How the Kansas SBDC works:
- We are a grant-funded national organization providing professional consulting & training to businesses in Kansas.
- Our grant partners are the U.S. Small Business Administration, Kansas Department of Commerce, and our host, Johnson County Community College (within the branch of Workforce Development & Continuing Education).
- Most services are no-cost (workshops are offered at a low cost to offset instructor invoices).
- All data and information remains confidential.
- Our work with you is a partnership. Our job is to advise and guide, help you make informed decisions, and provide resources. Your job is to complete the work. We do not do the work for you!
Pre-requisites:
- Be a for-profit business.
- Your home address OR business address must be in Johnson, Wyandotte, or Miami County in Kansas.
Visit https://www.kansassbdc.net/state-and-local-offices to find the closest Kansas SBDC location near you or contact our statewide virtual help center!
For our neighbors in Missouri, the closest SBDC location is UMKC.
America’s SBDC network covers all 50 states and U.S. territories! Find the nearest SBDC in your state at https://americassbdc.org/find-your-sbdc/
Due to our funding we are unable to work with starting a non-profit. Check out Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership located at UMKC.
Step 1: Complete short assessment to become a client of our center
The signup is confidential and free of charge. It will take 10-15 minutes to complete, and gives us additional information about your business in order to match you to the best advisor for your needs!
Step 2: Next steps to becoming a client:
In ideation stage, pre-venture, not yet in business, or in business* for a year or less:
Before unlocking the free consulting resources available to you, you will be required to complete ONE of the below options:
- Attend Business Startup Bootcamp (offered approximately every 4-6 weeks)
- If unable to attend our in-person class, you can enroll in Business Basics On Demand (self-paced, enroll at any time)
- If unable to attend either of the above courses, a request for a business plan draft will be requested (and we can provide you resources and templates to create your draft).
After completing one of these options, you will be assigned to an advisor.
If you have already been in business* for one year or longer:
If you qualify as in business, you will be assigned to an advisor.
Additional information (such as clarification questions or a request for your business plan draft) may still be requested in order to meet with an advisor.
*Kansas SBDC defines “in business” if you have registered with the local, state, and/or Federal Government (e.g., LLC registration, gotten a business license, agency-issued tax identification, etc.) as applicable and required, and have at least one of the following:
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documented a transaction from the sale of a product or professional or personal service for the purpose of gain or profit
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contracted for or compensated an employee(s) or independent contractor(s) to perform essential business functions
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acquired debt or equity capital to pursue business operations (e.g., to purchase inventory, equipment, building, business, etc.)
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incurred business expenses in the operation of a business beyond registration expenses
Once you are eligible to meet with an advisor:
You will receive a final email from ksbdc@jccc.edu with notification of your assignment to one of our three in-house advisors.
- Your advisor will email you within 2 business days (usually much sooner) with an introduction.
- This email will include their contact phone and email, and a link to book an appointment directly onto their schedule.
- **If you do not receive this email within 2 business days, check your junk/spam folder.
From here on out, you will be able to book appointments directly onto your advisor’s calendar and can email back and forth with your advisor directly. We also recommend signing up for our email blasts to stay updated on what our office can provide!
What We Ask
Agreement
To take advantage of our no-cost advising, you will need to fill out and sign a Request for Counseling at https://ksbdc.ecenterdirect.com/. The information you provide is kept completely confidential.
Survey Completion
By signing the form, you also agree to respond to our surveys. You will be asked to complete a customer satisfaction survey after the first session. Responding to these surveys is your “payment” for the services we provide. The consolidated information from these surveys is provided to our funding supporters. We ask that you respond quickly to any surveys you receive from us to help us continue to provide no-cost consulting.
Partner Correspondence
On occasion, our funding partners may contact you to confirm the assistance we provided and ask about our performance. Please respond with complete honesty.
What We Promise
Confidentiality
All of the information you provide (including on surveys) is kept in the strictest of confidence. This information is kept on our internal database; we put our best efforts forth to ensure it remains protected. We will obtain your permission prior to releasing any information about our partnership if your business is chosen to be featured as a success story.
Advising
Our advisors are here to provide assistance in all aspects of running a small business. At the end of each session, your advisor will review the next steps for you to take and also what they will do. We want to help you learn the skills and find the resources that will enhance your ability to operate your business by growing your knowledge and capacity.
Conflict of Interest Resolution
If an advisor is working with a client where there may be a conflict of interest, they will notify you of this conflict even though we never share information. Resolution includes your approval to continue with the current advising agreement or possibly switching to another SBDC advisor.
Satisfaction
Our goal is your satisfaction with the services you received. If you have any complaints or suggestions, please indicate those on the satisfaction survey or contact the State Director or Associate State Director.
