IASourceLink Blog

Iowa small business owners who are looking for ways to broaden their operations will want to consider a new training program being offered by Iowa's community colleges, in conjunction with one of the largest U.S. financial services firms.

Last Saturday, was my own mini version of “Shop local Saturday” (though the real one is coming up at the end of this month, so mark your calendars!). I ate lunch at a authentic Mexican restaurant in downtown Waterloo, shopped the local vintage shop in historic downtown Cedar Falls, and spent the rest of the afternoon at of our own gem of a mid-century-modern-themed coffee shop with a friend.

Jason and Brook Craig, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, had always felt that they should own their own business, but for years never pulled the trigger. It took a traumatic, near-death experience – as well as some help and advice from a banker at Northwest Bank – for Jason and Brook to decide it was finally time to make their dreams a reality.