ScaleUP! KC seeks top-tier small businesses primed to scale; applications open through Dec. 23

Impact doesn’t stop with the end of a ScaleUP! Kansas City cohort, said Jill Hathaway, and the program certainly isn’t pausing amid the ongoing pandemic, which has thrown many entrepreneurs for a loop.

ScaleUP! KC is set to return in January for its 11th cohort, which now is a 16-week interactive virtual experience that blends high-impact training with expert speakers, peer mentoring and one-on-one business coaching, said Hathaway, program director for ScaleUP! KC.

The program seeks 15 growth-oriented entrepreneurs and firms that already have a strong foothold, with special emphasis on recruiting under-resourced communities/populations.

Click here to apply for ScaleUP! Kansas City. Applications are open through Dec. 23.

The new cohort comes at a time when small businesses need the tools to help them scale and remain resilient in the future, Hathaway said.

Jill Hathaway, ScaleUP! KC

“ScaleUP! KC offers something vital for these scaling small businesses that fuel the economy in our metro,” she said. “Even after the course ends, the lessons, insight and connections that ScaleUP! KC small businesses get from the program last well into the future and equip them to navigate challenges they might face down the road.”

The program is intended for companies in business for at least two years, have at least two employees, have revenues greater than $200,000 and are ready to aim well beyond $1 million in revenue, Hathaway added. ScaleUP! KC helps business owners forecast revenue and expenses, create value, carve a niche market, hire the right employees and formulate a succession plan.

In addition to lessons from expert coaches, business owners also learn from their peers who hail from the tech sector, manufacturing, service industries and many other areas of business. 

“ScaleUP! KC not only helped me build my business, it helped me build my confidence and my community,” said Patricia McCreary, owner of Margaret’s Place Senior Recreation and Wellness Center, as well as a member of ScaleUP! KC’s eighth cohort.

More than 150 alumni have leveraged the program not only to dramatically increase sales — some to $50 million in revenue — but also to create opportunities to increase their business potential and become true Kansas City business leaders, according to the program.

Click here to check out more success stories from ScaleUP! KC alumni.

ScaleUP! KC is funded by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the City of Kansas City, Missouri, and the U.S. Small Business Administration. It is administered by the UMKC Innovation Center.