Missouri Ranked 6th Most Entrepreneurial State!

Studies from 2012 Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity, published by the Kauffman Foundation, show Missouri is the 6^th most entrepreneurial state in the nation! 

What draws entrepreneurs here? Could it be our Midwestern friendliness, Kansas City barbecue or our multiple professional sports teams? Maybe…but the data shows that low taxes, low utility bills and an appreciation for small business may be the real reason behind KC’s entrepreneurial boom.  Kansas City in particular has a lot of resources for budding entrepreneurs, including the Inventors Club of Kansas City, KC/IABC and of course, Think Big Partners.

In 2011, Missouri saw the most growth in the manufacturing industry, particularly in automobile, science and agriculture businesses.  Four hundred of every 100,000 Missourians decided to think big and startup as entrepreneurs.  We like those odds. 

So who’s our competition? Arizona is number one by quite a bit, with 520 out of every 100,000 people who caught the entrepreneurial bug this year.   The other top entrepreneurial states include Texas, California, Colorado and Alaska (that’s right—Alaska!). 

Keep on welcoming entrepreneurs to the Show-Me State and encouraging talent to stay local, and we’ll be number one in no time! What do you think draws entrepreneurs to Missouri and the Midwest? Let us know in the comments section!

The Innovation Process – This Month’s ICKC Panel

At this month’s meeting by The Inventors Club of KC (ICKC), an Innovation Panel was brought in to answer burning questions about new products and the innovation process.  The panel of eight represented the industry’s best in Kansas City—from patent lawyers to marketing whizzes.  Inventors from all stages of the innovation process came and asked burning questions. “Be very general about your product ideas if sharing among the group!” the lawyers naturally warned, because it was one of the rare opportunities when you can talk to so many professionals in a forum—free of charge!

Some of the most popular topics during the meeting included protecting ideas with non-disclosure agreements and provisional patent applications. Panelist Garrett Gardner discussed the importance of vocally being able to sell your idea in a concise manner to attract investors.  ICKC’s vice president, Bill Johnston, warned against creating an excellent product that solved a problem consumers wouldn’t pay for. If, as an entrepreneur, you’ve had any of these questions yourself, ICKC meetings would be an extremely beneficial resource.

If you’re an aspiring inventor in Kansas City, don’t miss out on these free meetings every month! ICKC’s next meeting, Pitch Your Product, will take place August 21 at the Kauffman Foundation Conference Center. If you can’t go in person, ICKC always a live stream on their website.