Small business owners Kevin Oldham and Tim Denker have recently acquired the majority of The Smoothie Shop & Supplements franchise system. The company has been a part of Kansas City for the past eight years and currently features eight locations, including one at Hy-Vee Arena in Kansas City’s West Bottoms. The pair is planning “aggressive expansion” in the Midwest going forward. “We see The Smoothie Shop & Supplements as a strong…

This week the U.S. Small Business Administration awarded two Kansas Small Business Development Center instructors with its “Boots to Business Instructor of the Year” honor. The University of Kansas’ SBDC Director Will Katz of Lawrence was recognized as one of five 2018 award-winners, while Washburn University business adviser Laurie Pieper of Manhattan was named as one of five runner-ups. “I consider it an honor and a pleasure to work with…

A local construction company owner passed away unexpectedly last weekend in his Leawood home. Jim Kissick, who co-founded and owned Kissick Construction Co., was 68 years old. Visitation will be Friday, Dec. 14, from 4-8 p.m. at St. Peter’s Catholic Church. Funeral mass will be held Saturday, Dec. 15 at 10 a.m. at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, followed by burial at Mt. Olivet Catholic Cemetery. There will then be a…

Following several policy changes, the Small Business Administration (SBA)’s programs supported 658,000 American families in 2018, and its new online Lender Match feature has accrued 3 million hits and made over 168,000 connections between lenders and borrowers. Changes to the SBA’s lending policies include a new 25-year debenture on 504 program loans, fee relief for loans up to $150,000, enhanced online platforms that make borrower-lender transactions easier and increased internal…

This week, I start work as a staff reporter for Thinking Bigger Inc., where I’ll provide editorial features and additional copy on everything small business in the Kansas City area. I was born and raised here in Kansas City, but my experience also includes my work as a reporter and newspaper editor in Omaha, Neb. Over the last two years, I pursued my master’s in English at Creighton University, and…