By LESLIE COLLINS
Northeast News
September 3, 2013

“There’s nothing like it right now in Kansas City,” said Christine Kahm, program manager of Kansas City, Missouri Community Development (KCMO CDE).

For the first time, KCMO CDE will offer a 16-week entrepreneurship course called “Workshop In Business Opportunities (WIBO): How to Build a Growing Profitable Business.”

The 16-week program is geared toward those who are currently operating a business or are planning to start a business.

“It’s super exciting to use because it’s a different model,” Kahm said. “Instead of being more academically taught, it’s more of a peer learning opportunity for business owners. It’s really neat in that you’re learning from somebody who’s gone through what you’re going through.”

WIBO was established in 1966 in Harlem with the goal of fostering small businesses and entrepreneurs in underserved communities and has since helped more than 20,000 entrepreneurs.

Kahm said the 16-week program has been compared to a “mini Masters of Business Administration (MBA)” and will be led by local small business owners. Topics will include marketing, credit and finance, making a profit, prospecting for customers and more.

“One of the neat things is that 54 percent of WIBO graduates are in business after years, which is really good compared to the national average of 20 percent,” Kahm said.

Each class will last three hours and will be held once a week beginning in mid-September. Cost is $275, but discounts based on income and scholarships are available.

For more information and for class dates and times, call Kahm at (816) 216-1851 or email christine_kahm@kcmocde.org