6 Funding and Financing Tips You Need to Hear from GEWKC Speakers
Leaders from Global Entrepreneur Week – KC are ready to tell all about funding and financing, so listen up.
Wish you had a finance whiz at your disposal, ready to drop insights and give you the inside scoop on funding your business? Now you do!
At Global Entrepreneur Week – KC, several sessions were dedicated to the financial side of business. Missed one of these sessions? Now is your chance to hear from the experts about trends in capital; how to maximize profits; and lending programs you probably haven’t heard about.
Here are six hot takes you can learn more about at GEWKC.
1. You can get money for your small business from publicly funded programs.
There’s no such thing as free money. But there are state and federal funds available to support companies based in Missouri and Kansas. These include fixed-rate loans for entrepreneurs who might not qualify for traditional bank loans. Learn more at the GEWKC session Accessing ‘Public’ Funds to Fund the Growth of Startups and Small Businesses. Representatives from Missouri Technology Corporation, Network Kansas and Justine PETERSEN will give the lowdown.
2. Not only is it OK to get creative funding your business — it can be really smart.
Whether it’s starting out or scaling up, every venture needs an influx of cash once in a while. In Show Me the Money: Navigating Funding Options and Accessing Capital, senior business services consultants with the Missouri Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at UMKC tell all. Joel Barrett and Rickey Leathers are entrepreneurs themselves and aren’t afraid to share the 5’s of lending, the key to leveraging owner investment and how creative solutions can benefit your business.
3. You can get ahead of the tax man and improve your profits while doing it.
If you’re an entrepreneur or small business owner who wants to take control of your finances, have we got a deal for you. In Entrepreneur Finances 101: Track, Organize and Maximize Your Profits, you’ll learn simple systems to keep your money organized and working for you. Kerri McEachron is a Certified Public Bookkeeper who takes a practical approach to numbers. You’ll get a clearer understanding of your business financial health so you can feel confident at tax time.
4. Angel investors and venture capitalists are not the same. For real.
News flash, we know. As much as entrepreneurs hope for a fairy godmother with money (fairy fundmother?) to float down with boatloads of cash and few strings attached, that’s not the way it works. Mark Calhoun has been there as a founder, partner and investor, as well as in the role of SBDC consultant. In Angels vs. VCs, he’ll explore the pros and cons of both types of funding and when one or the other might be the better fit for your situation.
5. More money is becoming available to traditionally underserved communities.
If you think loans, government contracts and moneyed investors are for other people, get ready for a candid convo. In Money Movers LIVE — Real Talk at the Intersection of Capital, Culture and Community, KCSourceLink Network Navigator Jannae Gammage will discuss the influences behind funding and how these power structures are being rebuilt to include previously underestimated communities. This podcast taping promises to be part fireside chat, part call to arms.
6. Your established business can get money for equipment, new property and more.
It’s not just startups that are eligible for funding. Businesses at different stages of development are eligible for grants, technical assistance and lending programs. In Getting Ready to Access Capital, Daniel Serda with LISC Greater Kansas City discussed strategic uses of capital, such as leasehold improvements, equipment, working capital and construction. The session will also cover requirements for LISC’s business lending program