Q&A with Dominic Scalise of Startup KC CO.

The Kansas City startup scene is growing every day. We often think of startups strictly as technological entities, but the true essence of any startup is entrepreneurship. Kansas City is unique for many reasons, but perhaps one of the most startling things about the city is that it has a vast spectrum of entrepreneurs, each deserving recognition for the work they do.

One such example is the brainchild of Dominic Scalise, age 25, and Austin Lyon, age 23. The Kansas City natives founded rapidly-growing handmade product company KC CO. KC CO. combines Midwestern work ethic with 21^st century market strategy to create stellar, relevant and quality products.

While their intentionally minimalistic product line of leather goods – choose from a belt, wallet, iPad case or keychain – KC CO. is able to manage the quality of each and every hand-cut and hand-stitched piece. With keen eyes for design, a deep understanding of marketing, a commitment to ethical business and the passion to thrive under pressure, the creators of KC CO. have created something phenomenal: a 21^st century business model with a dedication to relationships. I was fortunate enough to meet with KC CO. co-founder Dominic Scalise to hear more.

Dominic Scalise sat down with TBP to talk about KC CO.

TBP:  How did this all start?

DOMINIC:  Basically, Austin and I became friends during college. Turns out we were both big wristwatch guys, and it’s kind of hard to find other people into that at our age. Austin was making leather watch straps belts. The stuff he was making was really quality stuff. I’ve always been hands-on and I’ve always loved working with my hands, so he gave me a few tips on how to make this stuff. I gave it a shot and made a belt, and it was hideous and I loved it. I wore the hell out of it. I was so proud. And after that I was just hooked. The more I made the better I got and that excited me, because then it started looking like I had visualized it in my head.

At this time I was working at a software company doing sales, feeling really unfulfilled in a cubicle. Every night I came home I went straight to work on the leather, trying to get better and better. That was what excited me, and I was trying to figure out a way to make this work. Suddenly, people just started asking me about the products, wanting to buy it, and that sparked an idea. I thought, ‘Maybe we could make this work.’ So last march I took a day off of work, went to a café, set up an LLC and we were off to the races.

TBP:  Why did you decide to create leather products?

DOMINIC:  Quality is our biggest thing. We want to create something that can last a lifetime. Leather is also easy to work with, and it’s accessible. Logistically, it was easier for us to figure out how to make a wallet or a briefcase than a sweater or coat.

TBP:  What separates your product from other leather products?

DOMINIC:  All the leather we used is natural, vegetable-tanned leather, which is different than the chrome-tanned leather that most companies use. Because our product is more natural, it ages really beautifully and develops what’s called a patina that’s just stunning. The contrast between the worn and unworn parts is very drastic, and it starts out really light and turns a beautiful dark color over time. We’re making the product but the person is making it theirs.

Left: new iPad case and wallet; Right: iPad case and wallet after regular use

TBP:  How long does each product take you to make?

DOMINIC:  I don’t really keep track because I spend way too much time on it already. The iPad cases and wallets take the most time, with a belt taking me up to an hour. But this briefcase I brought with me today took over 24 hours to create over a period of days.

TBP:  You produce a completely hand-made product, which takes a lot of time. Has the speed of your growth been an issue?

DOMINIC:  Absolutely. That’s the main thing for us right now. We intentionally launched with four products. I had way more in mind and we could have done more, but I wanted just the essentials. Moving from the four products into the big stuff, like this briefcase, would be huge for us. Making it work time-wise will consist of hiring more people and buying leather sewing machines. I’d love to produce a hand-stitched briefcase but it’s a lot of work for anyone. The dilemma is going from the four products, which we have down pat, to teaching all new people how to do all that and add bigger products while maintaining the quality standard. We also want to branch off from leather into different materials in the future. It was never meant to be just a leather company. The leather products are so we can establish a reputation for quality, but we have plans for expansion.

TBP:  You’ve established KC CO. as a wholly Midwestern, local brand. How have people responded to that?

DOMINIC:  It’s very exciting. We’re both born and raised in the Midwest. Everything always happens on the coasts, so it’s exciting to come up with a twist on an idea, especially something as Midwestern as leather-working. We’re putting a minimalist spin on it, so pushing out new design from the heart of the country is exciting for us. It’s really exciting to see Kansas City getting behind it, and a lot of people are getting excited about it. People are representing us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and blogs, which is really flattering. It seems that if anyone in Kansas City goes out on a limb and tries something, people like it and get excited about it and that’s really cool. I’ve been going to 1 Million Cups, and that’s a place where people are really passionate about helping entrepreneurs.

TBP:  Who buys KC CO. products?

DOMINIC:  Most of our sales come from the coasts and overseas, not the Midwest. I was expecting it to be the opposite. We’ve had customers from France, Singapore, all over the board. In the United States, most of our sales come from California and New York. I think we’ll start to see more local sales once we start selling our products in local stores here.

TBP:  What has been one of the most memorable moments with your startup so far?

DOMINIC:  I was in St. Louis for Christmas visiting my grandfather, who we call Papa Pinecone. My dad’s side is smaller Italians, and my mom’s side is full of massive, burly men. Papa Pinecone is on my mom’s side, 6’ 4”, deep voice. He had a huge impact on me with learning how to work with my hands. This man taught me how to chop wood, how to challenge a deer to a fight, how to build a birdhouse, gave me sharpening stones for my knives. He is the epitome of a man, and he told me that he really wanted to buy a belt from me. I told him I’d send him one for free, and he said, ‘No, I want to fund your enterprise. Please allow me the pleasure of paying full price for your product.’ It was one of the best feelings ever.

TBP:  What would you say to anyone in the community thinking of taking an entrepreneurial leap?

DOMINIC:  If you have a passion, then do everything you can to make it happen. There are so many people I know who would rather be doing something else but aren’t pursuing it, and you can just tell that they’re drained. The second I put in my two-week notice at my sales job, I was so thrilled and rejuvenated. The first week after I left my job, I didn’t set my alarm. I was waking up on my own before seven AM, just so excited to get at it. If you have a passion, you’re doing yourself an injustice not to pursue it.

KC CO. is a company hand-built by passionate entrepreneurs, and is poised to become a premier Kansas City brand in time. We’re rooting for them, and we hope you are too. To find out more, visit KCCOUSA.com.

 

Chicago Startup Puts Health in Your Own Hands (and Stomach)

By now, we are all aware of the evils of high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavoring. These ingredients plague virtually everything in our diet, contributing to widespread health issues such as obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

But you wouldn’t expect these unhealthy ingredients to be in nutrition bars—but shockingly, they often are.  The number of big-name energy and nutrition bars brimming with complex sugars, saturated fat and unnecessary calories is higher than you might think. 

Luckily for us bar-eaters, the founders of Element Bars couldn’t stand it anymore. After experiencing disheartening bouts with mid-morning energy crashes and not-so-natural flavors, Chicago natives Jonathan, Jonathan and Marie decided to take matters into their own hands.  Say hello to new Chicago startup Element Bars. 

Bye-bye Frustration:

The three creators of Element Bars began a business that not only ensures natural food products, but also caters to each and every particular human body it serves. Understanding that nutrition is deeply personal and dependant upon individual bodily needs, the brains behind Element Bars give their clients the tools they need to devise nutrition bars that best meet their own tastes and requirements.

By visiting elementbars.com, clients are able to discover what sorts of nutrients their bodies need, creating bars that contain these ingredients.  Then, customers can order them to be delivered right to their doorsteps.

The website gives its visitors a wide range of options and provides them with a set of tools that help produce the perfect bar. Through a variety of questionnaires, clients are able to discover what sort of nutrition bar they need for how they want to look or what type of exercise they want to pursue.

There’s a bar for everyone—whether you want a little sustenance to last you until your lunch break or you need nutrients to get you through a marathon. The website guides you through a step-by-step process that lists ingredient options and informs you on what components would be best for whatever your purpose may be.

Behaving Naturally:

What makes Element Bars so great is the company’s wide variety of tasty and healthy ingredient options. Clients have plenty of selections to create their ideal bar and every one of these options is completely natural.

The excellent ingredient choices make for a delicious bar and there’s no need to worry about hidden calories or strange additives you can’t even pronounce. As you create your bar, the website informs you about the nutritional content of each and every component you add. It even goes so far as to inform you when your bar is taking a turn in a less healthy direction.

As you would imagine, complex sugars are not part of the equation with Element Bars. If you do choose to add something sweet to your bar, you have nothing to fear. Element Bars offers sweeteners such as honey, agave syrup, and brown rice syrup, which are not only healthier for you but are also crash-proof. The options you have to choose from ensure that your body absorbs the sugar at a slower rate, giving you more energy for a longer period of time.

If you feel like adding a little further punch to your recipe, there are also extra all-natural supplements to choose from that give you anything from an energy boost to large dose of protein. With ingredients such as egg white and chicory root, you can add protein and fiber to your bar in a purely natural and simple way.

Element Bars seem like such a great idea that you might wonder how no one had come up with the concept before this Chicago team did. Your body deserves all-natural excellence and with new startup Element Bars making waves in Chicago and beyond, you can finally have it.   

5 Innovation Contests and Hackathons that Spurred New Products

In the tech startup world, innovation happens all the time. Innovation is a resource that the world can always use more of, and like any resource, it must be harvested. To harvest the energy of the sun, you need solar panels. If you want to turn the air into electricity, you need wind turbines. If you want to turn innovative ideas in profitable businesses, you need hackathons.

Hackathons embody everything that is fantastic about the tech startup world. Hackathons take place when a handful (or many, many more) like-minded individuals come together, take time out of their days and build amazing new companies and apps just for the sake of building. But there are some pretty jaw-dropping benefits to hackathons that justify the time and energy spent organizing and participating in these events.

There are a variety of different hackathons that have spurred hundreds of great innovative new products. Below are five hackathons that carry a little more prestige than the others because of the success that the startups have achieved since their inception.

1.   Startup Weekend LA, Notable Birth:  Zaarly
Part of the Startup Weekend series we all know and love, this hackathon takes place in Los Angeles at the Coloft coworking space. Anyone is welcome to pitch a startup idea and receive feedback from other Startup Weekend attendees. Teams organically form around the top ideas (as determined by popular vote) and then it’s a 54-hour frenzy of business model creation, coding, designing and market validation. Startup Weekend culminates with presentations in front of local entrepreneurial leaders with opportunities for critical feedback.

2.   Startup Bus, Notable Birth:  txtroo
With buses departing from San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Chicago, Cleveland, New York and Miami, Startup Bus is a hackathon on wheels. Participating ‘buspreneurs’ produce different products as they travel to SWSX in Austin, TX. Not only is there a Startup Bus America but in December 2011, this style of hackathon was launched in Europe as well.

3.   Hack the Midwest, Notable Birth: Qup
Participants have just 24 hours to build and create a viable product. They can either build a team on their own or be paired through event coordinators.

4.   AngelHack, Notable Birth: Go Give
AngelHack unites developers around the country for a national hackathon where they can showcase big ideas and win seed capital from investors. It is one of the largest hackathon series with over $200,000 in prizes and $30,000 in sponsor prizes.

5.   Disrupt, Notable Birth:  Docracy
Presented by TechCrunch, Disrupt is series of hackathons that have taken place in Bejing, New York and San Francisco. Consisting of separate events over four days, Disrupt is open only to hackers and developers willing to work on projects to present. At the heart of Disrupt is the Startup Battlefield where entrepreneurs present to a judging panel of VCs, angels and general investors. What’s up for grabs?  The $50,000 prize, the coveted “Disrupt Cup”, a wealth of press exposure and new open doors.

So if you have an idea that you’ve been itching to try it out, but may not have had the time to do so, try out a hackathon. Sure you may lose some sleep, but you might gain a million dollar idea.  

If the App Fits, Download it: Introducing peerFit

This is it—your year to get fit.  You purchased your new tennis shoes, you joined the local gym and you even gave in to buying those outrageously priced $22 dri-fit socks that the salesman at the Nike outlet somehow suckered you into.  Now, it’s finally time to take a look at the gym’s fitness class schedule and pick your poison.

And then you reach a state of pure panic.  Your eyes skim the gym’s online class calendar with confusion. Zumba...what the heck is that?  Instructor Michael McThrowdown...is he going to kill me?  Yogalates?...I can’t even pronounce that!

After questions such as these, you might give up on the fitness classes all together and opt for the monotonous 45 minutes on the elliptical.  Bummer.

Ed Buckley, President of peerFit.

Ed Buckley, Ph.D. student in the department of Health Education and Behavior at the University of Florida experienced this same problem...only he decided to fix it.  As a group fitness instructor in Gainesville, Buckley knew he taught a great fitness class, yet no one seemed to show up.  To draw people in, Ed decided to start writing exercises on the whiteboard in the classroom so gym passerbys could take note of what to expect during classes.

This small, seemingly insignificant change drew in more people than Buckley was prepared for.  Suddenly, people in the Gainesville gym wanted to be social while working out.  Ed Buckley immediately saw a need...and that need became known as peerFit.

peerFit is a free online and mobile app designed to allow users to quickly search and filter through workout options to find a class that best suits their individual needs.  The peerFit program has been developed in order to give users a more interactive platform for discovering and researching new workout classes within a particular area.  The app alone has not only helped gyms go social, but has inched users closer toward their fitness goals.

“Thirty percent of people are more likely to keep working out if they get into the right class,” says Buckley.  “We want to help people find the right class and then allow them to share the classes that they like with others.  People like to share their workout experiences—and prove that they went to classes!  It empowers them and it’s one of the greatest parts of the health realm.”

In other words, peerFit helps perpetuate the fitness “circle of life” that makes most apps (not to mention fitness regimens) so successful.

There’s more to peerFit than meets the eye.  The app and mobile site incorporate an interactive calendar, workout uploads, instructor reviews, class reviews and overall class recommendations too.  Currently, the app is in Beta launch with a full peerFit marketing campaign to launch September 1, 2012.  The campaign will take place in Tampa, Atlanta and Jacksonville, however, any gym in any city is able to download and give peerFit a try today.

The founders of peerFit.
Source: Gainesville.com

As part of its mission, peerFit has helped to make gyms more social and connect people to one another through fitness.  So it comes to no surprise that Buckley immediately brought on three business partners (which also happen to be his good friends) to help launch and grow the app.  The peerFit team is currently made up of four partners including Buckley, Rex Tullius, Matt Redinger and Scott Peeples as well as public relations specialist, Anastasia Revzina.

The team has been working tireless hours (on top of fulltime jobs, grueling swim practices and never-ending graduate school lectures) in order to see that peerFit is the best app it can be.

“I think the coolest thing about this process is that it has been beyond a fulltime job for us, but we are still able to run it as students and professional athletes,” says Buckley.  “We love to be busy, we love going 100 miles per hour and we love meeting people.”

Ed Buckley and Rex Tullius came all the way from Florida to visit
 Think Big Partners and to learn more about Kansas City's startup resources.

During the app’s build phase, the peerFit team somehow found enough time to survey over 10,000 potential users about the impact that the app could have.  According to results, 77% of surveyors believed they would be more motivated to try a new class if they could read about the workout ahead of time.

“It’s important for us to take a step back and look at peerFit from an outsider’s perspective,” says Rex Tullius. “We are all about picking people’s brains.  Those potential users know how to make the product better.”

What can we expect from peerFit in the coming months?  Other than its mega marketing campaign hitting in the southeast in September, we can also expect a rollout of the full mobile app and website at the beginning of September.

“I am proud of the process we have built,” says Buckley.  “We love meeting with different gyms and getting to know people.  That’s what makes us unique.  But the truth of the matter is great athletes, great musicians and great entrepreneurs just aren't ‘normal’.  We are obsessive.  Running a startup is difficult, but we love it.  We may get criticisms 10, 20, 30 times over, but we always come back with more passion to move forward.”

Keep an eye out for peerFit, the fitness app that’s making major waves, this fall.  To learn more or to get your gym involved with the app, visit www.peerfit.com.


Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

Vote in the Silicon Prairie Awards

Don't make him disappointed in you - vote now!

Calling all startup fans! It’s time to nominate your favorites (startups and their investors alike) in this year’s Silicon Prairie Awards! If you know companies or entrepreneurs who did outstanding work from July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012 and are located in the Silicon Prairie area, it’s time to nominate them here on SPN’s website, now through July 25.

Award Categories:

• Startup of the Year
• New Startup of the Year
• Consumer Startup of the Year
• B2B Startup of the Year
• Mobile App of the Year
• Startup Executive of the Year
• Startup Technologist of the Year
• Startup Designer of the Year
• Startup Investor of the Year
• Startup Service Provider of the Year
• Silicon Prairie Superhero
• Silicon Prairie Ambassador

After nominations are collected, voting will begin August 2 and run until August 22.  The winners will be announced Tuesday, August 30 at an awards ceremony at the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, Nebraska. Vote in as many or as few categories you want, but make sure to exercise your one civilian duty and vote—or else P. Diddy will be very angry. 

GoMobileKC Recap: Mobile Entrepreneurs & App Developers Ready to Change the World

“We live in a different world now…do you guys see it? The world has changed and as a result of it we have to change.”  These were the opening words from Vince Vaughn, CEO of Why Status Quo and host of the GoMobileKC mini conference last Thursday.  GoMobileKC was a component to One Week KC, a 9-day endeavor to make Kansas City the most entrepreneurial city in the nation. 

This event brought in app developers and mobile entrepreneurs from around the Midwest who were ready to do exactly what Vaughn stated at the beginning of the conference—change.  More specifically, the attendees were ready to create change for others through the use of mobile technology.  The conference also showcased two of the city’s best mobile talent—Captain Dan Stratman, mastermind behind the Airport Life app and Kirk Hasenzahl, CEO of Rarewire. 

The old adage, “Do what you know” was all the inspiration Stratman needed to create his app in 2010.  As a former pilot, he utilized his knowledge of the airline industry as his competitive advantage among the pre-existing airline apps and since then has seen it grow to 21,000 downloads without any formal marketing.  Stratman advised the crowd that creating an app was a long and frustrating process full of challenges.  He noted that if an entrepreneur decides to develop an app, it’s important to be passionate, learn everything there is to know about the business world, use marketing, learn technology and most importantly, do not be afraid to ask for help.

Hasenzahl’s inspiration did not come from a quote but rather a device; Apple’s iPad.  The size of the screen spawned the idea for his company Rarewire, which provides a service that allows others to create apps without being a programmer.  With 10 billion app downloads in 2011 and an expected 185 billion downloads in 2014, it is no doubt Hasenzahl joined the right industry two years ago.  “It’s a gold rush,” he said, “and you want to be the guy selling the shovels.”  Hasenzahl predicts industry growth within app promotion, rich media ad service, and mobile/app security and promoted inspiration for individuals pondering the app world to get out there and go for it.

The conference ended with the announcement of an iPad 3 winner and what Vaughn described as a “Town Hall meeting” type discussion.  Attendees and speakers were able to interact through open forum and share expertise on various components of the mobile industry. 

Want to see what you missed out on? Check out Why Status Quo’s live stream from the conference!   

Welcome to SoKap. Welcome to Crowdfunding 2.0.

Most great startup companies start with the same question: "Why doesn't the world have _____?"

The most important piece to this question, however, is that blank space.

Why doesn't the world have an online music purchasing device?  Apple answered that question.

Why doesn't the world have a way to connect with friends and family through the Internet? Facebook answered that question.

Why doesn't the world have a platform that connects marketers and funders with projects?  SoKap is answering that question.

Welcome to SoKap. Welcome to crowdfunding 2.0.

David Geertz, Founder and CEO of SoKap.

SoKap is a crowdfunding and project distribution platform that allows marketers and funders to connect with project owners.  SoKap allows project owners to raise funds, build markets and distribute goods and services across the world.

But like all great startup ideas, SoKap didn't intend to go in that direction.  SoKap was originally built by founder and CEO David Geertz to aid in the distribution of films.  Geertz noticed that many contracts in the film industry were just too big.  So, he decided to allow people anywhere to buy distribution levels at a much smaller price.  In other words, with SoKap, everyone could have a slice of the movie pie.

While testing the platform, Geertz and his SoKap team realized that the main beta testers were entrepreneurs.  That's when the company decided to expand beyond the film industry.  Now, SoKap is open to any project-based entrepreneur (no matter what industry they're in) looking for crowdfunding opportunities.  According to the Financial Post (Canada), "Crowdfunding, which started out mainly as a way for writers, film makers, artists and musicians to raise money, is shaping up to be the next big financing model for entrepreneurs — and the model is rapidly evolving."  SoKap has taken advice from its entrepreneurial beta testers and has implemented much of their feedback into the company's founding principles.

"Our biggest focus is to lower the barriers to entry," says Geertz of the SoKap venture.  "We want to have the mark to dictate whether a product should be made or not.  Not everyone will succeed, but we need to let the market speak to that."

Although SoKap has only been in the works for about 30 months now, the company already has a few success stories under its belt to boast about.  In fact, the company was recently featured on the front cover of the Financial Post in Canada and was recognized as a game-changer in the film industry at film finance conferences.

So why is SoKap standing out so much?  For one, the company is beginning to revolutionize an industry.  But the platform is also revolutionizing the way that crowdfunding works as well.  SoKap is one of the only crowdfunding platforms that does not require a sale of equity.

"We need to prepare for a fight moving forward," says Geertz of this business decision. "We provide a solution that doesn't require equity.  Sure, we are fans of the JOBS Act, but we also know that it's not for every business.  We don't require a sale of equity and that's rare in this type of business.  But, we are staying true to our project.  We believe in it and will stay the course.  That's true, gritty entrepreneurship."

How does David Geertz Think Big? “I come from a problem-solving world.  I come at things from solving solutions and take a 10,000 feet view and remove all clutter and intermediaries.  I ask how we can balance and value our work.  If we can do that, we eliminate the two main rules of failure: fear and greed.  I always ask how I can eliminate that.”

Follow SoKap! @SoKap1

Check Out How We Cowork! It’s Time for the May bizperc Showcase

Do you love where you work? We do! We collaborate with a wide array of like-minded entrepreneurs every day.  We get to relax and check out the best views of the city from our rooftop (with WiFi!).  We have Roasterie Coffee and delicious lattes.  We think we’re pretty lucky and we want you to see it for yourself.


It’s time for the monthly bizperc Showcase.  Clear your calendars for Thursday, May 17^th from 2:00 to 3:00pm and come on down to 1800 Baltimore in KC and join us on the 4^th floor. Experience the modern and innovative workplace we call home.


The Showcase will start off with an expertly guided tour of our coworking space and business accelerator. Experience the atmosphere our entrepreneurs thrive in. From coffee bar to rooftop, you’ll get an inside-look at our coworking space, bizperc, and learn what Think Big Partners is up to. We want to show you how Think Big Partners is innovating the startup world.  But this showcase isn’t just about us—we want you to tell us about your own entrepreneurial ventures too.


Showcase Agenda:

2:00 Meet Think Big Partners: the company that’s building companies

2:15 Tour the bizperc coworking space and see where the magic happens

3:00 Showcase your own entrepreneurial venture on bizperc’s 6^th floor with a gorgeous view of downtown KC


Come experience the benefits of coworking and see how we’re changing the way entrepreneurs

interact daily. Register today for the bizperc Showcase powered by Think Big Partners on Thursday, May 17^th from 2:00 to 3:00pm.


If you can’t make it this month...don’t worry!  We’ll be showing off our coworking space each month. Stay tuned for upcoming Showcase information!


Questions? Call 816-842-5244 or email Sarah Snyder (ssnyder@thinkbigpartners.com).


Don’t forget to follow bizperc on Twitter! @bizperc

The 3 Ways to Foster Startup Growth in Your Community

They say Rome wasn’t built in a day. The same is true for Silicon Valley. There is no tried and true blueprint for creating a startup community. It’s a trial and error process that takes both commitment and patience. To have a community as strong as Silicon Valley is the ultimate goal for dreamers and doers all over the world. It is not an unattainable goal. It takes the perfect mix of inspiration, initiative, and tenacity to get the ball. In the famous words of Walt Disney, “the way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”

Encourage and Inspire

Maybe your city already has a foundation built upon which entrepreneurial growth can prosper. But what’s the next step? Now you need to raise awareness in the community and attract the attention of your fellow entrepreneurs. Make a serious effort to encourage and inspire. Lead by example. Put yourself out there and let others know what you’re doing and what your goal is...the support will follow.

Hosting an event is the perfect way to gather these like-minded individuals. Whether it be a conference, a meet-up, or a happy hour, the result will be the same. It will get people talking. Create a buzz about what your city is doing to foster startup growth. Let it be known that you are making moves and achieving progress. These gatherings will undoubtedly aid in inspiring others to follow your example. They will help to create a true community environment amongst those brave enough to take the entrepreneurial road.

Come Together

While hosting events successfully brings together entrepreneurs and gets them talking, it is essential to take the next step and start the collaboration process. One way to do this is to form a startup hub. Bring people together on a more consistent basis. Coworking spaces are the most effective way to embrace the community aspect of startups. They allow for like-minded individuals to come together each and every day. Sharing experiences, successes, and failures with your fellow coworkers is a surefire way to gain invaluable knowledge. These spaces are especially important in newer entrepreneurial communities. It’s a community within a community and will, without a doubt, help to attract more entrepreneurs. Before you know it, your city will have a stronger startup presence.

Get Digital

In order to put your startup community on the map, it is crucial that you establish an online presence. You need to reach outside of your community to raise awareness of your efforts. Let the entire world know what is unique about your community, promote what you’re building and gain the attention of other startup communities. Make it impossible to ignore the activity and buzz surrounding your city.

Start a blog, make posts often and make them enticing. Attract readers from across the nation and keep them coming back to see what you are up to, what new events you have planned and what progress you are making. Don’t underestimate the value of Facebook and Twitter. Once you’ve established a presence on these sites, you will be connected to many influential individuals and companies. Keep tabs on what these movers-and-shakers are doing, learn from them, let yourself be inspired by what they’ve built. It’s an arena for knowledge and growth.

It is also important to follow what the key players in Silicon Valley and New York are doing. Maybe there is a particularly successful individual you admire. If so, follow his or her tweets. They might be willing to meet with you, attend a meet-up you have planned, or speak at an upcoming event. Entrepreneurs love sharing what they have learned on their startup adventure and if you establish your community as one on the rise, you can garner the attention of seasoned entrepreneurs who are willing to lend their knowledge. Go digital and get watch your community grow.

We’ve established that Silicon Valley was not an overnight accomplishment. It took years to build what they have. As you begin fostering startup growth in your own community, remember to be patient. It’s a golden quality, especially when trying to build something much bigger than yourself. Don’t compare your city to the mega hubs (i.e. San Francisco, Boston and Austin), be inspired by them and learn from what they’ve successfully built. Keep in mind your reasons for establishing your startup community, don’t forget the advantages it will bring to your city – the job creation it will provide, the economic growth it will inspire and the support and encouragement of others on the same journey. Start with small steps and before you know it you and your community will be making big strides.

 Follow Think Big! @thinkbigKC

Blogging from the Bus: Day 2 of StartupBus

Blake Miller, partner and web developer at Think Big Partners, was chosen to participate in StartupBus, a 72-hour roadtrip-meets-hackathon from Vegas to Austin.  Along the way, "Buspreneurs" create and launch a startup and present it to venture capitalists at SXSW.  This is Blake's experience:`


Here we are about 40 hours into the StartupBus adventure and we are about to launch a company!  Forty hours!!!


I’ll say that one more time…40 hours!


We have conceived and developed our idea to its maximum potential and now we're on the verge of launching a company in under two days.


What company you ask?  http://GetWished.com.


GetWished is gift giving re-imagined.  Because honestly, the way we see it, traditional registries and wishlists suck!


Imagine this: An elegant platform to create a list that displays all of your wishes, desires and wants. The platform allows you to also surf the Internet adding anything you want to that list, share your wishlist with your Facebook friends, and with a few simple clicks, provide all of your friends and family with the ability to fulfill those wishes.


Wish Granted.


GetWished allows your friends and family to purchase gifts that you actually want.  Wishing for something big? No problem. With our group buying platform, chipping in has never been easier. That Justin Bieber VIP Experience you’ve been eyeing is now a few steps closer to reality...because of GetWished.


Sounds pretty cool, huh?  We think so. But the opportunity is SO MUCH BIGGER than it sounds.


I will leave you with a few rando­m thoughts from the bus…

1. A word to the wise: Internet connection in the desert sucks!
2. The dynamic of our team is pretty inspiring.  You have six total strangers who came together in literally a matter of minutes and work together like a symphony.  I’ve done Hackathons and Startup Weekends before and it’s nothing like this.  At those events, I, at the very least, knew of the people that I was joining teams with.  This (at least in my experience), results in an initial surge of excitement because your friends usually don’t hold you that accountable.  Our team has been a game the entire time.  Pretty cool if you ask me.
3. Quote of the Day.  “I feel like I’m in a horrible movie mashup of the movie Speed and Hackers, only with no Angelina or Sandra."
4. And please remember...

We launch TODAY!

Follow us on Twitter @getwished

Like us on Facebook.com/getwished


AND MOST IMPORTANT: Signup so I can get you in to start using GetWished first.
AND TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW: The more traction we can get, the better our grading point will be for the finals.


Also look for another email tomorrow asking for your help with the StartupBus Game.


Follow me! @BlakeMiller32

How Does a Coworking Space Impact an Entrepreneur?

WRITTEN BY ALLISON WAY, SENIOR COPYWRITER & CHIEF EDITOR 

These days, it seems like you can cowork anywhere.  Coworking spaces have been popping up across the globe and the movement is only growing stronger.  But when it really comes down to it, do they truly impact entrepreneurs and help startups succeed?  We decided to take a look at bizperc tenant Coty Beasely, who has worked in this Kansas City coworking space for about five months now.


Since joining the bizperc coworking space, Coty has undergone a lot of positive change within his business.  He attributes most of his growing success to the strong networking he has received while working in bizperc.


Since Coty joined bizperc, he has:

• Effectively continued to grow his design startup, Beasley Creative
• Increased his connections to other Kansas City businesses
• Landed a larger pool of clients including Flamin' Ass Salsa, the Nelson Atkins Museum, Taplicious, FindIt Media and Videolabs 
• Went from working on $300 projects at home to working on $5,000-$8,000 projects at bizperc
• Increased his revenue by 400%
• Met a business partner (another bizperc tenant) and launched a new startup called Flow which will focus on projects worth $10,000+ 
• Grew to the point of moving up to the 5th floor of bizperc where more established businesses cowork

This was all achieved in under 5 months! 

Coty is just a small testament to the power of an effective coworking space.  Coworking spaces connect like-minded individuals, they accelerate businesses and they increase the chances of startup success.  So what are you waiting for?  Join a coworking space today and Think Big!

To learn more about the bizperc coworking space, visit www.bizperc.com or contact Sarah Snyder at ssnyder@thinkbigpartners.com. 

Follow bizperc! @bizperc

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig