Thank Goodness It's...Monday?

I doubt you've ever heard anybody say "Thank Goodness It's Monday" or "TGIM".  But now, Think Big Partners is bringing you a reason to enjoy your Monday morning. 

You've all heard the phrase, "laughter is the best medicine."  So why not start off your week with a bit of humor?  It's cold out.  The sun hasn't been out since November.  It's time to shine a bit of light on this January morning with the help of the cast of The Office.

That's right, The Office.  For those of you who have not seen this awkwardly hilarious NBC comedy, you are missing out on some huge laughs; laughs that may be big enough to crack a smile on even the grumpiest Monday-morning face.

So, entrepreneurs, try taking some tips from Andy Bernard (AKA "Nard Dog"), Dunder Mifflin's worst paper salesman.  Click the link below to see Nard Dog's strategy to growing a small business.  And if you don't learn anything about small business whatsoever, at least you'll have a good laugh.

Happy Monday, entrepreneurs.  TGIM!

HOW TO GROW YOUR SMALL BUSINESS with Andy Bernard

Written by Allison Way.  Allison is a writer and videographer for Think Big Partners, Kansas City's mentorship-based business incubator and startup accelerator.  To read more of Allison's work, check out the Kansas City Entrepreneurship Examiner as well as her articles on Helium, BrooWaha, eZine and Newsvine.

Does Your Startup Have What It Takes? Find Out With Nicholson Kovac's "The Last Plan Standing"




Will your business become The Last Plan Standing?

From now until December 31st, entrepreneurs in Kansas City and beyond have the opportunity to compete for a once-in-a-lifetime integrated marketing communications campaign to launch their very own business. The event is “The Last Plan Standing” which is Nicholson Kovac’s way of helping entrepreneurs and businesses grow and prosper. By submitting a one-minute video, entrepreneurs will have a chance to explain why their new product or service is relevant and ingenious, and why Nicholson Kovac should deem it worthy as “The Last Plan Standing."

Nicholson Kovac, an integrated marketing communications company that is counted among the top independent advertising agencies in the country, is accepting “The Last Plan Standing” entries and videos at http://www.lastplanstanding.com/. At this site, you can find information about the contest including eligibility requirements, contest rules, and a place to upload and submit your business’s video.

On February 8, 2011, the top three contestants of “The Last Plan Standing” will be notified by Nicholson Kovac and a panel of business executives. These three finalists will then be flown to Kansas City to make half hour presentations of their business plans and why they should be “The Last Plan Standing”. Each presentation will be recorded and posted to the site so that the public has the chance to vote on a winner. These results will be combined with Nicholson Kovac’s staff and judges to select the winner of “The Last Plan Standing.” NK will announce the grand prize winner via a live webcast on February 28th and the business’s $100,000 marketing communications plan will be developed from March 1st until August 31st.

“Nicholson Kovac was founded by entrepreneurs who understand the important role that marketing communications plays in helping businesses to grow and prosper,” said Pete Kovac, president and CEO. “History shows that entrepreneurs can thrive in a flagging economy and in fact may be the key to bolstering it, and Nicholson Kovac would like to lend its proven marketing communications expertise to help ‘The Last Plan Standing’ winner succeed.”

To be a part of this unique opportunity, visit www.lastplanstanding.com for information about how your new product or service could be named “The Last Plan Standing.” In addition, follow “The Last Plan Standing” on Twitter for updates about the contest @NKlastplan or visit www.facebook.com/NicholsonKovac.  Think Big Partners would like to encourage innovators, entrepreneurs, and big thinkers everywhere to go for it--sign up to be a part of "The Last Plan Standing" today!

For further information, please contact Renee Robinson, Nicholson Kovac’s Public Relations Management Supervisor at 816-460-3027 or at pr@nicholsonkovac.com.

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 visit the Kansas City Entrepreneurship Examiner.

InvestMidwest: Start Chasing Your American Dream with the Top Venture Capital Firms in the Midwest!



InvestMidwest is an opportunity for Kansas
City entrepreneurs to receive funding
and achieve their American Dream.


There’s no need to travel to the East or West Coast to connect with top venture capital firms. In fact, you need to look no further than Kansas City, Missouri. InvestMidwest is the venture conference of the Midwest for entrepreneurs and startup companies located within the center corridor of the United States.

The 12th annual InvestMidwest conference provides entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their business ideas with ten minute PowerPoint presentations to some of the top venture capital firms in the Midwest including venture capitalists, private investors and corporate investors.  The conference will showcase companies in three different industry tracks including life sciences, technology/general business and cleantech/alternative energy. With business pitches given to over 250 attendees, InvestMidwest is an effective way to receive potential capital funding from respected and experienced firms.

“It’s our goal to find the best companies in the Midwest to showcase for our investor audience,” says Christine Walsh, executive director of InvestMidwest.  “This is a venture-fundable opportunity that is an obvious need in the Missouri-Kansas market.”

With over $400 million in investment in 11 years, InvestMidwest is every entrepreneur’s dream. And it’s not too late to apply for this once-a-year opportunity. Applications are being accepted December 1st through January 7th. All companies will be contacted by February 11th regarding their acceptance. In order to apply for InvestMidwest, companies must meet the following criteria:
• Located within the center corridor of the United States
• Seeking $1M to $20M in funding
• Revenue projections of $20M within five years (with the exception of life sciences companies)

“InvestMidwest allows companies to stay here instead of heading off to the coasts for capital raising opportunities,” says Walsh.  “We very much appreciate the support of the Midwest community—especially in Kansas City.  Their support means the world to us.”

InvestMidwest provides access to capital for emerging, privately held companies and to promote greater entrepreneurship, business growth and expansion in the Midwest. Is your company looking for an exceptional business opportunity? InvestMidwest may be it!

InvestMidwest will take place March 30-31st in Kansas City. To learn more about the event, visit the InvestMidwest website or contact Christine Walsh at cwalsh@stlrcga.org or 314-444-1151.

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, check out the Kansas City Entrepreneurship Examiner.