Monday, December 1, 2014

Business Basics 4 Boomers: Answers for Persons 50+ Interested in Starting a Business

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ----- The Workforce Development Department at Kansas City Kansas Community College, AARP in Kansas City, and Next Chapter Kansas City, a program of Shepherd’s Center of Kansas City, Kansas, have joined together to offer “Business Basics 4 Boomers” on Friday, December 12 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

It will be held at the Dr. Thomas R. Burke KCKCC Technical Education Center, 6565 State Ave, KCKS.  The Jewish Heritage Foundation is providing funds to help cover the costs of the conference.

People at all stages of starting a business and those who are just considering the idea can attend.  Also, while the event targets the Baby Boomer generation, younger people also can participate.

The half-day conference will consist of a panel of successful business owners and a panel of representatives of business resource organizations, who will share experience, information, and advice for the “encore entrepreneur.”

Encore entrepreneurs are the growing number of persons who are seeking to launch income-generating ventures that make a positive difference in their communities after leaving their primary career or in anticipation of doing so.

The business owners’ panel will be moderated by Charley Vogt, Senior Vice-President of Business/Economic Development with Country Club Bank. Panel members will include Joyce Moore, owner of Goin Postal, Tim Ney, owner/operator of drivekansas, and Doug Danforth, founder and CEO of Links-It.

The panel of business resource organizations will be moderated by Patricia Brown-Dixon, Region 7 Administrator for the US Small Business Administration.  Panelists will include Elisa Waldman with the Kansas Small Business Development Center, Kate Hodel with KC Source Link, Debra Ramsey with the Small Business Administration, and a representative from Kansas City SCORE – Chapter 19.
Conference attendees will also have the opportunity to visit booths of business resource organizations.  Lunch is included with Mike Peters, LSCSW, Life Coach and Owner of Interaction Coaching, speaking on the topic of “How to Get Unstuck: Getting Back on Track with Your Passion.”

The registration fee is $15 per person/$10 for members of Next Chapter Kansas City, SEEN (Sustainable Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Network), and the Prime Time Club. The registration deadline is Tuesday, December 9.

For more information, contact Karen Hostetler, Next Chapter Kansas City Director, at karenh@sckck.org or Tom Kelso at the KCKCC Workforce Development Office at (913) 288-7644.