World Cup readiness event opens City Hall to entrepreneurs hoping to get on the roster
November 14, 2025 | Nikki Overfelt Chifalu
Kansas City wants to score as many points as possible when the FIFA World Cup arrives in 2026, said Janá Wagner, emphasizing that a special event planned Tuesday during GEWKC aims to get businesses into the game now — playbook in hand.
City Hall in downtown Kansas City, Missouri; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News
“Our goal is to help as many entrepreneurs as possible get properly licensed, permitted, and fully compliant with KCMO requirements ahead of this once-in-a-generation economic opportunity,” said Wagner, division manager for KC BizCare.
Set for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday in the Rotunda of City Hall, “Small Business Day with the City” is expected to provide the guidance, resources, and real-time answers that Kansas City entrepreneurs need to move forward confidently as they prepare for the World Cup — whether they want to open a brick-and-mortar shop, operate a food truck, launch a pop-up for FIFA Fan Festival activities, or simply make sure their current business is in good standing.
Over the past year, Wagner noted, KC BizCare has led a cross-departmental effort to streamline communication, align internal processes, and ensure that city departments are united around a shared mission: promoting entrepreneurship and removing regulatory barriers for those who want to do business in Kansas City.
“This event is designed to bring that work directly to the community,” she added.
The event is expected to bring together a wide network of City Hall staff committed to supporting local businesses, Wagner said, noting that representatives from several key departments — including KC BizCare, planning and development, regulated industries, the health department (food safety/environmental health), finance/revenue division (business licensing), and parks and recreation (for events and activation spaces) — will be on site, providing one-on-one assistance, answering questions, and guiding attendees through city processes.
“This collective presence ensures that entrepreneurs can access all the expertise they need in one place — saving them time, reducing confusion, and helping them leave the event with real progress made,” Wagner explained.
RELATED: KC preps for World Cup all-nighter, taste testing 23-hour drinking window for summer games
Joining Small Business Day with the City is an ideal opportunity for anyone who owns, operates, or plans to start a business in Kansas City, Missouri, she said.
Rendering of the sprawling FIFA Fan Festival planned for the grounds of the National WWI Museum and Memorial in Kansas City; image courtesy of Populous
More specifically, attendees may include: current business owners who want to confirm they are compliant before the World Cup; entrepreneurs looking to expand their business or add a new product, service, or location; businesses seeking temporary permits or special licenses for World Cup-related activities; individuals interested in starting a business but unsure where to begin or which departments to contact; and food trucks, caterers, vendors, event producers, and other operators aiming to participate in FIFA Fan Festival or World Cup-adjacent activities.
Nia Webster, assistant director of the Neighborhood Services Department for KCMO, and Janá Wagner, division manager for the KC BizCare office, lead a World Cup ESO Lunch and Learn session in September at City Hall; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News
“Whether someone needs help understanding zoning requirements, checking their business license status, applying for permits, or navigating inspections, Small Business Day offers a unique chance to get clarity directly from the source,” Wagner said.
Small Business Day falls during Global Entrepreneurship Week — an international celebration of innovators, job creators, and small business owners —underscoring the city’s dedication to supporting our small business ecosystem year-round, she said.
“KC BizCare is committed to ensuring that Kansas City is an active, engaged participant in this global moment — using it as a platform to connect with our entrepreneurs, listen to their concerns, and simplify the regulatory processes that often create barriers to growth,” Wagner said.
“From now on,” she added, “KC BizCare intends to use this week each year to spotlight business owners, elevate their needs, and provide clear pathways for success in areas such as licensing, zoning, permitting, inspections, and more.”
Featured Business
2025 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Fund me, KC: MyCroft AI to take on Amazon Echo, Siri
Startland News is continuing its segment to highlight area entrepreneurs’ efforts to accelerate their businesses. This is an opportunity for entrepreneurs — like MyCroft AI CEO Joshua Montgomery — to share their stories to gain a little help from their supporters. If you or your startup is running a crowdfunding campaign, let us know by…
The Lean Lab partners with 4.0 Schools to innovate KC education
More than 100 years ago, our education system was designed and built to prepare an early-1900s workforce for the industrial age. Today, children are learning with iPads and Youtube, but the bones of the traditional liberal arts structure remain similar to what our great-grandparents experienced. Local education innovation incubator The Lean Lab hopes to change…
Google Fiber nixes free Internet offering in Kansas City
It’s often said there’s no such thing as a free lunch. And in Google’s case, there’s no such thing a free fiber connection — at least anymore. The tech titan last week nixed its free Internet offering, which dished out download speeds of 5 megabits-per-second and upload speeds of 1 mbps. Google has offered the…
When your tech becomes an expensive paperweight
Here’s this week’s dish on expensive paperweights, company culture and bootstrapping. Check out more in this series here. The Verge: Nest is permanently disabling the Revolv smart home hub In a shot across the bows of any early-adopter interested in startup tech, Nest announced that it’s shutting down Revolv’s IoT smart home hub. Google-owned…