Send your thoughts on this topic to

Position #1:
A Great City for Entrepreneurs

Danny O'Neill
The Roasterie
(816)931-4000



The Roasterie Inc. was founded in Kansas City, Mo., in November 1993, thanks to the generous help of Rick Usher and Jim Hedstrom in the Kansas City codes office. I had met with them several times and they were patient and extremely helpful in helping me get established. And while I didn't know it at the time, this would be the beginning of a long line of local folks who provided support to a political science major who really didn't know anything about business.

A city, much like a company, is a reflection of the people who represent it. And we are lucky to be living in the best city in the world, as far as I am concerned. John McDonald of Boulevard Beer took the time to guide me before I had even started the company. Soon after, it was Barnett Helzberg and Henry Bloch who helped. Barnett founded Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program (HEMP) for the sole purpose of helping entrepreneurs by pairing aspiring entreprenuers with mentors; in my case, Henry Bloch. How lucky can one be to live in a city with people who care that much about small business? Barnett was inspired by Ewing Kauffman, who simply told Barnett to "go and help other entrepreneurs" when Barnett thanked him for his mentoring.

And speaking of Ewing Kauffman, he cared so much about entreprenuers that he left a fortune to establish a foundation with the sole purpose of helping entrepreneurs. We are lucky to have that foundation right here in Kansas City. Carl Schramm, the CEO of the Kauffman Foundation, "gets it" as it relates to entrepreneurialism, and he is helping set policy nationwide to enable the United States to retain its position as the number one innovator in the world.

We also are fortunate to have lots of great, local banks, many of whom are focused solely on small businesses and entreprenuers. You can find them at a variety of local events every week and they are very much available. They go out into our communities to learn about us, visit our businesses and our customers. They are local, they are involved and they care. And, I couldn't be happier with the support that we've received over the years. I did not start with a bucket of money. Basically I was a small town Iowa guy with an idea, and the people and institutions of Kansas City took a chance on me. For that, I'll be eternally grateful.

Finally, there are a number of local colleges and universities that are totally engaged with the local small business and entrepreneurial community. We've been so lucky to have worked with dozens and dozens of classes over the years and have been helped immensely in the process.
While there is always room for improvement, and if one's objective is to be critical, you can always find something to complain about. However, compared to my colleagues around the country, we are indeed very fortunate here in Kansas City to have the institutions-and the people-that nurture and support small business. We love and support our local companies. For those who have achieved success, my hope is that we will help others who are starting out, just as others helped us. Ewing, Barnett and Henry set a perfect example for the rest of us to follow.

Position #2:
A Good Place To Start, But a Hard To Market

Lori Baerg
Prizm Productions
(816)471-1515



Kansas City is an excellent place to start a business because of the rich history of entrepreneurs and educational centers that mentor and invest in new business owners.

The challenge comes when you want to market your company. Unfavorable national perceptions still exist about our city. These intangible barriers, such as being classified as a "fly-over state," mean that Kansas City companies are overlooked for national business opportunities. As the president of an online video production company releasing new technology products into the marketplace, we continue to break down barriers and educate businesses about the benefits of working with Midwestern companies.

Nationally, we encounter professionals from the coasts who are surprised to learn that our technology-driven business operates out of Kansas City.
A former editor of a major New York publication summed it up best by saying, "In New York we chase business, in the Midwest they invent business." She made this comment after seeing one of our new online video Web sites called Media Sites.

Still, the perception remains that major corporations don't do business outside of New York and Los Angeles, even though Kansas City is home to Sprint, AMC, Hallmark and Applebee's, among many other greats. With that said, you don't have to be large to be great. In fact, some of the smallest companies have made the biggest contributions to society.

So, why should small business owners care what outsiders think about our thriving business community? Why should entrepreneurs risk exploring beyond our geographic boundaries?

The economic impact of attracting national clients into Kansas City is substantial. For example, this could mean national media exposure, publicly traded companies relocating here, more tourism dollars, major filmmakers producing movies downtown and increased revenue. While it is important that we continue to be loyal to fellow business owners and support the development of local business, we also can achieve the same objective by pursuing national accounts that feed business back into Kansas City.

How can we overcome these challenges as a business community? Start small and ask for referrals, because a local referral may lead to a national referral. Be sincere in your business relationships, maintaining Midwestern values. Invest in your business by attending symposiums, summits and other industry networking opportunities outside of Kansas City. Encourage metropolitan area chambers of commerce to promote small businesses and their innovative products and services. Surround yourself with like-minded professionals that view Kansas City as a national player. Once we view Kansas City as a national player, then we will be respected nationally. And don't be afraid to educate. Speak up and tell people what the Kansas City community has to offer.

Send your thoughts on this topic to