StartSmart: Your Business Foundations

Event description

Starting a business is exciting—but it can also feel overwhelming. StartSmart: Your Business Foundations is a hands-on, interactive course designed to help aspiring entrepreneurs build a strong foundation and move forward with confidence.

This course walks you through the core building blocks of starting a business. You’ll learn how to validate your idea, confirm there’s a real market for your product or service, and conduct customer discovery and market research. You’ll also work on crafting a clear elevator pitch, building customer personas, and understanding key legal considerations.

StartSmart covers essential business basics, including accounting, bookkeeping, pricing, sales, and HR fundamentals like hiring and managing contractors. Along the way, you’ll explore strategies to support long-term profitability and growth—so you’re not just launching a business, but building one that lasts.

Participants benefit from group learning, guided discussions, and one-on-one coaching with an SBDC business coach. You’ll also gain access to helpful tools, templates, and resources that support your learning beyond the classroom.

Whether you’re still at the idea stage or recently launched, StartSmart gives you clarity, direction, and a practical roadmap to take your next step.

StartSmart runs on Tuesdays,  3-6pm, Feb 3 - Apr 14, 2026 at 4747 Troost Ave, KCMO.