missouri, Public Library/H&R Block Business & Career Center

Mid-America Regional Council

Square One Small Business Services by Mid-Continent Public Library

BUSINESS MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATIONSBetter Business Bureau of Greater Kansas City

Brookside Business Association

Central Exchange

Downtown Council of Kansas City

The Freelance Exchange of Kansas City

KC Data-Driven Marketing Association (KCDMA)

KC International Association of Business Communicators

KC Tech Council

National Association of Women Business Owners

North Kansas City Business Council

Southtown Council

Waldo Area Business Association

CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Kansas City

Basehor Chamber of Commerce

Belton Chamber of Commerce

Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce

Bonner Springs – Edwardsville Area Chamber of Commerce

Excelsior Springs Area Chamber of Commerce

Gardner Edgerton Chamber of Commerce

Gladstone Area Chamber of Commerce

Grandview Area Chamber and Economic Development Council

Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce

Harrisonville Area Chamber of Commerce

Heartland Black Chamber of Commerce

Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City

Independence Chamber of Commerce

Kansas City, Kansas, Chamber of Commerce

Kansas City Women’s Chamber of Commerce

Kansas City, Kansas, Women’s Chamber of Commerce

Kearney Chamber of Commerce

Leavenworth-Lansing Area Chamber of Commerce

Leawood Chamber and Economic Development Council

Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce

Lenexa Chamber of Commerce

Liberty Area Chamber of Commerce

Mid-America LGBT Chamber of Commerce

Northeast Johnson County Chamber of Commerce

Northeast Kansas City Chamber of Commerce

Northland Regional Chamber of Commerce

Olathe Chamber of Commerce

Overland Park Chamber of Commerce

Paola Chamber of Commerce

Parkville Area Chamber of Commerce

Platte City Area Chamber of Commerce

Raytown Area Chamber of Commerce

Riverside Area Chamber of Commerce

Shawnee Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Advisory Council

Smithville Area Chamber of Commerce

South Kansas City Chamber of Commerce

Spring Hill Chamber of Commerce

Weston Chamber of Commerce

FINANCIAL OPPORTUNITY CENTERSCommunity Services League

Guadalupe Centers

Metropolitan Lutheran Ministry

Prosperity Center for Financial Opportunity

Women’s Employment Network

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS AND COUNCILS (EDCS)BioNexus KC

City of Blue Springs, Missouri

City of Buckner, Missouri

City of Excelsior Springs, Missouri

City of Peculiar, Missouri

Clay County Economic Development Council

Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, Missouri

Gladstone Economic Development Department

Grain Valley Partnership

Hispanic Economic Development Corporation

Independence Council for Economic Development

Johnson County, Missouri, Economic Development Corporation

Kansas City Area Development Council

KC SmartPort

Leavenworth County Development Corporation

Leavenworth Main Street Program Inc.

Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council

Liberty Economic Development Corporation

Martin City Community Improvement District

Miami County Economic Development Department

Missouri Department of Economic Development – KC Area

Olathe Economic Development Council

Overland Park Economic Development Council

Parkville Economic Development Council

Platte County Economic Development Council

Raytown Office of Economic Development

SBA HUBZone Program – Kansas City

Southwest Johnson County Economic Development Corporation

Wyandotte Economic Development Council

REGISTRATION, LICENSES AND PERMITSCity of Independence, Missouri

City of Kansas City, Missouri (KC BizCare)

Kansas Department of Agriculture

Kansas Department of Commerce: Business and Community Development Division

Kansas Department of Commerce: Office of Minority and Women Business Development

Kansas Department of Revenue

Kansas Insurance Department

Kansas Secretary of State

Missouri Department of Agriculture

Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services

Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations

Missouri Department of Natural Resources

Missouri Department of Revenue

Missouri Department of Social Services

Missouri Division of Professional Registration

Missouri Secretary of State, Kansas City Branch Office

Unified Government of Wyandotte County/ Kansas City, Kansas, Economic Development Department

SBA-BACKED LOANSEDC Loan Corporation of Kansas City

Frontier Financial Partners

Heartland Business Capital

Midwest Small Business Finance

Mo-Kan Regional Council

RMI Inc.

Wakarusa Valley Development

SBDCs/PTACsJohnson County Community College

Kansas PTAC – Johnson County Community College

MO PTAC – University of Missouri-Kansas City

SBA procurement programs for disadvantaged businesses

SBA procurement programs for small businesses

University of Missouri-Kansas City

@KCSourceLink

This publication was prepared under an award from the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration and by the University of Missouri-Kansas City Innovation Center.

The EDA logo is a trademark of the Economic Development Administration/U.S. Department of Commerce, used with permission.

Copyright © 2022 The Curators of the University of Missouri on behalf of KCSourceLink. All rights reserved.

RESOURCE RAILTAKE A RIDE ON THE

™

YOUR BUSINESS’S MAP TO

THE RIGHT RESOURCE AT

THE RIGHT TIME.

SPRING 2022

KANSAS CITY

YOU ARE HERE

ARE YOUTHERE YET?

Call our Network Navigators to find the right resource for your business,

right now: 816-235-6500.

GET CONNECTED WITH RESOURCES FOR YOUR STARTUP

OR ESTABLISHED BUSINESS.

Find classes and events on Kansas City’s most comprehensive

business calendar.

Get tips for your business and get inspired by entrepreneur stories.

kcsourcelink.com | 816-235-6500kcsourcelink.com | 816-235-6500

Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Map

RESOURCE RAILTAKE A RIDE ON THE

™

YOUR BUSINESS’S MAP TO

THE RIGHT RESOURCE AT

THE RIGHT TIME.

SPRING 2022

KANSAS CITY

YOU ARE HERE

ARE YOUTHERE YET?

Call our Network Navigators to find the right resource for your business,

right now: 816-235-6500.

GET CONNECTED WITH RESOURCES FOR YOUR STARTUP

OR ESTABLISHED BUSINESS.

Find classes and events on Kansas City’s most comprehensive

business calendar.

Get tips for your business and get inspired by entrepreneur stories.

kcsourcelink.com | 816-235-6500

kcsourcelink.com | 816-235-6500

Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Map

Artist INC / Mid-America Arts Alliance

Business Basics in a Day (Kansas SBDC at JCCC)

E-Scholars Program

ELEVATIONLAB™ NEW VENTURE (Missouri SBDC at UMKC)

ELEVATIONLAB™ TECH VENTURE (Missouri SBDC at UMKC)

Entrepreneurial Mindset Training (Missouri SBDC at UMKC)

Free Enterprise Center at UMKC School of Computing and Engineering

InterUrban ArtHouse

Kau�man FastTrac® (online)

LaunchU (Women’s Business Center)

Primer Paso (HEDC)

The Sewing Labs

Simple Steps for Starting a Business (SCORE)

Small Business Development Program (The Porter House KC)

Square One Small Business Services - Mid-Continent Public Library

Growth Mentoring Services (Enterprise Center of Johnson County)

Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program (HEMP)

Pipeline

ScaleUP! Kansas City (Missouri SBDC at UMKC)Chambers of commerce *

Mountain Plains Minority Supplier Development Council

GSA O�ce of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization

Procurement Technical Assistance Centers *

INTERNATIONAL TRADEInternational Trade Council of Greater Kansas City

KS Dept. of Commerce: Export Assistance and Marketing

MO DED International Trade and Investment O�ce

SBDCs

U.S. Dept. of Commerce/U.S. Commercial Service

World Trade Center-Kansas City

EQUITYCollaborative Capital

Dundee Venture Capital

Equity2 Impact Fund

Firebrand Ventures

First Business Bank investor group

iiM

Mid-America Angels

Network Kansas Multiplier Fund

Seed Capital Co-Investment Program

UMB Capital Corp.

Women’s Capital Connection

MEETUPS1 Million CupsBioKansas

Chambers of commerce *

GUILDitInnovateHERInnovation Exchange (Startland)Inventors Center of Kansas CityMulticultural Business CoalitionNorthland Co�ee ConnectSocial Media Club of Kansas CityStartup GrindStartup RewindKC Velocity

TRAINING

READINESS

SOCIAL NETWORKING

FEASIBILITY

STARTUP

PROOF-OF-CONCEPT CAPITAL

PROTOTYPE DEVELOPMENT

MARKET INTRO

ROLLOUT CAPITAL

EARLY-GROWTH PROGRAMS

INCUBATION

PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT

MENTORING

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

MARKET PENETRATION

EXPANSION CAPITAL

STAGE 1:

Inception | Idea

STAGE 2:

Market Intro

STAGE 3:

Rollout

STAGE 4:

Growth | Expansion

LEGEND

Innovation Line

for tech or high-growth companies

Main Street Line

for brick-and-mortar businesses

Microenterprise Line

for very small and/or online businesses

Second Stage Line

for established businesses poisedfor growth

Money Line

for businesses looking for capital to grow

Speak encouragingwords to overwhelmed

entrepreneurs.

Eating, drinking andmindful breathing

recommended.

Smoking-hot innovationsand disruptive

technologies welcomed.

Map is not to scale. Resources are larger than they appear.

© 2022-2023, Curators of the University of MissouriVersion 8, January 2022

READY TO CONNECT?kcsourcelink.com/myplan

816-235-6500

Hackathons

Startup Weekend

Whiteboard 2 Boardroom®

K-State Research and Extension

SBDCs

SCORE

The Toolbox: Small Business Resource Center

Women’s Business Center

LEGALEntrepreneurial Legal Services and Intellectual Property Clinic (UMKC)

KC Volunteer Lawyers & Accountants for the Arts

Registration, licenses and permits *

Black & Veatch MakerSpace at Johnson County Library

FabLab (MCC — Business & Technology)

GotDevKC

Hammerspace Community Workshop & Makerspace

Kansas Angel Tax Credit, KS Dept. of Commerce

SBIR Grant Phase II (SBDCs)

LOANSEDC Loan Corporation

Johnson County, Mo., Loan Fund

Midwest Small Business Finance

NetWork Kansas

Black Economic Union of Greater Kansas City

Charlotte Street Foundation

Ennovation Center

Incubator Kitchen at K-State Olathe

Innovation Stockyard

LOANSBanks

Capital Access CenterEQUITYConcentus Capital

Eldar Capital

Evergy Ventures

Flyover Capital

Fulcrum Global Capital

InvestMidwest Venture Capital Forum

KCRise Fund

Leawood Venture Capital

Novel Growth Partners

Royal Street Ventures

Sofia Angel Fund

Stray Dog Capital

Target Hill Capital

TechAccel

EQUITYB12 Capital Partners

C3 Capital

Five Elms Capital

Great Range Capital

Konza Valley Capital

MidStates Capital L.P.

Nueterra Capital

OpenAir Equity Partners

Open Prairie Ventures

Summit Equity Group

TGP Investments

Tradebot Ventures

K-State Technology Development Institute

GotDevKC

Financial opportunity centers *

Kansas City, Kansas, Entrepreneurial Resource and Training Center

Kau�man Founders School (online)

Pathway Financial Education

AltCap

Business plan competitions

Crowdfunding

Digital Sandbox KC

Generating Income for Tomorrow (GIFT)

Hispanic Economic Development Corporation

Justine PETERSEN microloan program

KITE-Proof of Concept Program (Kansas Department of Commerce)

Missouri TechLaunch

SBIR Grant Phase I (SBDCs)

ACCELERATORSbcp tech accelerator

Dairy Farmer's of America CoLAB Accelerator

IgniteX CleanTech Accelerator

LEANLAB Education

Social Venture Studio

T-Mobile Accelerator

Determination, Incorporated

ELEVATIONLAB™ Growth 360 (Missouri SBDC at UMKC)

Pipeline Pathways

The Porter House KC

Prospect Business Association

AltCap

EDCs *

CONCEPT

Libraries/research *

Generating Income for Tomorrow (GIFT)LISCSBA-backed loans *

GROWTH CAPITAL

ELEVATIONLAB™ GROWTH VENTURE (Missouri SBDC at UMKC)

Growth through Action Measurement & Engagement (GAME) (Kansas SBDC at JCCC)

Kansas Manufacturing Solutions

Mid-America Trade Adjustment Assistance Center

Missouri Enterprise

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENTMCC - Corporate College

MO DED Division of Workforce Development

Workforce Partnership

OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES

KCSOURCELINK℠ RESOURCE RAIL™ ECOSYSTEM MAP1 Million Cups

AltCap

Artist INC / Mid-America Arts Alliance

B12 Capital Partners

Banks

bcp tech accelerator

BioKansas

Black Economic Union of Greater Kansas City

Black & Veatch MakerSpace at Johnson County Library

Business Basics in a Day (Kansas SBDC at JCCC)

Business plan competitions

C3 Capital

Capital Access Center

Chambers of commerce *

Charlotte Street Foundation

Collaborative Capital

Concentus Capital

Crowdfunding

Dairy Farmer’s of America CoLAB Accelerator

Determination, Incorporated

Digital Sandbox KC

Dundee Venture Capital

Economic development corporations (EDCs) *

EDC Loan Corporation

Eldar Capital

ELEVATIONLAB™ Growth 360 (Missouri SBDC at UMKC)

ELEVATIONLAB™ GROWTH VENTURE (Missouri SBDC at UMKC)

ELEVATIONLAB™ NEW VENTURE (Missouri SBDC at UMKC)

ELEVATIONLAB™ TECH VENTURE (Missouri SBDC at UMKC)

Ennovation Center

Entrepreneurial Legal Services and Intellectual Property Clinic (UMKC)

Entrepreneurial Mindset Training (Missouri SBDC at UMKC)

Equity (superscript) 2 Impact Fund

E-Scholars Program (UMKC)

Evergy Ventures

FabLab (MCC — Business & Technology)

Financial opportunity centers *

Firebrand Ventures

First Business Bank investor group

Five Elms Capital

Flyover Capital

Free Enterprise Center at UMKC School of Computing and Engineering

Fulcrum Global Capital

Generating Income for Tomorrow (GIFT)

GotDevKC

Great Range Capital

Growth Mentoring Services (Enterprise Center of Johnson County)

Growth through Action Measurement & Engagement (GAME) (Kansas SBDC at JCCC)

GSA Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization

GUILDit

Hackathons

Hammerspace Community Workshop & Makerspace

Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program (HEMP)

Hispanic Economic Development Corporation (HEDC)

IgniteX CleanTech Accelerator

iiM

Incubator Kitchen at Kansas State University (K-State) Olathe

InnovateHER

Innovation Exchange (Startland)

Innovation Stockyard

International Trade Council of Greater Kansas City

InterUrban ArtHouse

Inventors Center of Kansas City

InvestMidwest Venture Capital Forum

Johnson County, Missouri, Loan Fund

Justine PETERSEN microloan program

Kansas Angel Tax Credit, Kansas Department of Commerce

Kansas City, Kansas, Entrepreneurial Resource and Training Center

Kansas Department of Commerce, Export Assistance and Marketing

Kansas Manufacturing Solutions

POINTS OF INTERESTKansas State University (K-State) Research and Extension

Kansas State University (K-State) Technology Development Institute

Kauffman FastTrac® (online)

Kauffman Founders School (online)

KCRise Fund

KC Velocity

KC Volunteer Lawyers & Accountants for the Arts

KITE-Proof of Concept Program (Kansas Department of Commerce)

Konza Valley Capital

LaunchU (Women’s Business Center)

LEANLAB Education

Leawood Venture Capital

Libraries/research *

LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation)

Metropolitan Community College (MCC) Corporate College

Mid-America Angels

Mid-America Trade Adjustment Assistance Center

MidStates Capital L.P.

Midwest Small Business Finance

Missouri DED International Trade and Investment Office

Missouri DED Division of Workforce Development

Missouri Enterprise

Missouri TechLaunch (MTC)

Mountain Plains Minority Supplier Development Council

Multicultural Business Coalition

NetWork Kansas

NetWork Kansas Multiplier Funds

Northland Coffee Connect

Novel Growth Partners

Nueterra Capital

OpenAir Equity Partners

Open Prairie Ventures

Pathway Financial Education

Pipeline

Pipeline Pathways

The Porter House KC

Primer Paso (HEDC)

Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs) *

Prospect Business Association

Registration, licenses and permits *

Royal Street Ventures

SBA-backed loans *

Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) *

ScaleUP! Kansas City (Missouri SBDC at UMKC)

SCORE

Seed Capital Co-Investment Program (MTC)

The Sewing Labs

Simple Steps for Starting a Business (SCORE)

Small Business Innovation Research Grant Phase I (SBIR) (SBDCs)

Small Business Innovation Research Grant Phase II (SBIR) (SBDCs)

Small Business Mentorship Program (The Porter House KC, Missouri SBDC at UMKC)

Social Media Club of Kansas City

Social Venture Studio

Sofia Angel Fund

Square One Small Business Services - Mid-Continent Public Library

Startup Grind

Startup Rewind

Startup Weekend

Stray Dog Capital

Summit Equity Group

Target Hill Capital

TechAccel

TGP Investments

T-Mobile Accelerator

The Toolbox: Small Business Resource Center

Tradebot Ventures

UMB Capital Corp.

U.S. Department of Commerce/U.S. Commercial Service

Whiteboard 2 Boardroom®

Women’s Business Center

Women’s Capital Connection

Workforce Partnership

World Trade Center-Kansas City

Find your type of business in the legend and follow your line to resources that will help you grow your business, from inception to exit.

* Flip to see the full list of resources in this category.