Nominate Your Favorite Small Business for the "Mr. K" Small Business of the Year Award

The Kansas City Chamber of Commerce is on the hunt for the best small business in the region—also known as the “Mr. K” Small Business of the Year. This year marks the 25th Anniversary of the Small Business Celebration in which the “Mr. K” Award is included in. This celebration identifies the region’s best companies today and highlights the history of success for our small business award winners over the years. But how does the KC Chamber decide who the “Mr. K” Award goes to? What does it mean to be “Mr. K”? And most importantly, how can your small business get nominated?

In order to answer these questions, I had the opportunity to correspond with Brande Stitt, Director of Small Business and Entrepreneurship for the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce to get her input on the importance of the “Mr. K” Award during the Small Business Celebration.

What are the qualifications to be nominated for the “Mr. K” Small Business of the Year award?
There are four main qualifications in order to be nominated for the award. The small business must employ fewer than 250 employees, must have been in business for more than three years, must have majority ownership in the Kansas City area, and must exemplify the business principles of the late entrepreneur and philanthropist Ewing Marion Kauffman.

How does the Chamber decide who wins the “Mr. K” Small Business of the Year award?
We expect to receive over 1,000 nominations this year and those companies will have the opportunity to submit an application for our Small Business of the Year Award. We select the winner based on business growth or sustainability, how they treat their employees and a commitment to community service. Our judges try to follow the basic tenets that Ewing Marion Kauffman espoused for successful business development.

Who won the award last year?
With over 1,100 businesses nominated last year, defining one winner was tough. In the end, the “Mr. K” Small Business of the Year award went to the Athletic & Rehabilitation Center.

A word from Matt Condon, CEO of the Athletic & Rehabilitation Center:

“The Mr. K Small Business of the Year award is an experience that I, and ARC, will never forget. We have been overwhelmed by the congratulatory wishes that we continue to receive on a weekly basis, and elated by the exposure the award has given us as a company. What makes this award so special is that it is as much a recognition of how you have done things as it is about what you have accomplished. To be nominated, and to win, represents both a challenge to remain committed to Mr. K’s ideals of intelligence, integrity, and team work, and a profound honor that we will continue to celebrate for years to come.”

How do I nominate a business?
Hurry! The nomination deadline is December 1st, which gives you only a few more days to nominate your favorite small business for the award. The nomination form can be found on the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s website. All nominees will receive a note from The Chamber informing them of the nomination and inviting them to submit a formal application.

What else can we expect from the Kansas City Chamber during the Small Business Celebration and how can it help entrepreneurship in Kansas City?
We’re most excited to be celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Small Business Celebration. What started as an awards luncheon event in 1986 is now three months of events with over 3,000 participants each year. Our hope for the 25th Anniversary is to highlight the strength of small business and entrepreneurs in our community and look at their contributions to Kansas City’s growth over the last 25 years.

For more information, contact Brande Stitt, director of small business and entrepreneurship at stitt@kcchamber.com. Be sure to nominate your favorite small business by December 1st and help us to reward the hard-working small businesses of Kansas City and its surrounding areas! Thanks for Thinking Big!


Written by Allison Way.  Allison is a writer and videographer for Think Big Partners and bizperc, two of Kansas City's newest entrepreneurial resources.  To read more of Allison's work, check out the Kansas City Entrepreneurship Examiner. 

The Secrets of Effective Marketing to be Revealed at The AAF-KC's "Entrepreneur's Exchange"

The Kansas City chapter of the American Advertising Federation (AAF-KC) is hosting an event to benefit local KC entrepreneurs in the attempt to answer many of the marketing- and advertising-related questions that small business owners struggle to answer.  The event is called The Entrepreneur’s Exchange—a unique opportunity to meet some of Kansas City’s smartest self-starters who have dedicated themselves to carrying on that tradition and hear their perspective on how marketing continues to help build small businesses.

The Entrepreneur’s Exchange allows Kansas City entrepreneurs to pick the brains of featured panelists and engage in important entrepreneurial discussions.  The topics of the panel will include the development process, the marketing and advertising strategies that business owners have implemented, how each one views marketing and how it is changing in our economic and social conditions, and what a business should look for when working with a marketing partner.  The panelists include:

• Danny O’Neill – Bean Baron from The Roasterie
• Jigger James – founder of Repairs Unlimited
• John Nohe – president of j•n•a advertising
• Patrice Maneul – owner of P/Strada Management Consulting
• And others!

Since 1902, the American Advertising Federation of Kansas City has played an active role in the advertising, marketing and communications industry in the greater Kansas City area.  Serving as a forum to develop a better understanding of the values of the industry, AAF-KC is dedicated to good fellowship and a free exchange of ideas among its members.  The Entrepreneur's Exchange is just one of the many events that the 600-member-strong AAF-KC organization holds each year.

Julie Parker, senior account manager of Meers Advertising, notes that The Entrepreneur's Exchange is a great way to continue the growth of Kansas City entrepreneurship.  "The city we live in is a hot bed for new business ventures and offers the support and resources necessary to start companies," she says.  "Just look at H&R Block, Hallmark, Helzberg.  These are major brands who started right here in Kansas City and continue to make a difference in our community.  As advertisers and marketers, it's important for us to understand how these entrepreneurs think and how we can help them grow their business."  

The Entrepreneur’s Exchange will take place on December 9, 2010 from 5:30-7:30PM at Department Zero (111 W. 20^th Street in Kansas City, Missouri).  Member’s price is $10.00 and non-member’s price is $20.00.  To learn more about The Entrepreneur's Exchange, visit the AAF-KC site.  

A big thanks to the American Advertising Federation of Kansas City in their effort to spread the importance of entrepreneurship, and to those panelists whose advice and guidance can help future Kansas City small business owners and entrepreneurs!  Way to Think Big!

Written by Allison Way.  Allison is a writer and videographer for Think Big Partners and bizperc, two of Kansas City’s newest entrepreneurial resources.  To read more of Allison’s work, check out the Kansas City Entrepreneurship Examiner.  

Entrepreneurs and Thanksgiving: What You Should Be Thankful For

Although to many entrepreneurs, Thanksgiving means a day off of work, a 4,000 calorie meal and relaxing time with family.  But in reality, the holiday couldn’t speak more true to the hard work of an entrepreneur—not their limited time off.  Thanksgiving is—of course—all about saying thanks to the things that we are most grateful for.  For entrepreneurs, that could be a successful small business, the wonderful people we have the opportunity to work with, or our families that support us along the way. 

Thanksgiving is all about the best American qualities – hard work, diversity, strength, and finding effective solutions to problems.  These, in effect, are the same qualities that are the cornerstones of successful entrepreneurship.  When the Pilgrims were invited to the harvest by the Wampanoag Indians in 1621, it was an invitation to survive the first winter in the New World.  The Pilgrims owed their survival to the goodwill of the Indians, who had taught them how to grow corn and how to fish in the very unfamiliar New England soil and seas.  This took guts, tenacity, a sense of adventure and just unbelievable hard work and perseverance among everyone.  And isn’t that, in a nutshell, what entrepreneurship is all about? 

So today, entrepreneurs, give thanks.  Give thanks to what you have become and give thanks to where you are going.  Give thanks that this nation has provided you with the ambition of a great American Dream.  Give thanks for the time that you can spend with your family.  Give thanks that you are given the opportunity to strengthen the American economy.  And finally, give thanks that you have the gift of Thinking Big.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Written by Allison Way.  Allison is a writer and videographer for Think Big Partners and bizperc, two of Kansas City's newest entrepreneurial resources.  To read more of Allison's work, check out the Kansas City Entrepreneurship Examiner.

Apple iPads, Nikon Digital Cameras, and Diamond Earrings-- But One Gift Stands Out More Than the Rest on Oprah's Ultimate Favorite Things 2010

Imagine winning an Apple iPad, a Royal Caribbean cruise, five years of Netflix, diamond earrings,  a Nikon digital camera, and a brand new 2012 Volkswagon Beetle all in one sitting.  If it sounds too good to be true, it’s actually not.  These were just a few of the items on Oprah’s Ultimate Favorite Things 2010 which truly became the “Ultimate” holiday giveaway as the audience left the studio with thousands of dollars worth of free merchandise, perks, and incredible gifts. 

Oprah knows what the season for giving is all about.  And with Thanksgiving around the corner, and Christmas not too far after, it is important to keep in mind the important things in life—and most of these things are not 2011 Volkswagon Beetles and a cruise for the whole family.  Oprah knows that giving back this holiday season does not necessarily mean giving away a bunch of free gifts—but giving away a gift that can change lives.

Among the shrieks of every stay-at-home mom, the tears of joy of every person in the audience, and the jumping up-and-down of every prize winner, there was a gift from Oprah that mattered most of all.  This year, one of Oprah’s Favorite Things 2010 was Kiva, a company that “gives loans to change lives.”

Check out Groupon.com/Kiva to give back to the
entrepreneurial community this season!

Kiva is a company that empowers individuals to lend money to entrepreneurs across the globe.  By combining microfinance with online opportunities, Kiva has created a global community of people connected through online lending.  Kiva’s focus on partnership relationships, accountability through loans rather than donations, and transparency through the free flow of communication make Kiva an aspiring entrepreneur’s dream capital-raising resource.  

Oprah honored Kiva for their outstanding work in supporting those entrepreneurs who aspire to build their own communities by including the company on the list of Oprah’s Ultimate Favorite Things 2010.  In addition, Oprah helped Kiva to launch an exciting new deal.  This weekend, new Kiva users can visit Groupon.com/Kiva to buy $25 of Kiva credit for only $15.  This way, anybody can help lend money to those entrepreneurs who are striving for their dreams this holiday season. 

Check out Groupon.com/Kiva or Kiva.org to learn more about this deal and to lend your money to those aspiring entrepreneurs who continue to Think Big and strive to build a better tomorrow.

Written by Allison Way.  Allison is a writer and videographer for Think Big Partners and bizperc, two of Kansas City's newest entrepreneurial resources.  To read more of Allison's work, check out the Kansas City Entrepreneurship Examiner.

Joe Calhoon's "The 1 Hour Plan For Growth" Becomes an Amazon Bestseller! Reiterates the Importance of Social Media, Business Planning and Networking

Joe Calhoon and his team received some good news last Tuesday—Calhoon’s new book, The 1 Hour Plan for Growth – How a Single Sheet of Paper Can Take Your Business to the Next Level, became a bestseller on Amazon.com as many entrepreneurs in Kansas City and even more across the nation purchased the effective business planning book and put its contents to good use.

Just one day before The 1 Hour Plan for Growth became an Amazon Bestseller, Joe Calhoon hosted a kickoff luncheon at bizperc, where Kansas City movers and shakers were invited to congratulate Calhoon and his team, network with others, and listen to beneficial advice from seasoned entrepreneurs.  As a byproduct of this successful luncheon, and with the incorporation of effective marketing skills, social networking strategies, and the development of a well-written book, The 1 Hour Plan for Growth became a national success. 

Joe Calhoon honors the many contributors of his new book during
Monday's luncheon at bizperc.

Become one of the many entrepreneurs who have purchased The 1 Hour Plan for Growth and have learned just what it takes to grow and plan a new successful business!  Entrepreneurs and small business owners everywhere have noted that the book is extremely beneficial for those who need aid in effective business planning.  To purchase The 1 Hour Plan for Growth or to learn more about the book, check out http://www.the1hourplanforgrowth.com/ and start growing your new business today! 

Written by Allison Way.  Allison is a writer and videographer for Think Big Partners and bizperc, two of Kansas City’s newest entrepreneurial resources.  To read more of Allison’s work, please visit the Kansas City Entrepreneurship Examiner.  

Buy Joe Calhoon's "The 1 Hour Plan for Growth" on November 16th to Learn How Kansas City Small Business Can Revitalize the Economy

Joe Calhoon, a noted business strategist, author, and keynote speaker, is a firm believer that in order to restart and revitalize the economy, it is necessary for small businesses to grow, flourish, and succeed.  This is why Calhoon has written his third book, The 1 Hour Plan for Growth – How a Single Sheet of Paper Can Take Your Business to the Next Level; to emphasize the importance of a simplified planning process and to provide a proven system for any business—whether in Kansas City or San Francisco—to create a compelling one-page business plan in one hour.

What is The 1 Hour Plan for Growth about?

The 1 Hour Plan for Growth is a book dedicated to the business growth planning process.  With the book’s three-step approach to growing small businesses, Calhoon proves that entrepreneurs can improve their own companies while striving towards the American Dream.

The 1 Hour Plan for Growth covers the six essential elements of the dynamic business growth plan including vision, mission, values, objectives, strategies and priorities.  In addition, Calhoon incorporates his own experiences such as working with dozens of successful small business owners, innovators, and entrepreneurs to develop effective business plans that will help to jumpstart their businesses and today’s deteriorating economy.

How can The 1 Hour Plan for Growth help revitalize the economy?

The 1 Hour Plan for Growth capitalizes on the notion that small business—not the government—will save American jobs through the individual bootstrapping techniques of hard work and ingenuity.  In other words, it is the Big Thinking of entrepreneurs and small businesses owners that can save today’s deteriorating economy.  When entrepreneurs focus on their business’s plan for growth, not only are they helping to save their companies, but they are also helping to restore the economy.

How can The 1 Hour Plan for Growth help Kansas City entrepreneurs?

With the book’s three-step approach to growing small businesses, Calhoon proves that entrepreneurs can reinvent, revitalize and restart the economy by improving their own companies and striving for the American Dream.  Since Joe Calhoon is a Kansas City business leader himself, he is able to explain the ins-and-outs of Kansas City entrepreneurship in The 1 Hour Plan for Growth as he covers the process to engage employees, develop leadership capacity, improve performance, and accelerate growth.

Who is Joe Calhoon?

Joe Calhoon is a Kansas City entrepreneur—just like many of you!  And because Calhoon has “been there, done that”, he knows the ins-and-outs of Kansas City entrepreneurship. Because of his wide success, Joe Calhoon has become a noted business strategist, author, and keynote speaker.  In the past 25 years, he has worked with more than 500 organizations such as 3M, Best Buy, Northwestern Mutual Life, and Ritz-Carlton Hotels to develop leaders, improve organizational performance, and achieve business growth.

How and when should I buy the book?

Kansas City entrepreneurs—and entrepreneurs around the globe—are encouraged to purchase The 1 Hour Plan for Growth on November 16, 2010 from Amazon.com.  When small business owners, entrepreneurs, business leaders, and innovators purchase the book on this date, they will help to boost the book’s bestselling status on.  Joe Calhoon and his team need anywhere from 3,000-5,000 books sold by November 16^th in order to snag the top position.  Help Joe Calhoon reach his own American Dream and increase your business’s chances of development and growth as well as the revitalization of the economy—buy The 1 Hour Plan for Growth!

Think Big Partners would personally like to thank Joe Calhoon and his team for providing such an informational and inspiring book.  It is people such as Calhoon who can help teach the world to develop small business, better the economy, and of course, Think Big! 

To learn more about Joe Calhoon and The 1 Hour Plan for Growth, please visit www.The1HourPlanForGrowth.com (official site to launch soon).


Written by Allison Way.  Allison Way is a writer and videographer for Think Big Partners and bizperc, two of Kansas City's newest entrepreneurial resources.  To read more of Allison's work, check out the Kansas City Entrepreneurship Examiner.  

Top 10 Inspirational Movies for Entrepreneurs--The Social Network, The Pursuit of Happyness, and Many More!

Need an easy way to gain some inspiration this weekend?  Well pop the popcorn, grab a soda, and sit yourself down on the couch.  Here are the Top 10 Movies that can motivate any entrepreneur!

1. The Social Network

“You don't get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies.”

The Social Network follows the success story of Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook and his trials and tribulations of his work life, social life, and social networking life.  Jenna Busch of the Huffington Post classifies this movie as "a study of one man, what drives him and what success can do to you."  And although many reviews state that The Social Network is about the inescapable need for acceptance, the movie, as a whole, is also a statement of the importance of social media as well as the power of a "good idea." 

2. Pursuit of Happyness 

“If you want somethin', go get it. Period.”
In 1981, in San Francisco, the smart salesman and family man Chris Gardner invested the family savings in Ostelo National bone-density scanners, an apparatus twice more expensive than x-ray with practically the same resolution. The white elephant financially breaks the family, bringing troubles to the relationship with his wife that leaves him and moves to New York. Without money and wife, but totally committed with his son Christopher, Chris sees the chance to fight for a stockbroker internship position at Dean Witter, disputing for one career in the end of six months training period without any salary with other twenty candidates. Meanwhile, homeless, he has all sorts of difficulties with his son.

3. Jerry Maguire

“The journey is everything.”
Jerry Maguire used to be a typical sports agent: willing to do just about anything he could to get the biggest possible contracts for his clients, plus a nice commission for himself. Then, one day, he suddenly has second thoughts about what he’s really doing. When he voices these doubts, he ends up losing his job and all of his clients, save Rod Tidwell, an egomaniacal football player. Can Jerry resurrect his career while still staying true to himself?

4. WallStreet (1987)

“Every dream has a price.”

Bud Fox is a Wall Street stockbroker in early 1980′s New York with a strong desire to get to the top. Fox finally meets with extremely successful (but ruthless and greedy) broker Gordon Gekko, who takes the youth under his wing and explains his philosophy that “Greed is Good”. Taking the advice and working closely with Gekko, Fox soon finds himself swept into a world of “yuppies”, shady business deals, the “good life”, fast money, and fast women; something which is at odds with his family including his estranged father and the blue-collared way Fox was raised.

5. Office Space

“The 9-5 may not get you very far.”

Peter Gibbons is a cubicle-dwelling employee stuck in the rat race. His girlfriend is cheating on him, he has an obnoxious neighbor, and he’s completely miserable with his job as a small cog in a company called Initech. Then he visits a hypnotherapist, who put Peter into a state of complete bliss. Free of worrying about making a living, he no longer feels the need to keep his job, just as the company is going through a massive downsizing. However, his new attitude only makes him more valuable in the company’s eyes.

6. Boiler Room

“There’s no such thing as making too much money or taking too many risks.”

A morally decent college dropout finds himself at conflict with his harsh federal judge father. From running a profitable underground casino, he gets a job as a stock broker and gets on the fast track to success. The firm is full of hard-nosed young go-getters striving to make it rich. Only things take a turn for the worst when he learns that his job isn’t what’s it cracked up to be.

7. Rudy

“Sometimes a winner is a dreamer who just won’t quit.”

Rudy is a true story about Dan Ruettiger, an aspiring Notre Dame football player and his struggles to make it. Rudy grew up in a steel mill town where most people invested a lifetime into hard labor. With poor grades, mediocre athletic skill, and half the physical size of the other players, Rudy shows he can overcome all challenges with spirit and drive

8. Forrest Gump

“Life is like a box of chocolates.  You never know what you’re gonna get.”
A man with a low IQ has accomplished great things in his life and been present during significant historic events – in each case, far exceeding what anyone imagined he could do. Yet, despite all the things he has attained, his one true love eludes him. “Forrest Gump” is the story of a man who rose above his challenges, and who proved that determination, courage, and love are more important than ability.

9. A Beautiful Mind

“The only thing greater than the power of the mind is the courage of the heart.”
From the heights of notoriety to the depths of depravity, John Forbes Nash, Jr. experienced it all. A mathematical genius, he made an astonishing discovery early in his career and stood on the brink of international acclaim. But the handsome and arrogant Nash soon found himself on a painful and harrowing journey of self-discovery. After many years of struggle, he eventually triumphed over his tragedy, and finally – late in life – received the Nobel Prize.

10. Startup.com

“The rise and fall of the American Dream.”

Friends since high school, 20-somethings Kaleil Isaza Tuzman and Tom Herman have an idea: a Web site for people to conduct business with municipal governments. This documentary tracks the rise and fall of govWorks.com from May of 1999 to December of 2000, and the trials the business brings to the relationship of these best friends. Kaleil raises the money, Tom’s the technical chief, and a third partner wants a buy out. The constant need for cash and for improving the site brings venture capital in by the millions. Kaleil is on C-SPAN, CNN, and magazine covers. Will the business or the friendship crash first?

(Most summaries developed from BradleyWill.com). 

What movies inspire YOU to get out there and pursue your dreams?  We invite you to please comment below!  

Written by Allison Way.  Allison is a writer and videographer for Think Big Partners and bizperc, two of Kansas City’s newest entrepreneurial resources.  To read more of Allison’s work, check out the Kansas City Entrepreneurship Examiner.

Joe Calhoon Celebrates "1 Hour Plan For Growth" Book Launch with Kansas City Entrepreneurs and Jack Stack Barbecue Partner, Case Dorman

On Monday, business strategist and author Joe Calhoon brought together numerous successful Kansas City entrepreneurs to celebrate the launch of his new business book, "The 1 Hour Plan for Growth".  The luncheon, catered by a Kansas City barbecue favorite, Jack Stack Barbecue, took place at the recently-launched KC event space, bizperc6 in the Crossroads District.

Joe Calhoon discusses "The 1 Hour Plan for Growth" with
fellow Kansas City entrepreneurs.

During the luncheon, various entrepreneurs from the Kansas City area were invited to lunch, network, and congratulate Joe Calhoon and his team.  During the event, Calhoon recognized and honored a majority of his team as well as an abundance of successful entrepreneurs that came to give their support and congratulations.  The lunch also featured a question-and-answer session with the Managing General Partner of Jack Stack Barbecue, Case Dorman--a leader in some of the best barbecue in Kansas City.  During the question-and-answer session, the crowd was given advice about how to stay in business through products, passion, and people, and were informed about the Jack Stack startup process and its future.

"The 1 Hour Plan for Growth" luncheon took place at bizperc6,
Think Big Partner's new event space in the Crossroads District.

Kansas City entrepreneurs (and entrepreneurs around the globe) are encouraged to purchase The 1 Hour Plan for Growth from Amazon.com.  When small business owners, entrepreneurs, business leaders, and innovators purchase the book, they will help to boost the book’s bestselling status.  Joe Calhoon and his team need anywhere from 3,000-5,000 books sold in order to snag the top position on Amazon.com.  Help Joe Calhoon reach his own American Dream and increase your business’s chances of development and growth as well as the revitalization of the economy—buy The 1 Hour Plan for Growth!

Joe Calhoon and Drew Hiss, producer of Crossing Rivers,
enjoy the Jack Stack Barbecue buffet at the luncheon.

Think Big Partners would personally like to thank Joe Calhoon and his team for providing such an informational and inspiring book.  It is people such as Calhoon who can help teach the world to develop small business, better the economy, and of course, Think Big! 

Written by Allison Way, writer and videographer for Think Big Partners and bizperc, two of Kansas City's newest entrepreneurial resources.  To read more of Allison's work, visit the Kansas City Entrepreneurship Examiner.  

Global Entrepreneurship Week: Imagine What Your Business Can Learn From 100 Countries, 10 Million People, and 40,000 Events...in One Week

The more the merrier, right?  The more people that attend a networking event, the more opportunities you have to make the perfect business connection.  The more people you interact with in a day, the more advice you can gain about your next big business idea.  The more people that come in to utilize your business, the more successful your business becomes.  

That's the idea behind Global Entrepreneurship Week: and with 100 countries, 10 million people, 40,000 and one extremely cool week-- entrepreneurs cannot help but celebrate the impact of numbers and the notion of "the more the merrier!"  

Happy Global Entrepreneurship Week, entrepreneurs!  This is the week to celebrate everything entrepreneur: from innovation to creation, from moving to shaking, from idea to successful business.  With over a dozen entrepreneurial events happening this week in Kansas City, a budding or seasoned entrepreneur cannot go wrong by attending some of the extremely beneficial GEW events.  But there is an even better way to celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week—start up your own business today!

Kansas City entrepreneurs and small business owners can find total inspiration from a week-long celebration like Global Entrepreneurship Week.  By attending many of Global Entrepreneurship Week’s Kansas City events, such as Entrepreneurs in Motion, Central Exchange’s Celebration of Women Entrepreneurs, and the Fourth Annual Kansas City Small and Home Business Connection Expo, future entrepreneurs can gain beneficial advice and develop effective business ideas. 

With the involvement of 100 countries, 10 million people and the inclusion of 40,000 events, Global Entrepreneurship Week truly is a global movement that unleashes new ideas.  In a nutshell, GEW is a gigantic collaborative opportunity.  Since millions and millions of people are coming together for the event, Global Entrepreneurship Week is proof of the benefit of numbers.  Collaboration brings businesses together, molds creative ideas, and connects the most interesting and fast-paced people in this world—entrepreneurs. 

So, why not start today, entrepreneurs?  Find inspiration in one of the many Kansas City Global Entrepreneurship Week events and get started today—there’s no time like the present to think big, jumpstart your business idea and get going on a new successful business.  

Written by Allison Way.  Allison is a writer and videographer for Think Big Partners and bizperc, two of Kansas City's newest entrepreneurial resources.  To read more of Allison's work, check out the Kansas City Entrepreneurship Examiner.