Spark hosts fifth entrepreneur education cohort, adds mentorship and pitch competition to improved course
Spark reboots its flagship course, Flint Hills Business Launch, beginning March 9, 2023, offering fundamentals of how to start a business. Currently hosting their fifth class, Spark plans to build on the successes of previous classes, as well as graduate feedback, and plans to integrate mentorship, enhanced follow up support and a pitch competition, among other improvements.
MANHATTAN, Kansas, January 30, 2023 — For most entrepreneurs and business owners, starting a business may seem as straightforward as discovering a market for a product or service they already create, marketing a specific expertise for hire, or building a product around solving a unique challenge. However, while most entrepreneurs are experts in their industry, product or service, the fundamentals of structuring, launching and scaling a business are not intuitive. One of the results of this education gap is most business owners have only a 50% chance of being open after five years.
Flint Hills Business Launch graduate, Jason Cabiad, opened his comic and sports shop, Clumsy’s, in downtown Manhattan in January 2023. Read his story here.
To meet this critical need for business education and enhance the long-term success of emerging businesses in the Greater Manhattan region, Spark, a Manhattan, Kansas-based entrepreneur support organization, will host its fifth entrepreneur education cohort starting March 2023. The course, titled Flint Hills Business Launch, is an 8-week, immersive experience designed to provide foundational business education to entrepreneurs who are pre-launch through the first three years of operations.
The online course is hosted for two hours, one week night a week for eight weeks, and includes Q&A with regional service providers, small group breakout discussion and teaching on business fundamentals, as well as in person events, mentorship and peer support. Class size is kept small to optimize engagement and facilitator to student ratios
Early successes in entrepreneurship education generate local momentum, national spotlight
In under 12 months from 2021 to 2022, Spark hosted a total four Kauffman FastTrac-based, entrepreneurship cohorts, which were 12 weeks and 8 weeks long, respectively. During that time, 29 entrepreneurs from Riley, Pottawatomie and Geary counties completed the four courses. Of those students, 82% are already operating or plan to open with in a year.
The number of courses hosted and students successfully completing them caught the eye of the Kauffman Foundation, who invited Spark’s Executive Director to speak at a FastTrac training in March 2022 with the goal of sharing success stories with a group of national organizations offering FastTrac in their communities.
Entrepreneurs who completed the courses found the business education uniquely valuable, regardless of their background. “I worked in banking for 30 years, but I did not know what to expect with getting my business going,” says Fall 2021 graduate, Kaylene Plummer, co-owner of Timeless Curiosities in Westmoreland. “As soon as I heard about Flint Hills Business Launch, I wanted to know how to get involved. The real thing I learned was how to pitch my business, and what type of consumer I am trying to attract, looking at competitive market trends, in my case, other antique stores.” She adds, “It’s been so valuable to get ideas and feedback from other members of the class, and one of the ideas is creating an additional stream of revenue for us.”
Building on past success, Flint Hills Business Launch expands offerings to improve impact
While the multitude of course offerings was an impressive feat for a new organization, regional economic development partners throughout Greater Manhattan wondered how they could improve the courses’ impact. “We were challenged to host courses that were highly valuable and actionable and provided in-depth support to entrepreneurs,” reflects Spark’s Executive Director, Sarah Siders. “So after great four cohorts, we took the latter half of 2022 to reflect and plan for improvements for the next course, which we are excited to bring to the tri-county area this spring. We firmly believe this will be our best course yet.”
As Spark prepares to host its fifth entrepreneurship course, the organization and its partners are committed to implementing best practices and lessons learned from the previous cohorts, resulting a number of improvements to the course. “From listening sessions and conversations with graduates, we learned we need to increase accountability and targeted business plan education for entrepreneurs during the class, improve follow up support after the class and provide better on-ramps for capital opportunities,” says Sarah Siders, Spark’s Executive Director.
“We are really excited about this Spring 2023 Flint Hills Business Launch course because it will include so many of the elements we know entrepreneurs need. We will make SBDC advisor referrals for another layer of support with business plans and financial forecasting to improve bankability of graduates,” says Siders. She adds that Spark also plans integrate mentor connection opportunities, follow up peer support and a pitch competition held at graduation, with $1000 of award money on the line for the winner.
“We’ve learned that some of the keys to success are not just education or even capital. It’s also having access to the people and resources you need when you need them that can really make the difference for an entrepreneur,” says Siders. “That means having a business mentor or coach in your corner, knowing and connecting with other peer entrepreneurs who understand the hustle, and getting referrals to services and organizations like Small Business Development Center, Black Entrepreneurs of the Flint Hills, an area chamber of commerce or simply having a list of reliable business attorneys or accountants.” She adds, “It’s being connected to that network of support that really makes the difference.”
The Flint Hills Business Launch Spring 2023 cohort will also introduce serial entrepreneur and entrepreneurship instructor, Tara Geiber, as lead facilitator. Geiber has experience in a variety of different industries. Starting her first business at 21, she has been a longtime business owner, running and operating multiple business over the past 20 years. She is currently the co-owner, with her husband Greg, of the MHK Caravan Co., a unique event experience company. She is also a full time Entrepreneurship Instructor in the College of Business at Kansas State University.
The thing I love most about teaching is when I see that light bulb go off and the student realizes that entrepreneurship can be a reality for them,” Tara says. “Helping people start their own businesses is the most rewarding job because you are giving them the tools to be creative, driven and independent! If you can inspire someone to see and believe in their potential to succeed as a business owner, there’s no better feeling in the world.”
Flint Hills Business Launch opens enrollment through February 15, 2023
Enrollment for Flint Hills Business Launch opened mid January, and a number of applications have already been received. But not everyone will be a fit for the course. Siders explains, “This class is designed for the earliest stages of business, within the pre-launch to first three years of operations. Business Launch will be a great class for an entrepreneur with a clear business concept, produce or service who needs assistance getting started, or who is already operating but needs to implement those crucial fundamentals. Also, it’s important that the business be operating in Riley, Geary or Pottawatomie counties, where our funding partners are.” Siders adds, “We are accepting businesses across industries and business models, so e-commerce and retail or both, product-based or service-based businesses.” Because Business Launch focuses on crucial fundamentals for most business types, the class is industry agnostic, although referrals to industry-specific resources will be made as needed.
Classes will be held virtually, once per week from 6-9pm starting Thursday, March 9, 2023. The Graduation Event on Thursday, April 27, will be hosted in person. Spark is taking applications through February 15, 2023 and will finalize and communicate course acceptance no later than February 17.
Course tuition is an initial investment of $195, payable upon acceptance to the course. There is no charge to submit an application. Participants who engage with seven of the eight total sessions will receive the course enrollment fee returned to them as a business investment grant at the end of the cohort.
Enrollment will remain limited to a small number of students in order to ensure maximized attention and support is provided to each entrepreneur.
Applications are being accepted now. Learn more about the program here, or head straight to the application and apply now.
About Spark
Spark, founded in July 2020, is a nonprofit organization with a mission to connect, develop, and amplify the businesses of regional entrepreneurs and promote a dynamic and inclusive culture of entrepreneurship and innovation in the Greater Manhattan region. By hosting and facilitating the Flint Hills Business Launch program, Spark is able to meet the crucial need of core business education in the entrepreneurship community. In addition to offering Flint Hills Business Launch twice a year, Spark also hosts a number of training and networking events for entrepreneurs throughout the year. A public and privately-funded nonprofit, Spark partners with regional economic development organizations to bring Flint Hills Business Launch to entrepreneurs in Pottawatomie, Riley and Geary counties in Kansas. These sponsors include Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce, Pottawatomie County Economic Development Corporation, NetWork Kansas and Junction City Chamber of Commerce.
###