OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Anyone who has owned a business will tell you that running a business isn’t easy and it's even harder when you first start out.
“Anytime you start a business it's terrifying. You are risking the salary you make to follow just one passion,” said Kellee Mikuls, founder of Swishboom.
Kellee Mikuls is the co-founder of the mobile babysitting app Swishboom one of the many start-ups featured in this year’s Startup Omaha Week.
The event is back after a 5-year hiatus due to COVID and dozens of businesses, both start-ups and more well-established brands were on hand for its grand return.
“We are excited to bring it back and really try to capitalize on some of the momentum in the community. It's fantastic to see the number of folks that are here in the space today and we hope this will catalyze what is happening in the community long term,” said Laurel Oetkin with the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce.
Startup Omaha Week will be full of events from workshops to dinners that give start-ups a chance to get face to face with experienced professionals who know the ins and outs of starting a business, something that Mikuls said was critical to her success when starting her own business.
“People are willing to give you advice and say hey. You know what when it's hard that is normal. For us, as founders it's so important because it's so easy to get discouraged. It's so easy to want to give up and go back to the 9 to 5 because it's safe but what the mentors do is really encourage you to push the envelope, be risky and be innovative,” said Mikuls.
Mikuls said Omaha’s start-up community is one of a kind and said events like Startup Omaha Week show that folks in Omaha care more about collaborating than competing.
“It's not competitive. Everyone really roots for every start-up. If you can make it as a start-up it means Omaha is a place where you are capable of succeeding. So we really root for all of the other start-ups and do well because it means our start-up could do well too,” said Mikuls.
There will be plenty of events running Monday through Saturday this week and if you are interested you can find more info on their website.
Download our apps today for all of our latest coverage.
Get the latest news and weather delivered straight to your inbox.
