Co-Founder of Think Big Partners Sits in on Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program Panel

Helzberg is one of those names that you hear quite often in Kansas City.  After all, the company was founded here in 1915...and it has clearly stuck around.  And because of Helzberg Diamond's stellar Midwest reputation, community involvement, and entrepreneurial spirit, Think Big Partners loves connecting with the Helzberg business.

The founding of the Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program (HEMP) was inspired by Barnett Helzberg, Jr.'s mentoring relationship with Ewing Kauffman.  The program matches seasoned, successful entrepreneur mentors with less-experienced entrepreneur mentees. This week, with the help of other Kansas City entrepreneurial organizations, HEMP is featuring an educational series for those entrepreneurs looking to enhance their startup knowledge.

On Thursday, October 27, 2011, HEMP is featuring How to Present Your Business to Investors Workshop from 3:00-5:00 PM.  At the event, mentees are invited to network with other entrepreneurs and sit in on a presentation and panel with some of Kansas City's brightest and most experienced serial entrepreneurs. 

Panelists include Bill Love (BioStar Systems), Christine Walsh (InvestMidwest), Joel Wiggins (Enterprise Center of Johnson County) and our own Herb Sih of Think Big Partners. 

Giving the "perfect pitch" is one of the most important parts of an entrepreneurial venture.  Just getting in front of investors is a huge step, for that matter.  So when an entrepreneur presents to an investor, it's important that they get it right...the first time.  Which is the exact reason why HEMP has established this series--to help entrepreneurs succeed in Kansas City and beyond.  After all, the strength of our city could come from the development of new small businesses.  Let's start by mentoring some of the up-and-comers in the Kansas City area.

The Financing Growth Series Part 3 workshop (How to Present Your Business to Investors) starts at 3:00 on October 27 and will run until 5:00 PM.  Want to become a HEMP mentee or mentor and start getting involved in events just like this one?  Check out the HEMP website and apply for the mentoring program!

Written by Allison Way
@AllisonThinkBig

Big Business at Age 15: Youth Entrepreneurs

It's the volunteer opportunity for any entrepreneur: help a high schooler start a business!

Have you ever asked yourself, “Why didn’t I start this business earlier?” 

Of course you have.  Every entrepreneur wishes that they would have started just a little bit earlier.  But as many of you know, the hardest part of entrepreneurship is the first step.  The plunge.  The launch.  It’s a scary time.  And maybe you could have been more prepared for it.

Youth Entrepreneurs is now giving you the opportunity to help future entrepreneurs start earlier.  This organization teaches free enterprise fundamentals through hands-on experiences and encourages students to start their own businesses, enhance their business skills for future career opportunities and continue into higher education.  And now you can be a part of the experience.

Youth Entrepreneurs is seeking business professionals in Kansas and Missouri to become business plan advisors for local high school students. In this economy, donating money may be difficult, but donating a few hours of your time is a great alternative. Mentoring can make a huge difference in inspiring a student to succeed in their future business career. As a business plan advisor, your guidance can help shape the future generation of entrepreneurs.

In order to learn more about Youth Entrepreneurs and the incredible mentors that have joined the organization, I talked to Emily Morrow, a Youth Entrepreneurs business plan advisor and HR generalist at CommunityAmerica Credit Union. 

“[Youth Entrepreneurs] is a routine mentorship opportunity that lets me touch the lives of kids,” she says.  “[This organization] gives them hope.”

At CommunityAmerica Credit Union, Emily has plenty of volunteer opportunities.  In fact, CommunityAmerica Credit Union donated over 3,500 hours of volunteer work last year alone.  But when it came to choosing her volunteer path, Morrow decided to work with Youth Entrepreneurs because it allowed her to provide students with innovation and forward-thinking strategies. 

“These kids have a passion for their plans,” Morrow says.  “I want to help them think outside of the box.  The kids have great ideas and I want to help them expand on them because it could turn into a real-life future business for them.”

Are you doing your part in the Kansas/Missouri community this year?  If not, this is your opportunity to get out there and enhance the lives of children and the world of startups.  Get involved today! 

Written by Allison Way.  Allison is a writer for Think Big Partners.  To read more of Allison’s work, check out the Kansas City Entrepreneurship Examiner and her articles on Helium, eZine and BrooWaha.  Follow Allison! @AllisonThinkBig

How to Take Your Kansas City Business Mentoring to the Next Level

It has been proven that an entrepreneur can experience greater success when they have a business mentor by their side. A business mentor can provide guidance, advice, and even much-needed vent sessions. But where can you find a business mentor in Kansas City? And more importantly, how can you take your business mentoring to the next level?

Well, nobody ever said that a mentor has to be just one person, right?  And what better way to enhance your business than by utilizing the "two heads are better than one" strategy?  Or in this case, "three heads are better than two!" 

Utilizing more than one business mentor may be another key to business success. That is why The Kansas Small Business Development Center at Johnson County Community College has formulated the ever-popular CEO Roundtables. At these roundtables, CEOs and business leaders with companies over 5-years old (past the startup stage) are invited to sit in on a roundtable in which participators address issues, seize opportunities and overcome business obstacles. In essence, these roundtables are giant pods of mentors who are able to provide knowledge and expert advice. Led by a facilitator and entrepreneur, the collective knowledge and experience of the group provides for lively and effective discussions.

“The CEO Roundtable provides life-long learning so that people can build high performance businesses that are sustainable,” says Sally Smith, facilitator of the CEO Roundtable and Founder/CEO of Smith & Associates, Inc. “These businesses become each other’s advisors and help one another get outside of the box.”

With expertise with high performance companies, Smith reiterates the importance of business mentors and how they can strengthen any business, no matter how large or small it may be. “Leadership is leadership and business is business,” she says. “The industry that these businesses come from is not as important as helping one another solve the problems at hand.”

Tomorrow, from 8:00AM until 10:00AM, the Kansas Small Business Development Center at Johnson County Community College is hosting one of these CEO Roundtables to help a rich variety of businesses answer the question “How do you work on your business, not in your business?” The participating businesses will discuss the importance of strategic planning through a formalized process that is more than just an open format. During this two-hour roundtable, business leaders will be able to lean on one another for opinions, advice, suggestions, and solutions about the ever-changing business environment around the world.

“In today’s age, a leader must understand that business and technology are always changing,” Smith says. “The CEO Roundtable helps keep things fresh and refreshed. It adds to the knowledge of business leaders.”

If you’re interested in joining a CEO Roundtable, please fill out an application or call 913-469-3878. All attendees of the roundtable must fill out an application and pay the event fee. To learn more about the CEO Roundtable events, visit KCSourceLink.

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 check out the Kansas City Entrepreneurship Examiner.

As part of our countdown to the New Year, Think Big Partners would like to know what entrepreneurs want to see happen in the Kansas City community in 2011. Take our poll at the top of this blog and let us know!