IASourceLink Blog

On any given Wednesday morning in Iowa, small business owners, emerging entrepreneurs and the people that support them can be found gathering around cups of coffee and good conversation. Discussions wander along paths of inspiration, lessons-learned struggles, excitement and issues involved with starting a business, and what’s trending on Twitter.

Choosing a business structure can be a confusing process for a first time entrepreneur. As I am a part of the Business Concierge team, and I love to help bring clarity to situations, it’s my pleasure to help answer Iowa business questions whenever possible. Since I do not provide legal advice to clients, I can’t tell you what type is right for you; but I will explain some of the most common business structures many first time entrepreneurs chose, but always consult your CPA or lawyer for business specific advice.

In Fall 2017 we had the opportunity to host a contest in Northwest Iowa and are taking this opportunity to show case five rural entrepreneurs working on awesome businesses and supporting their communities.

When it’s time to take the business out of the house or if you’re needing resources at your disposal (or just can’t take the quiet anymore), where do you go? When you’re just getting started you likely don’t want to (or can’t) spend the money on an actual office but luckily, incubators, accelerators, and coworking spaces are popping up all over Iowa and offer great options for business growth and development. Each one has a different function and can work for you at a different stage of your business.

“Business Concierge” – An information specialist who assists small business owners in finding solutions to their most pressing questions by facilitating connections to the right people, data, and resources. Reach out to the Business Concierge team to get answers to your questions -- at no cost to you!

From corner to corner across Iowa, businesses are seeking workers to fill available jobs. Many of the positions require a specific skillset which makes it more difficult for employers to find the help they need. Fortunately, the state of Iowa offers a variety of programs businesses may be able to utilize to help train new and existing workers with necessary skills.

“...but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” - Benjamin Franklin Paying taxes is no one’s reason for going into business; but as Benjamin Franklin says, it is a part of life. We at IASourcelink make it a goal to help you get the education you need to help the the tax process go as smoothly as possible.

As a business owner, you have a lot of taxable obligations and even smaller ones can add up pretty quickly so hopefully, you are taking advantage of all of the business tax incentives you can to help reduce those obligations. Many state and federal departments offer business tax credits and incentives but IASourceLink has compiled a list of the most common ones here in Iowa.

What do Arby’s, Verizon and Uber all have in common? They were each victims of a recent data breach that affected thousands of customers. Reports of cyber-attacks on large firms regularly hit the news, but what is rarely mentioned are the cyber-crimes being waged against shops down the street. While Uber had cash on hand to pay off their hackers, would that be true for the businesses in your region?

In 2016, the Iowa Rural Development Council (IRDC) hosted the first-ever Iowa Rural Summit, bringing together 300 individuals from more than 60 rural communities.  That event sparked a resurgence in interest among rural advocates and convinced IRDC partners, who include federal and state agencies, Regents’ institutions and community colleges, utilities, non-profits and statewide associations, to revitalize the Council’s ability to support rural development.  Building on the foundation of the initial Summit, a second Summit is planned for April 5th & 6th in Grinnell.