This Month: Classes and Events to Grow Your Missouri Business

April showers bring Missouri startups. Yes, indeed, May is coming and with it a true celebration of Misouri entrepreneurs, startups and businesses.

And where can you find the what, where, when?

Right here, with the MOSourceLink calendar, your place to plant your seeds of education and inspiration. It’s chock full of business workshops, classes and networking events that can help you build your social network, evaluate your idea or scale your business. And you can filter those events by subject, entrepreneur type and location.

At the top of the month, we’ll also give a quick short cut to just a few featured events from around the state.  So grab your planner, calendar or smart phone and let’s get your network working for you.

Let’s the statewide round robin begin . . .

May 5–11, 2019: SBA National Small Business Week, all across Missouri

For more than 50 years, the President of the United States has issued a proclamation announcing National Small Business Week, which recognizes the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners.

Because here’s the deal and the impact: More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and they create about two out of every three new jobs in the United States each year. (In Kansas City, startups (i.e., companies with fewer than 20 employees) account for nearly 60 percent of net new jobs. And stay tuned, we’ll be running those impact numbers for Missouri startup this year.)

As part of National Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration takes the opportunity to highlight the impact of outstanding entrepreneurs, small business owners, and others from all 50 states and U.S. territories. So check in with the MOSourceLink calendar to see what’s going in your neck (or heel) of Missouri and follow @SBAgov on social media to track those inspirational stories.

Here are just a few National Small Business Week events to get on your calendar:

• In Joplin >  Starting a Business: The First Steps with the Missouri SBDC at MSSU
• In Kansas City > Small Business Resource Fair and Credit Workshop with the SBA
• In Springfield > For Women: Becoming a Powerful Force in Today’s Workplace at efactory
• In St. Louis > SBA Loans: Financing Your Small Business with the St. Louis County Library

May 7, 2019: Capital Innovators Demo Day, St. Louis, Missouri

This is your chance to meet the newest Missouri startups and the newest solutions coming out of the state. Capital Innovators Demo Day will feature 11 of the top startups that chose to accelerate their ideas in St. Louis and in Missouri.

May 9, 2019: Epic 19

MO startups, MO biz. At Epic 19, hosted by OzSBI, local entrepreneurs will share their journeys of starting their own businesses, their rewards and pitfalls, and what it took to become successful.

May 15, 2019: Pitch Contest, Springfield, Missouri

Hullo, $5,000 cash prize. For what, you may ask? For Springfield’s small business rockstars. The efactory and Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce are coming together to celebrate Springfield’s small businesses. The event will feature the chamber’s 2019 Small Business Award finalists. These small business owners will share their highs, lows, tips and tricks for building a thriving small business over ice cold Mother’s Brewing Co. beer. Hullo, beer.

May 22, 2019: Veterans Business Summit, Joplin Missouri

Calling all veterans who are thinking about starting a business, this is the summit for you. The Veterans Business Summit will feature funding programs for veteran-owned businesses as well as stories and tips from veteran entrepreneurs.

May 24, 2019: Database Boot Camp for Entrepreneurs, St. Louis, Missouri

The successful entrepreneurs’ best keep secret: the local library. Dig into how the St. Louis County Library can help you research your market, write a business plan, understand your competitors and find customers. If you don’t already know how library databases can help your business, head over to this event or book some time with your business librarian. 

Need something different, somewhere else?

Visit the full classes and events calendar online. Are we missing something happening in your neck of Missouri? Let us know at [email protected] or hop over and add your educational and entrepreneurship events to the calendar.

MOSourceLInk helps aspiring startups and established small businesses find the right business resources to start, scale or accelerate. Give us a call (860-877-6500) or tell us who you are, and we’ll help you find your path to business success.