Presenter: Kevin Brown, Iowa Legal Aid Date: December 1, 2020 Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm Location: Online Small Biz Essentials connects you with local subject matter experts who share best practices on many different elements of running your business. Join us for weekly sessions on best practice advice in the areas of: + Financing & Financial Management + Marketing & Sales + Human Resources + Legal Enjoy your Tuesday lunch hour with Small Biz Essentials--there’s something for all small business owners. About our speaker Kevin Brown is a Staff Attorney with Iowa Legal Aid’s Community Economic Development Project, where he provides legal services to low-income entrepreneurs and nonprofits in both litigation and transactional matters. Kevin Brown graduated from Drake University School of Law and earned an MBA at Drake University College of Business and Public Administration. Prior to this, Kevin earned his Bachelors at the University of Iowa. He is admitted to practice in Iowa.

Presenter: Ciara Ladroma, Project Manager, The Iowa Center' WBC & Ben Schultz, Client Services Coordinator Date: December 2, 2020 Time: 12:00pm - 1:00pm Location: Online Turn your dream into a plan with this small group, one-hour business planning class. The Iowa Center staff will help you kickstart your business plan by providing you a road map on completing your plan and taking the next steps towards business ownership. Also connect with other aspiring small business owners to refine your business ideas as you put them into real plans. About our speakers As our new WBC project manager, Ciara will be organizing and implementing programs to train and counsel Iowans, specifically women, interested in starting or growing a business. Ben spends his time at The Iowa Center meeting with new clients to help connect them with best resources and events for education and advancement. He works to make sure people are aware of the countless opportunities available at The Iowa Center and in the community.

Presenter: Alyssa Wade | Veggie Thumper Date: December 3, 2020 Time: 12-1pm Location: Online Come and listen to the stories of entrepreneurs, small business owners and community members making their mark in Iowa. As you create your own story, treat yourself to this time each month to rekindle your entrepreneurial spirit and connect with others. This month listen to the amazing story of Alyssa Wade, owner of Veggie Thumper About our speaker Veggie thumper elevates consciousness through awareness, by providing access to locally sourced organic plant based cuisine.

Presenter: TJ Daniels, Sr Loan Officer + Credit Coach & Alex Polzin, Director of Finance & Administration Date: December 7, 2020 Time: 1:00pm - 2:00pm Location: Online As a small business owner, you won’t ever really know the unexpected challenges or opportunities that await you in life and business. Always Ready: Financials is a working session for you to learn how to financially prepare your small business for the next step in your journey. The Iowa Center staff will show you what you need to do to always be ready to make financial moves in your business, including applying for a loan or buying/selling new goods. This class is especially for you if you’ve ever been denied a loan or need a helping hand to get your financials on track. About our speakers TJ Daniels is the official cheerleader of The Iowa Center. She’s a vibrant supporter of our mission, programs, clients and staff. As a Certified Credit Counselor, she assists clients with their credit, budget, financial statements and so much more. She also works with our lending programs assisting clients from start to finish, and often times well after the loan has closed making many friendships along the way. Alex is responsible for Iowa Center accounting and governmental reporting, he also helps with lending and education programs provided by the Iowa Center.

Presenter: Elizabeth Rucker, VizyPay Date: December 8, 2020 Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm Location: Online The move towards cashless transactions has steadily increased in recent years, but no single event has pushed us there faster than COVID 19. With record numbers of digital transactions, small business owners are realizing that there’s a lot more to process than just their customers’ payments, so what better time than now to understand all the benefits, common mistakes, and hidden fees that come along with your credit card payment services contract. About our speaker Born and raised in small town Iowa, I’ve always had a passion for small businesses. I bring that with me to VizyPay where I hire and train sales agents on the ins and outs of Credit Card Processing.

Presenter: Gary Lin, Accountant and Auditor at Community CPA & Associates Inc. Date: December 14, 2020 Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm Location: Online Since the Paycheck Protection Program was created earlier this year, the #1 question being asked by small business owners has been: What do I do about loan forgiveness? PPP loans are forgivable (converted into grants) if small business owners use them according to the program’s guidelines. But what all comes with that if? Join us to learn more about the PPP, how to apply for forgiveness, and get all the information your business needs to use the program effectively. About our speaker Gary Lin is a member of the accounting and audit team in the Des Moines office at Community CPA & Associates Inc. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the University of Iowa and Master of Professional Accountancy degree from the University of Wisconsin. Gary is from Taiwan and speaks Mandarin, Taiwanese, and Cantonese.

Presenter: Ciara Ladroma, Project Manager, The Iowa Center' WBC & Ben Schultz, Client Services Coordinator Date: December 16, 2020 Time: 12:00pm - 1:00pm Location: Online Turn your dream into a plan with this small group, one-hour business planning class. The Iowa Center staff will help you kickstart your business plan by providing you a road map on completing your plan and taking the next steps towards business ownership. Also connect with other aspiring small business owners to refine your business ideas as you put them into real plans. About our speakers As our new WBC project manager, Ciara will be organizing and implementing programs to train and counsel Iowans, specifically women, interested in starting or growing a business. Ben spends his time at The Iowa Center meeting with new clients to help connect them with best resources and events for education and advancement. He works to make sure people are aware of the countless opportunities available at The Iowa Center and in the community.

Presenter: Andi Fagen, Owner of Creative DSM Date: January 5, 2021 Time: Noon – 1:00pm Location: Online If you're ready to offer your clients digital benefits, and make some sales online, this is the information you’ve been looking for. Join Andi Fagen, owner of Creative DSM | Digital & Social Marketing as she guides us through search engine optimization (SEO) for online stores, how to create a positive customer experience, and stories of wins and fails through multiple marketplaces. She’ll touch on modern marketing strategies for local businesses in Iowa, including shoulder industry strategies and email follow up. About our speaker Andi has been assisting in brand launches and business growth since her time at Iowa State in 2009. The journey brought her to Los Angeles, Miami and eventually back home to the Midwest-Best, Des Moines. She opened Creative DSM to continue helping small businesses launch and scale their businesses in the Des Moines community. Using creative digital marketing strategies, Creative DSM manages small business web design, search engine optimization, email marketing, pay-per-click campaign management, and social media optimization. Andi currently has successful shops running on platforms such as shopify, squarespace, wordpress, etsy, and amazon seller central. Which is why she is happy to guide us through her process of earning online sales.

Presenter: Ciara Ladroma, Project Manager, The Iowa Center' WBC & Ben Schultz, Client Services Coordinator Date: January 5, 2021 Time: 3:00pm - 4:00pm Location: Online Turn your dream into a plan with this small group, one-hour business planning class. The Iowa Center staff will help you kickstart your business plan by providing you a road map on completing your plan and taking the next steps towards business ownership. Also connect with other aspiring small business owners to refine your business ideas as you put them into real plans. About our speakers As our new WBC project manager, Ciara will be organizing and implementing programs to train and counsel Iowans, specifically women, interested in starting or growing a business. Ben spends his time at The Iowa Center meeting with new clients to help connect them with best resources and events for education and advancement. He works to make sure people are aware of the countless opportunities available at The Iowa Center and in the community.

Presenter: Kevin Chen & Souriyno Chen | Lucky Lotus Date: January 8, 2021 Time: 12-1pm Location: Online Come and listen to the stories of entrepreneurs, small business owners and community members making their mark in Iowa. As you create your own story, treat yourself to this time each month to rekindle your entrepreneurial spirit and connect with others. In January listen to the amazing story of Kevin Chen and Souriyno Chen from Lucky Lotus. About our speakers KEVIN CHEN 27 (He/Him) From the vibrant colors to the the exuberant decor, Kevin’s love of art and design flows through the walls of Lucky Lotus. He’s played a vital role in bringing our vision to life. A social butterfly to the core, he enjoys a good party and festive gathering. As a member of The Avenues board, he loves being involved in the community and doing his part to keep our neck of the woods thriving. “Opening Lucky Lotus with my family has been one of the most difficult things, but truly the most rewarding” SOURIYNO CHEN 31 (He/Him) Souriyno’s love of food stems directly from his heritage and how his culture sees food as a web that connects all of us together. Sharing food is the centerpiece of gatherings. His passion for food and exploring culinary arts derived from his collegiate years spent farming on small scale organic farms along with working at food cooperatives where he engaged with community and worked with the freshest local produce around. Souriyno’s love and excitement grew from seeing the abundance and variety of fruits and vegetables that we could produce and the cooking commenced!

Date: January 11, 2021 Time: Mondays & Wednesdays, Noon-1pm Location: Online You don’t need to be a financial expert to own a healthy and whole small business, but you do need to understand your financials to feel clear and confident in making sound business decisions. Join The Iowa Center and local financial experts to increase your awareness of best practices for financial management. In this 8 class series, expect to gain practical knowledge on the following areas of your small business: Budgets Financial statements Business financing Cash flow Recordkeeping Banking Credit Reports Tax Planning This is the right course for you if managing your small business financials is completely out of your comfort zone, you're starting a new business and want to start off on the right track, or you need a refresher on basic financial management practices. All classes will be held online from Noon-1pm on Mondays and Wednesdays starting January 11, 2021. 

Presenter: TJ Daniels, Sr Loan Officer + Credit Coach & Alex Polzin, Director of Finance & Administration Date: January 11, 2021 Time: 2:00pm - 3:00pm Location: Online As a small business owner, you won’t ever really know the unexpected challenges or opportunities that await you in life and business. Always Ready: Financials is a working session for you to learn how to financially prepare your small business for the next step in your journey. The Iowa Center staff will show you what you need to do to always be ready to make financial moves in your business, including applying for a loan or buying/selling new goods. This class is especially for you if you’ve ever been denied a loan or need a helping hand to get your financials on track. About our speakers TJ Daniels is the official cheerleader of The Iowa Center. She’s a vibrant supporter of our mission, programs, clients and staff. As a Certified Credit Counselor, she assists clients with their credit, budget, financial statements and so much more. She also works with our lending programs assisting clients from start to finish, and often times well after the loan has closed making many friendships along the way. Alex is responsible for Iowa Center accounting and governmental reporting, he also helps with lending and education programs provided by the Iowa Center.