At Pathway Financial Education, we believe every small business deserves the tools and guidance to grow with confidence, no matter their background, size, or stage of development. That’s why we’re proud to announce the launch of our Pro Bono Small Business Clinic: a free, hands-on resource created to help small business owners navigate the complexities of running and scaling a business.

Small business owners wear a lot of hats, and sometimes, you just need someone who can help with the ones that don’t fit. Our clinic exists to offer a helping hand through the tricky stuff, offering access to professionals who can help you move forward with clarity and confidence.

What Is the Pro Bono Small Business Clinic?

The Pro Bono Small Business Clinic is a free support service designed to help small business owners get expert guidance in the areas that matter most. Through the clinic, business owners can schedule one-on-one consultations with professionals who volunteer their time and expertise. These are real people — accountants, attorneys, HR consultants, marketers, bankers, and more — who are ready to meet you where you are and help you take your next step with confidence.

Each session is focused, practical, and personalized. You might get help reviewing a contract, understanding your insurance coverage, troubleshooting your cash flow, developing a plan to hire your first employee, or diving into something else entirely that’s unique to your business needs. No question is too small, and no stage of business is too early (or too late) to benefit from support.

We’ve organized the clinic around key business service areas that entrepreneurs commonly struggle with, including:

  • Accounting
  • Banking
  • Bookkeeping
  • Human Resources
  • Insurance
  • Legal
  • Marketing
  • Raising Capital
  • Zoning & Planning

We also know that the needs of small business owners are constantly evolving. That’s why we’re always listening, learning, and looking for ways to expand our offerings. If there’s a service area you’d love to see included, we welcome your suggestions. This list may grow over time as we continue finding new ways to support the incredible business community we’re here to serve.

What Inspired the Clinic

We’ve seen firsthand how much talent, ambition, and creativity exist within our community’s small business owners, and we’ve also seen how many of them are forced to build their businesses without the support and resources they deserve.

Many entrepreneurs face barriers that have nothing to do with their drive or ideas. Instead, they’re navigating complex challenges — legal paperwork, financial decisions, HR policies, compliance issues — often with limited support. Services like professional consulting or expert advice can be expensive or out of reach, especially for those still finding their footing. As a result, business owners are often left to figure it out on their own, relying on informal networks or learning through trial and error.

These barriers aren’t experienced equally. Nationally, business owners of color are less likely to receive funding from traditional lenders, more likely to use personal savings, and often report gaps in access to the professional services that support long-term growth. In Kansas City, only 11% of traditional small business loan dollars go to businesses in majority people-of-color neighborhoods, far below the national average. And among young businesses, Black-owned firms have some of the lowest early survival rates, highlighting how structural gaps in support continue to impact outcomes.

The result? Great ideas don’t always get the chance to grow. Promising ventures face avoidable setbacks. And far too many entrepreneurs are left thinking, “I just wish someone could help me figure this out.”

Because every entrepreneur deserves support. Every small business should have a team behind it. And when our business community is equipped to grow, our whole community benefits.

Our Goals

The Pro Bono Small Business Clinic was built with a clear purpose: to equip business owners with the knowledge, confidence, and support they need to move forward.

Through this initiative, we aim to:

  • Expand access to professional-level expertise for small business owners who may not otherwise have the opportunity.
  • Break down common barriers, like legal confusion, financial uncertainty, or lack of marketing direction, that can stall progress.
  • Promote economic equity by offering tailored, no-cost guidance that supports long-term business growth and stability.
  • Foster meaningful connections between professionals and entrepreneurs, creating an ecosystem of shared support and trust.

Our ultimate goal is simple: to help small businesses thrive, not just survive, and to ensure that every entrepreneur has someone in their corner when it matters most.

What’s Next

For Business Owners

We’re excited to open the doors to the Pro Bono Small Business Clinic, and we’re just getting started.

In the coming weeks, we’ll begin accepting business owner intake forms and booking consultation sessions. If you’re a small business owner looking for guidance in a specific area, we encourage you to keep an eye on our website, follow us on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn), and sign up for our email list for the official launch announcement and scheduling link.

Volunteer Opportunities

In the meantime, we’re actively building our network of volunteers.

Our Pro Bono Clinic is made possible by business professionals who volunteer their time to support Kansas City’s small business community. If you have experience in legal services, small business accounting, HR, marketing, insurance, banking, or operations, your expertise could help a local entrepreneur solve real challenges and move forward. We’re also open to expanding the areas we cover, so if you work in a field not currently listed, we’d love to hear how your expertise could benefit small business owners.

If you’re interested in learning more or getting involved, fill out our Pro Bono Clinic volunteer form, and we’ll be in touch with next steps.

Learn More

We’re excited about what the Pro Bono Small Business Clinic will make possible, not just for individual business owners, but for our entire community. When knowledge and resources are shared, everyone benefits.

Whether you’re looking for guidance or hoping to give back, we invite you to learn more and get involved. Visit our Pro Bono Small Business Clinic page to explore available services, volunteer opportunities, and upcoming updates.

If you’re a professional interested in volunteering, you can download our Volunteer Info Sheet for details on how the program works, expectations, and how your skills can make a meaningful impact. And if you know a business owner who could benefit from the clinic, feel free to share our Small Business One-Pager — it’s a quick overview of what we offer and how to get started.

Great things happen when businesses and communities grow together, and we’re here to make that happen.