bizperc Proves Entrepreneurs Cannot Live Without Coffee

Stop 5 of the bizperc walking tour: all-you-can-drink coffee from bizperc

Stop 1: Richard Branson Autograph

Stop 2: "Do You Believe in Miracles" Poster and Autograph

Stop 3: The bizperc Business Card Scanner

Stop 4: Green Screen Studio and Audio Booth

If there is one thing that entrepreneurs can't live without, bizperc believes it's coffee.  Take away an entrepreneur's computer and he can use his smartphone to answer emails.  Take away an entrepreneur's desk and he can sit on the floor or head to the local coffee shop to work.  Take away an entrepreneur's daily calendar and he'll just be late to meetings anyway. But take away an entrepreneur's coffee...and prepare for fury.  


Coffee and energy drinks are essential for most workers' day-to-day lives, but especially for that of an entrepreneur.  Entrepreneurs often work crazy hours, sometimes working until 3:00 in the morning  just to finish an important project.  Coffee helps the entrepreneur stay awake and feel invigorated during those late-night projects.  Coffee runs through the veins of entrepreneurs...and we believe that every entrepreneur should have access to all-you-can-drink coffee.


That's why bizperc's atmosphere revolves around coffee.  Why do you think it's called "bizperc" in the first place?  The name "bizperc" came for a combination of "business" and a coffee "percolator".  


In order to provide our entrepreneurs with all-you-can-drink coffee, bizperc provides an instant Bosch/Tassimo coffee machine with a wide variety of pods (coffee at the touch of a button!).  Hundreds of coffee mugs are available as well as a large coffee percolator, an old school coffee machine and a coffee bar where entrepreneurs can socialize over a good old cup o' joe. 

Welcome to the bizperc coffee bar! Come network and collaborate over a good cup of coffee.

bizperc provides freshly ground coffee and an old-school coffee maker next to a percolator.

Percolate with us!

A Bosch instant coffee maker with pods are always available. 

Check out rule #3: caffeine deprivation is a cruel and unusual punishment!

There is always a wide variety of pods available at bizperc.

We even have Think Big mugs!

Tired of paying $5 for a cup of coffee at Starbucks?  Then come check out bizperc and drop-in for just $15!  You'll get the chance to network, collaborate and down all of the coffee you possibly can!  Call Sarah today for a tour at 816-842-5244.

Follow bizperc! @bizperc
Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

Kansas City Coworking Spaces

In a recent study conducted by Deskwanted, it was found that it is cheaper to work at a coworking space than in a coffee shop.  Although prices do vary from city to city, one thing is for sure: coworking is worth it.  Entrepreneurs, startup companies, freelancers and small business owners can greatly benefit from carrying out day-to-day business in coworking spaces.  But where are the coworking spaces in Kansas City?  Do they even exist?

Of course they do.  In fact, Kansas City is the home of three innovative coworking spaces.    

bizperc

1800 Baltimore

Kansas City, MO 64108

Bringing a fresh, innovative, and collaborative approach to Kansas City coworking, the bizperc office space was opened in August of 2010 to support entrepreneurs, startup companies and small businesses.  Located in the heart of the thriving and eclectic Crossroads Arts District, bizperc is the home of many startups and established Kansas City businesses.  Powered by Think Big Partners, bizperc provides on-site startup resources (i.e. legal, web design, logo design, accounting, marketing, PR and much more), a productivity center, meeting rooms, event space, free coffee, and a Wi-Fi enabled rooftop garden.  But there’s more to bizperc than meets the eye: the team behind bizperc has strategically built it so that every entrepreneur’s needs are met—from incorporating natural light to providing sound masking capabilities, from handing out a version of 5-Hour Energy to setting up a video/audio suite—bizperc has it all.  For more information or to book a tour, please visit bizperc.com or call 816-842-5244.

OfficePort

208 W. 19^th Street (among others)

Kansas City, MO 64108

As one of the first coworking spaces to hit Kansas City, OfficePort (located in the Crossroads Arts District and the heart of the River Market) is best defined as an open, supportive, and affordable workspace for entrepreneurs, freelancers and small businesses.  With an unfinished and techy ambiance, OfficePort is far from the stuffy, traditional and corporate workplace. Housing over 30 successful small businesses among its three locations (the 3^rd location is in Chicago), OfficePort is the ideal home for someone who wants to collaborate, cowork and “weave” with others.  To check out OfficePort for yourself, visit officeportnetwork.com or call 816-994-7311 (Crossroads location).

Innovation Café

2029 Wyandotte

Kansas City, MO 64108

The newest coworking space in Kansas City is Innovation Café which launched at the beginning of this month.  As a workplace for today’s entrepreneurs, freelancers, and virtual agencies, Innovation Café welcomes all industries: from software companies to designers, from freelancers to engineers.  Although Innovation Café only opened a few weeks ago, the coworking space already houses five growing companies from a variety of different industries.  Additionally, Innovation Café offers an event space that is expected to be quite popular for launch parties, private parties and networking get-togethers.  For a closer look at Innovation Café, visit icafekc.com or call 816-994-9140.

Take your pick, Kansas City entrepreneurs.  There are three inspiring and modern coworking spaces out there that will not only help to grow your startup idea, but will cost less than working out of Starbucks! 

Written by Allison Way.

@AllisonThinkBig.

Top 10 Business Etiquette Tips

Fast-food restaurants.  Drive-thru Starbucks.  Go-Gurt.  Hot Pockets.  Eating meals has turned into a fast-paced, diverse, and multi-tasking activity in America.   But just because the speed has picked up, doesn't mean that we have to eat like we're in a hotdog eating competition at all times.

Here are our top 10 tips for business etiquette while eating.  A special thanks to Colleen A. Rickenbacher, author of Be On Your Best Business Behavior.  She truly is the queen of business etiquette. 

1.  Bread on the left, drinks on the right.  To remember this, make "okay" signs with both your left and your right hands.  You will see that your left hand looks like the letter "b" (bread) and your right hand looks like the letter "d" (drinks).  When setting a table, remember this rule.

2.  Silverware usage.  Once you pick up a piece of silverware, it should never touch the table again.  When you're finished using your silverware, place the fork and knife together, angled across the plate.

3.  Saying "no" to coffee.  If you do not want coffee, do not turn your cup upside-down.  The wait staff will do that.

4. Sugar high.  No need to use 17 sugar packets in your iced tea or coffee.  Try to limit to two.  And try to not shake them, slap them around, click them, or tap them more than a couple of times. 

5.  Napkin no-no's.  Blot, do not wipe. 

6.  Time-consuming bread.  You must realize that eating bread is extremely time-consuming.  In order to eat bread properly, break little pieces of bread and butter each piece one at a time.

7.  Salt and pepper are married.  They always travel together.

8.  Portion control!  We all wish we had it.  But in a business situation, especially a buffet situation, use portion control.  This is not your last supper.

9.  Fixing yourself is what a bathroom is for.  If you need to reapply makeup, brush your hair, floss, or put on more lipstick, don't do it at the table.  Excuse yourself and use the restroom.

10.  Toasting.  Keep it short (30-60 seconds) and should be said from the heart (not a notecard).

Read more about business etiquette. 

Written by Allison Way.
@AllisonThinkBig

The Top 10 Kansas City Coffee Shops

David Letterman once said, “If it weren’t for the coffee, I’d have no identifiable personality whatsoever.”

This notion, terrifyingly enough, may actually be true for a lot of people. The fact of the matter is, coffee is what makes the world go round these days. Coffee has become such a phenomenon because of companies such as Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, and Seattle’s Best, that today, a lot of people cannot function without this hot, caffeinated beverage. This is especially true for startups and serious entrepreneurs. Most cannot imagine going a day without at least one cup of the brew.

Because of coffee’s popular demand, many small, eclectic coffee shops have also been thriving, especially in the downtown Kansas City area. There are literally hundreds of Kansas City coffee shops to choose from. There’s Mildred’s Coffeehouse in the Crossroads District, Parisi Coffee not too far away, the ever-popular YJ’s Snack Shop, and the unique coffee shop You Say Tomato. But which coffee shop truly has the best coffee? The strongest? The richest? The most vanilla-mocha-frappacino-sweetest? If one source has the answer, it’s KCPerky.com.

KCPerky is a website dedicated completely to the Kansas City coffee scene. The website includes a coffee map, the Top 10 Coffee Shops in Kansas City, coffee news, and information about coffee shops that are closing and opening in the local area. The main setup of KCPerky.com is through blog posts and opinions, posted by Scott Perky himself. Perky started out reviewing restaurants in the Kansas City area and soon found a much deeper passion for reviewing local Kansas City coffee shops. In 2006, Perky started KCPerky.com and has been exploring coffee around KC ever since. With his outstanding creativity, Perky “ventis” about the coffee shop scene, and also does improv comedy and creates other websites such as RiverCityStudio. With all of this going on, it’s no wonder Perky likes his coffee!

So what are the Top 10 Coffee Shops in Kansas City? Although opinions may vary greatly, KCPerky has created their own unique list. KCPerky has ranked the following coffee shops based on the coffee, the atmosphere, the service and a little je sais pas.



Mildred's Coffee House is #8 on the Top 10 Coffee Shops
in Kansas City.  It is located in the Crossroads District.

 1. YJ’s Snack Shop

2. Espresso dell’Anatra
 

3. You Say Tomato

4. Eddie Delahunt’s Café

5. Oak Street Coffee Shop

6. Muddy’s Coffeehouse

7. City Market Coffeehouse

8. Mildred’s Coffeehouse

9. Broadway Café

10. SoHo Bakery and Café

As a group of entrepreneurs, Think Big Partners understands that coffee can foster startup ideas, boost creativity, and of course, wake up those entrepreneurs who did not get enough sleep the night before. Kansas City entrepreneurs are invited to visit any of the above coffee shops to experience a soothing and inspirational atmosphere, start their Big Thinking, and of course, sip on cup of their favorite caffeinated drink, coffee.

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 articles, visit her Entrepreneurship Examiner page.