Kat Cunningham is a small business owner and member of the NFIB/Missouri Leadership Council.
Name: Kat Cunningham
Business:
Moresource, Inc.
Location: Columbia,
MO
Moresource, Inc. was established in March 1994. After 20 years
sole owner and founder Kat Cunningham took on a partner, Dan Stewart, to round
out the business service offerings, adding IT Managed Services to the portfolio.
Today, Moresource is operating in 28 states with 20-plus employees.
How did you become a
business owner and why?
My kids were very young and my husband traveled for his work.
One of my kids had ear infections over and over and over again, to where it
just become clear that I needed to do something from home so that I could
constantly take him to and from his doctor appointments. It was just a
necessity that I start my own company because I wanted to take care of my kids
when I needed to and not have to take all that time off work. I think there are
a lot of moms who start businesses because of family reasons.
What do you love most
about running your own business?
I love the diversity because every day is different. I love
that I have so many different clients in so many different industries that I
learn about other industries and get to meet people. I love the networking
aspect. I love being in business.
What makes Missouri a
good place for small business?
Being centrally located in Columbia—it’s a two-hour drive to
most any of our Missouri-based clientele! Missouri has been a very good place
to do business. For a large town, Columbia has a small town feel. The business
community is rich with opportunities.
How did you get involved
with NFIB?
I have been a member of NFIB over the years. I know they fight
for small business owners like me and have witnessed their impact first hand. I
am thrilled to be a part of the Leadership Council and hope to bring my years
of experience in insurance, human resources and networking to the table. My
favorite saying: I need to be a doer, donor or door opener!
What state-level policy
issues concern you most?
The concern about healthcare being unaffordable. Healthcare is
a huge issue. I’m paying 100 percent for my policy. The base is 80 percent. The
[goal] is to have 100 percent paid, but with what has happened with healthcare,
I’m afraid I will soon have to say that I can’t pay as much.
What should lawmakers do
about these issues?
I think we need to go back to realizing that small business is
putting people to work. By continuing to put regulations in front of small
business, then we’re going to have to lay people off. We won’t be able to pay
for all the staff that we need to have.
What do you like to do
off the clock?
I’m an avid reader. I love reading, and I’m one of those people
who like to read books. I love to paint. I’m a Stephen King person. I love
scary books.
