IASourceLink Blog

When it comes to starting, growing, or even sustaining a business, there are a lot of building blocks. There’s the business plan and financials. The physical or online location. Determining your business structure and managing employees. But unfortunately, a very important piece of that is often not clearly defined in the beginning - the customer.

Generations of immigrants come to America in pursuit of a better life and the dream of small business ownership. Blanca Plascencia, owner of El Fogon Mexican Grill in West Des Moines, is now living hers after years of hard work and perseverance.

It’s hard to believe that we’re already thinking about 2019, but the U.S. Small Business Administration just announced they’re accepting nominations for the 2019 National Small Business Week Awards.

The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program has helped entrepreneurs across the U.S. create jobs and economic opportunity by providing them with greater access to education, financial capital and business support services. This program is launching in Iowa this year, so we’re sending along information to our Targeted Small Businesses so you can learn more about it and apply if interested!

Government contracting is a byzantine business—a long and plodding trek through a jungle filled with complicated regulation, documentation, and new marketing challenges. Sound impossible? It’s not. But no smart explorer launches a trip through the jungle without finding a good guide. CIRAS exists to serve as that guide for Iowa businesses. Many Iowa businesses have known this for a long time.

Family businesses are unique, and due to the uniqueness it leaves room for lack of connectedness with other businesses in the community who are not family based. Family businesses naturally have a more difficult experience setting long term goals, and creating a healthy work life balance in the family’s life. Whether you are currently struggling to create a family dynamic within your business, or if you feel your business is confident within functioning as family business, participating in the UNI Family Business Forum is for YOU. We have designed this forum to reflect the needs of Iowa family business owners, through our main focus of connection.

Mike Crum, who for the last five years has led the Office of Economic Development and Industry Relations (EDIR), stepped down at the end of [June 2018]. In his role [vice president for economic development and business engagement], Crum oversaw six key economic development units and a number of affiliated programs that provide to Iowa State’s clients and partners integrated business, technical, entrepreneurial support, and educational services.

If you’re ready to take your business to the next level but unsure of the best path to future growth, the Entrepreneurial Management Institute could be a great place to build your roadmap. EMI is a partnership between the Tippie College of Business and the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (Iowa JPEC) that provides affordable consulting services by University of Iowa students to businesses and startups across Iowa.

Professional development, networking events, summits, conferences, peer learning...the list can go on forever. Invitations to these type of events are EVERYWHERE!! I see them all over social media, email, my office mailbox, even the bulletin boards at offices and coffee shops around town. With so many of them happening, I’m assuming they must be fairly well attended but the real question is….are they worth it?

When it comes to electric fencing insulation, Insulights is the name to know in Iowa. The company founder, Bill Brown recently won first place in the John Pappajohn pitch competition with his company Insulights at Entrefest in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I had the pleasure of having a brief conversation about how his company started, what it was like to get the resources he needed to have starting a company in Iowa, and his plans for the company's next steps.