IASourceLink Blog

When it comes to needing business resources, the first thought to your mind is probably not, “I should call UNI, ISU, or Iowa!” But, what if I told you that these three state universities may very likely be one of your best options? There are programs at each university ready to help you start and grow your business. That those programs are staffed by experts who have been providing business assistance for years and years. That many programs actually receive state or federal funding in order to provide services at little or no cost directly to you.

As a CEO, it can be lonely at the top. They often find themselves trying to answer questions and fight the fires on their own with no one to serve as their listening ear- that’s where Advance Iowa comes in. Advance Iowa is a comprehensive consulting program hosted in the heart of the University of Northern Iowa’s campus. Since 2013, Advance Iowa has been providing a number of services to Iowa businesses and they continue to grow.

When it comes to educating young people about entrepreneurship and launching new student-led companies in Iowa, the John PapaJohn Entrepreneurial Center (JPEC) is the name to know. This month the entrepreneur spotlight shines on the University of Northern Iowa’s own JPEC scholar in residence who is the founder and CEO of the company CreoJob, Kyle Coogler. Stick around to hear about how he realized entrepreneurship is for him and how the JPEC team at the University of Northern Iowa helped him realize his goals in founding a growing company, and what he working on these days.

A key to entrepreneurial success is to focus on what you love to do best. No one knows this better than Alicia Jaime, president of International Veterinary Supplies, and her partners Jorge Aponte and Jose Samaniego.

After his hometown of Clinton, IA, (population 25,719) was devastated from the International Paper plant closure in 2001, resulting in 355 lost jobs, Bob Simpson saw an opportunity for a niche market business utilizing the experienced professionals who remained in the region.

SwineTech an Iowa-based company located in Cedar Rapids, is bridging the health knowledge gap between producers and pigs through sensor based technologies. Founder and CEO Matthew Rooda, has won several business pitch competitions and garnered investor attention from right here in Iowa and around the world.

Entrepreneurial pitch competitions happen year round all over the world but this month in Iowa, EntreFEST is hosting one of the most exciting pitch competitions for start-ups and early stage entrepreneurial endeavors through a partnership with the five John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Centers - the EntreFEST Pitch Competition. So for those start-ups and entrepreneurs pitching, or for anyone soon competing, here are a few tips to get you started and prepared.

With EntreFEST happening later this month, it seemed like a good time to catch up with the event organizers at NewBoCo and get an inside scoop for attendees. Conference scoop they did, but in addition to running the Midwest’s biggest entrepreneurial event, the team at NewBoCo have their hands in a lot of other ‘pies’. In this month’s Resource Partner Spotlight, NewBoCo Director of Marketing, Jessalyn Holdcraft, filled us in on the upcoming conference, as well as the other innovative, educational and entrepreneurial programs and resources they provide.

Your business has won an award! But now what? Unfortunately, many people just sit the award on a shelf and let it get dusty even though there are multiple ways you can share the news that won’t take too much time off your plate. Not to mention it demonstrates an expertise in your industry, boosts your brand image, and even provides a little morale boost to your staff when they see their hard work being recognized.

Along with showers and flowers, April brings us the start of National Small Business Week, recognizing the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners. This month we visited with 2016 SBA award recipient, Lynn Schrader, co-owner of KHI Solutions with offices in Fort Dodge, Webster City and West Des Moines, to hear more about her business and passion for helping women business owners succeed.