What The Pursuit of Happyness Means to Us

Stop 7 of the bizperc walking tour: The Pursuit of Happyness Poster in the coffee bar drop-in area

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
Stop 5:  Unlimited Coffee

Stop 6: Electronic Whiteboard 

We have seen a lot of inspirational movies in our day (we've seen so many, in fact, that we've rated our top 10!).  But no movie seems to describe entrepreneurship, passion, innovation and determination quite like The Pursuit of Happyness, starring Will Smith.

There are more reasons than one that the Pursuit of Happyness poster hangs in the coffee bar area of our coworking space, where many entrepreneurs spend just $15 a day to get inspired and work on a new startup.

1. The Pursuit of Happyness embodies what entrepreneurship is all about.

We all get inspired by movies like Rocky, Remember the Titans and Forrest Gump.  But no movie tugs at our heart strings and encourages us to go above and beyond our own expectations than The Pursuit of Happyness.  Will Smith, who plays rags-to-riches entrepreneur Chris Gardner, shows just what it takes to become a success.  

2. The movie shows triumph after struggle.

One of the key ingredients to an inspirational film is its portrayal of triumph after a major struggle.  Chris Gardner was in poverty (and trying to raise his son while working just to survive).  Watching this struggle makes us want to see him succeed in the end (after all, the greater the struggle, the better the victory tastes).  When he pulls it all together in the end, we cannot help but be inspired by someone who had so little and then gained so much.  

3. Think Big's relationship with Chris Gardner.  

Although we were greatly inspired by Will Smith's portrayal of Chris Gardner in The Pursuit of Happyness, one of the greatest interactions that we had with this character was at Think Big Kansas City in 2010.  At our first entrepreneurial conference, we brought in Chris Gardner to deliver a keynote speech.  He left us with more than the movie ever could--an inside look at his real life, advice about what it takes to succeed and the inspiration to pick ourselves up even after our biggest struggles. 

Come get inspired at bizperc with us!  Call Sarah today to drop-in at bizperc's coffee bar for just $15!  Call 816-842-5244 or email us at info@bizperc.com for more information. 

Follow bizperc! @bizperc

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

It's Electric! bizperc's Electronic Whiteboard Makes Startup Note-taking a Breeze

Stop 6 of the bizperc walking tour: the large conference room and electronic white board

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
Stop 5:  Unlimited Coffee

WRITTEN BY ALLISON WAY, SENIOR COPYWRITER & CHIEF EDITOR

Imagine sitting in a long, 5 hour meeting with your investors, founders, and employees and not having to jot down one note.  Sounds like a make-believe meeting, doesn't it?  Entrepreneurs tend to frantically take down notes during all meetings...and oftentimes cannot read their own handwriting a mere two hours later.  

bizperc solves this tragic note-taking problem.  Introducing: bizperc's electronic whiteboards.

Electronic whiteboards don't just alleviate entrepreneur writing cramps, but they also help startup stay organized and on-the-same-page.  How so?

Electronic whiteboards allow for all notes that are taken up on one prominent whiteboard to be printed out for a group of people at the click of a button.  Using a special marker for the whiteboard, entrepreneurs have the ability to write on the touch-sensitive board that tells the computer what color of marker they're are using.  This technology projects notes onto the screen in the correct color.  These notes can be saved on the printer or sent to a specific email address.  

Sick of taking notes in meetings?  Find yourself distracted with doodling during important gatherings?  Can't quite get on the same page as the rest of the group?  You need bizperc's 4th floor meeting room with electronic whiteboard capabilities.  Call Sarah today to reserve the meeting room or to learn more about bizperc's perks and offers.  Call 816-842-5244 or email us at info@bizperc.com. 

Follow bizperc! @bizperc

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

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

Get Your Business Online with bizperc's Green Screen Studio

Stop 4 of the bizperc walking tour: bizperc Green Screen Studio & Audio Booth 

Check out Stop 1: Richard Branson Autograph

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

Check out Stop 3: The bizperc Business Card Scanner

WRITTEN BY ALLISON WAY, SENIOR COPYWRITER & CHIEF EDITOR

For anyone who's seen behind-the-scenes footage of a movie production, you've probably also seen a green screen.  Just look at some of the most famous movies in history: ET, Star Wars, Back to the Future.  They all use a green screen.

Although a green screen may not seem like much, there is a certain magic that goes into creating effects using a green screen that many people do not know about.  And there are also many ways that a green screen can be used that other people may not even think about--especially entrepreneurs.  

For example, did you ever think about using a green screen to amplify your business's online presence?

When many people think "search engine", YouTube may not come to mind.  But the truth of the matter is, YouTube is the second most popular search engine on the Internet (second to Google).  Today, many entrepreneurs get a YouTube page rolling before they even touch Facebook or Twitter.  YouTube can be a great place for Internet users to find out more about you and your business.   

bizperc's green screen studio can help get your business online in a unique way.  As an added "Perk" to this Kansas City coworking space, the green screen studio is available for all entrepreneurs, clients and tenants working within the space.  So whether you want to shoot a promotional video for your website, a television commercial or use the studio for a photography shoot, bizperc is there to help you do it--and make it look magical.

As one of the newest additions to the bizperc coworking space is the audio booth located on the 5th floor.  Just a few steps away from the green screen studio, the bizperc audio booth provides entrepreneurs with access to creating voiceovers and radio commercials.  It's just another bizperc "Perk" to help you get your business online in a professional way.

See what bizperc is all about and take a tour today!  Email info@bizperc.com to book a tour or join us during our Open House on Thursday, December 15 from 4:30-6:00pm.  This event is free and open to the public.  To register, click here.  

Follow bizperc on Twitter! @bizperc

Beat the Entrepreneurial Clock with bizperc's Business Card Scanner

Stop 3 of the bizperc walking tour: the productivity center's business card scanner

Check out Stop 1: Richard Branson Autograph

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

WRITTEN BY ALLISON WAY, SENIOR COPYWRITER & CHIEF EDITOR

Ever wish there were 25 hours in a day?  Most of the time, entrepreneurs can't seem to finish everything in one day, let alone keep their address book up to date.  Now, there's a solution to staying organized, keeping updated with your contacts and still managing to accomplish all of your daily goals.  It's bizperc's business card scanner, and it will save you a lot of valuable time!

Watch the video above and learn all about how bizperc's business card scanner works and how it can save you time during the busy work day.  Happy relationship building!

Video by Laura Goede & Allison Way
Follow us! @bizperc  @LauraGThinkBig  @AllisonThinkBig

The 2 Ingredients to a Business Miracle: The Right People and the Belief to Succeed

Stop 2 of the bizperc walking tour: "Do You Believe in Miracles?" poster and autograph

Check out Stop 1: Richard Branson Autograph

Take an immediate right when you enter bizperc's 4th floor and you will see three framed pictures.  The middle picture, however, may stand out the most.  The picture displays the 1980 USA Olympic Hockey Team after they defeated the Soviet Union (also known as the Miracle on Ice).  Back in the 1980's, many people said that if the Soviets played the United States ten times, they would probably win 9 out of the 10.  But that meant that the US had a shot.  And they only needed one to win.

Why is the United States Olympic Hockey Team such an inspiration in our bizperc coworking space?  Not only has it motivated and driven one of Think Big Partners' co-founders to become the successful entrepreneur that he is today, but it has also lead the TBP team to understand two of the most important ingredients of entrepreneurship: finding the right people and believing in success.

Ingredient #1: Don't find the best people, find the right people

When U.S. head coach Herb Brooks was putting together his Olympic team, he wasn't looking for the best hockey players in the nation.  Instead, he was looking for the right hockey players; the players who executed well together, the players who had great communication, the players who had outstanding attitudes and those who were passionate about their every movement on the ice.

There were legendary players on the Soviet Team such as Boris Mikhailov, Vladislav Tretiak and Vlaeri Kharlamov.  The US Team, on the other hand, was made up of 20 players and only one (Buzz Schneider) who returned from the 1976 Olympic team.  Nine players came from the University of Minnesota and four others were from Boston University (die-hard rivals).  But although many of the players were not standout superstars like what the Soviet Team had, they played extremely well together.

The same mentality must go through an entrepreneur's head when he ventures into a new business.  When looking for the key players to launch your new business, you must look for the right people, not the best people.  The A+ student may not have a passion for startup businesses like the C+ student does.  So what do you do?  Do you give the A+ student an internship or the C+ student?  We believe that the person with more passion, more drive and more charisma will help you take your business to the top--not necessarily the person with the perfect track record.


Ingredient #2: Believe in yourself and your business (and remember: sometimes it's good to "not know")

One of the other reasons that the US Hockey Team of 1980 may have won is because they didn't know that they couldn't.  The team did not realize that the odds were stacked against them.  The Soviet Team entered the Olympic tournament has heavy favorites, having won the ice hockey gold medal in 1956 and every year since 1964.  Many of the Soviet players were active-duty military and all of them played in a well-developed league with world class training facilities.  The US Team, on the other hand, didn't have much of a reputation in the hockey world.  But the US Team didn't know that the Soviets played on perfect ice, were given amazing treatment and upheld some of the best players in the world.  Therefore, the US didn't know that the Soviets were way more likely to win.  They just kept their heads up, especially when the tough got going.

Sometimes, not knowing is beneficial for a new business as well.  Seasoned entrepreneurs in the business world are often very negative to new business startups because they know the trials and tribulations that the world has against them.  But those entrepreneurs who believe in success and "don't know what they don't know" may have a better chance of making it to the top.


Come see what bizperc has to offer you and your new business.  You may even get inspired to launch your own business, employ the right people for your venture and succeed beyond your wildest dreams.  Take a tour of bizperc today by emailing Sarah Snyder and see for yourself.

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

From Selling Christmas Trees to Hot Air Ballooning: 4 Lessons We Learned from Richard Branson

STOP 1 of the bizperc walking tour: Richard Branson Autograph 

When you walk out of the elevator and onto the 4^th floor of bizperc for the first time, you may notice the breath-taking view of downtown Kansas City.  You may notice the lime green stools that stand out behind the coffee bar.  You may even notice The Pursuit of Happyness or The Social Network playing on the big screen TV.  Or perhaps you’ll notice Richard Branson’s autograph, which is mounted prominently on the bizperc wall—right when you walk in.

Why is this autograph the first thing that we want entrepreneurs in our coworking space to see first?  There are many reasons.  But we’ll narrow down the top 4 for you.

Richard Branson defines the Think Big message.  He takes advantage of every opportunity thrown at him, he goes with his gut, he has fun and he thinks big, fast and young.  These four characteristics are the four that we try to implement in our bizperc coworking space, in our Think Big Partners mission and vision and within the entrepreneurs that we work with every day.

We display Richard Branson’s book cover, autograph and list of quotes because he upholds four characteristics that we cannot help but agree with.

Take advantage of every opportunity

From when he was 9 years old and started selling Christmas trees to his launch of Virgin Airlines and other Virgin companies throughout the world, Richard Branson has been seizing opportunities his entire life.  Mr. Branson himself may have said it best in his book Screw It, Let’s Do It, “If you recognize something is a good idea, or if there’s something in your personal life that you want to do but aren’t immediately sure how to achieve your goal, I don’t believe that the little word ‘can’t’ should stop you."

Go with your gut

In 1973, Richard Branson heard the music of Tubular Bells for the first time.  But nobody else seemed to like the music as much as he did.  Time after time, record companies turned Tubular Bells down.  But Branson had a good feeling about the band, so he decided to go with his gut.  He asked John Peel, host of a popular radio show to play the entire Tubular Bells album on the show.  After it aired, sales took off.  Tubular Bells became the soundtrack for The Exorcist.  But most importantly, Tubular Bells put Virgin Music on the map overnight.  Branson went with his gut, and when he did, magic seemed to happen.

Have fun

“I have no secret,” says Branson. “There are no rules to follow in business.  I just work hard, and as I always have done, believe that I can do it.  Most of all though, I try to have fun.”  Branson sincerely believes that work should be tempered by fun.  He thinks that fun refreshes people—it’s stimulating and vital on both physical and spiritual levels.  “Knowing how to laugh and love and appreciate each other is what life is all about,” he says.  Branson has been having fun his entire life.  From hot air ballooning across the globe to spending time with the family he loves, Branson’s life may be full of business, but most importantly, it’s full of enjoyment.  “Fun is at the core of the way I do business,” he says.  “It has been the key to everything from the start and I see no reason to change it."

Think fast, think young, think big

Much like us, Richard Branson thinks big.  But he also thinks fast and he thinks young.  These three ways of thinking are exactly what Think Big’s and bizperc’s core strategies are all about

Think fast: Richard Branson knows how to operate in a fast-moving world.  As he states in his book, Screw It, Let’s Do It: “Efficiency is fine, but things move so fast in the modern world that it’s better to be innovative, fresh, and original than lose the spark over routine or nitpicking ways.  The world is changing.  Ideas and opportunities are expanding fast.  Sometimes, your ideas don’t take off.  Even after careful research, not all ideas are good; sometimes your competitors have better ideas or they’re faster than you.  The modern entrepreneur takes failure in his or her stride and moves on."

Think young: Branson believes that no matter how old you are, you still have the ability to think young.  He believes that a fresh and youthful approach in everything, from business to lifestyle, will renew and re-energize.  In order to foster this “think young” mentality, Branson established the Branson School of Entrepreneurship at CIDA (Africa’s first free university).  All tuition is directed toward enabling young people to launch their own business.  Current stats?  In 2008, the program had 300 students incubating over 30 businesses. 

Think big: What may be our biggest reason that we love Richard Branson is that he thinks big.  With as much success as this man has, he cannot help but continue to be a big thinker throughout the rest of his life.  “Everyone needs to keep learning,” he says. “Everyone needs goals.  Whatever we want to be, whatever we want to do, we can do it.  Go ahead, take that first step—just do it.”

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig