By Joe Jarosz
Northeast News
January 21, 2015

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — For many entrepreneurs and business owners, getting past that initial step can be difficult.

The KCMO CDE, a 501(c)(4) community development entity committed to creating opportunities in Kansas City’s most economically distressed communities, believes now is the time to invest in planning and setting new goals. And they’re here to help.

Beginning in February, the CDE will host its third Workshop in Business Opportunities (WIBO). The 16-week workshop focuses on how to build a growing, profitable business and gives graduates the skills and confidence they need to reach their business goals. The workshop is for people who are currently running a business or who plan to open a specific business within one year. According to the website, WIBO is, “comprehensive and rigorous, combining an extensive curriculum and the expertise of business owners and subject experts to offer participants a truly unique experience.”

Christine Kahm, program manager with the KCMO CDE, said the WIBO workshop has been instrumental in the support and development of nearly 20,000 entrepreneurs, of which over 54 percent were still in business after the five year mark, above the national average of just 20 percent. She added that the unique program also offers many hands-on and peer-learning experiences in a supportive and interactive environment, the technical foundation and the practical application without the abstract theory, and curriculum that is approachable and relevant.

“It’s a neat program that’s different from other offerings in business trainings in Kansas City because it really has been developed as a tool of economic development,” Kahm said. “It’s not just a class, but a support network for entrepreneurs and personal business owners to gain the skills and confidence to make sound financial business decisions.”

Kahm said the CDE is very excited about the program because they believe in its success. The half peer discussion and half guest lecturer is what Kahm believes helps the program stick out. The lecturers are experts in their field who are very interactive with the class.

“Everyone becomes part of this WIBO community,” Kahm said. “We encourage folks to keep in touch with their cohorts and their discussion leaders to be mentors or potential clients in the future after they graduate.”

The ideal student includes minorities and, as Kahm pointed out, overwhelmingly female. She said they’ve found that women don’t have a lot of support when starting or owning a business, which makes the class ideal for them. Students could also be someone with industry experience who want go out on their own or someone who runs their own business but don’t make a lot of money and are confused about why they aren’t profitable.

“It’s for both people who’ve operating and who don’t have a business plan but are passionate about the industry they are in,” Kahm said. “Something else that’s neat is people think about things differently and the length of it allows you to get to know people around you. Everybody is literally sharing what their thought process is and you get to know these people.”

There are over a dozen volunteers who have small business experiences who will teach various subjects. Of the guest lectures Kahm is most excited about visiting the workshop is Stephanie Isaacson, CEO and President of New Horizons, LLC. Kahm pointed out that the Kansas City Business Journal recognized Isaacson as one of 25, “Women Who Mean Business” in 2009. New Horizons, LLC also received the 25 Under 25 Award from the Kansas City Small Business Monthly magazine and was named 2011 Small Business of the Year by the Greater Kansas City, Kansas Chamber of Commerce.

“She’s a real inspiration for the female business owners on how far you can go,” Kahm said.

There is a base tuition of $500, but there are income based tuition discounts and scholarships are available. Classes are three hours long from 6 – 9 p.m. and begin Thursday, Feb. 19, with the application deadline one week prior, Feb. 12. If you have any questions or would like more information, visit www.kcmocde.org/wibo.html or just contact Kahm directly by phone at 816-216-1851. Kahm said they’re also planning to host their first fall workshop this year.

“When you’re running a small business, it’s hard to take a timeout from fighting your daily fires to take a holistic views to examine your goals,” Kahm said. “This is an opportunity to do that in a really holistic way by taking a deep dive and spend a week on something as specific as your cash flow. For people who haven’t started their business yet, it can be daunting. It’s more effective to have people cheering for you and in the same boat as you.”

Spring 2015 WIBO

16-week Workshop

Dates/Time:February 19th-June 11th, Thursday evenings from 6-9pm

Location:1900 Vine Street, Kansas City

Deadline:Participants must apply by February 12th

Cost:Base tuition $500