Presenter: Reginald McDade, Founder and Principal Consultant of Human Capital Strategies & Solutions  Date: May 24, 2022 Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm Location: Online Registration: Click Here In this session business owners will learn how to turn chaos into clarity. When building your teams, what roadblocks are you establishing, what roadblocks are you dismantling, what are you exploring? Learn the Success Stories - HCSS Six Steps: 1) ID an all-star team. 2) What is the single biggest result? 3) Make it unique. 4) Create a lasting memory. 5) Make it easy to share. 6) Make it easy to attract new people. *** About Our Speaker Reginald (Reggie) McDade, founder and Principal Consultant of Human Capital Strategies & Solutions is a 25+ year seasoned executive coach; a recognized leader in change and talent management; professional development; crisis management; and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the workplace. Over his career he has provided unique customized approaches that helps organizations and people achieve long term, sustainable improvements by identifying and assessing their current state, evaluate what is working well and course-correct or pivot where necessary. He is known for his ability to improve and build great teams and recognize talent that others might miss. He has worked successfully in multiple states and has been a part of numerous success stories for businesses, individuals, and communities. He is heavily involved in developing culture that creates a safe, equitable, and thriving environment for organizations, their employees, their families, and the communities where they interact. Click here to register!   

Presenters: Mariela Maya, owner of Panka Peruvian Restaurant Date: June 3, 2022 Time: 12 – 1pm Location: Online Register: 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. Join us as we listen to the story of Mariela Maya, owner of Panka Peruvian Restaurant  About Our Speakers... Mariela Maya My name is Mariela Maya, I am the owner of Panka Peruvian Restaurant. I have three kids and three sisters, and I just recently moved to Des Moines in 2019. I feel that in today’s society it is important to share a story, one that provides a look into a person’s life and one that will result in the understanding of individual differences. I am an immigrant. I was born in Lima, Peru in 1976 and moved to the United States in 2001 in order to achieve what many of you know as the “American Dream.” In times of economic difficulty, I looked for an opportunity of stability that I thought I would immediately find in the United States. However, that dream is romanticized, and it is not all that easy to achieve. Having grown up in a different country surrounded by a unique culture, it is difficult to suddenly immerse yourself in a community that is so unlike the one I had growing up. With the language barrier and mannerisms that are different from those in Peru, it was difficult to establish myself with confidence. I took English classes in order to feel more secure and be able to do everyday things without the fear of being unable to communicate with others around me. Of course, it...

Presenter: Kevin Posey, Jr., Chief Sales Officer at Lumena Energy Date: June 14, 2022 Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm Location: Online Registration: Click Here Running your own business isn’t easy…The Iowa Center is here to help! Join us for a discussion with Kevin Posey, Jr, Chief Sales Officer at Lumena Energy on A Foolproof Plan to Increase Sales. A comprehensive, nearly full proof plan on increasing sales. No matter the product. There are principles within sales that belong to everything.  *** About Our Speaker Kevin Posey, Jr., Chief Sales Officer at Lumena Energy With over two decades of sales experience, Kevin Posey Jr has left an indelible mark on the field of sales and business. From his start in door-to-door sales with Kirby Vacuums to brokering sales with entire municipalities, if it can be seen he believes it can be sold. “As long as I have product knowledge, confidence, and time, I can sell anything!”  Click here to register!   

Presenter: Russ Dale, PM of Classes + Coaching and Jose Venales, Director of Microloans Date: June 15, 2022 Time: 12:00pm - 1:00pm Location: Online Register: Here 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 hosts Russ Dale is our Classes and Coaching Project Manager. Russ spends his time working with clients, assisting them through their entrepreneurial journey. Russ also manages the IT initiatives for The Iowa Center, assists with the loan department as needed, and manages our CRM database. Russ is proud to say that he's the intern that never left!  Jose Venales is the Director of Microloans. Jose manages, develops, and implements The Iowa Center microloan programs. At the same time Jose has the responsibility to maintain a healthy loan portfolio to ensure the availability of these resources for future entrepreneurs.  Click here to register! 

Presenter: Joseph Trimble, Wells Fargo Date: June 21, 2022 Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm Location: Online Registration: Click Here In this session we will talk about steps you as a business owner can take to manage cash flow. We’ll discuss ways that may help you take control of your cash flow and create safeguards to keep cash flow positive. Cash flow is a key indicator of the financial health of your business. A consistent positive cash flow may help you pay expenses, invest in new opportunities, and grow your business. Cash flow is an essential part of running a business as it highlights the cash that goes in and out of your company. *** About Our Speaker... Joseph Trimble, Vice President and Small Business Leader for Wells Fargo’s Central region Joseph Trimble joined Wells Fargo in 2001, and since then has held numerous roles at different locations within the bank’s consumer and small business banking division. Currently, Trimble is responsible for building Wells Fargo’s engagement strategy with business owners in the $0-$10MM revenue segment by educating and developing talented small business relationship managers in the Central time zone. Trimble is based in Albuquerque, NM where he is raising his 14-year-old daughter Brooklynn. Trimble is active in the community and currently serves as the chair for the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce. Trimble also sits on the board of Albuquerque Public Schools Education Foundation, NM M.E.S.A. program and the Pacific Southwest Minority Supplier Development Council. These are all organizations he is very passionate about. Trimble shares that his role is to build a strategy around engaging business owners in the $0-$10MM revenue segment in Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin communities. Trimble values the opportunity he is given each and every day...

Presenter: TJ Daniels, WBC Program Director & Alex Polzin, Dir of Finance & Administration Date: June 29, 2022 Time: 12:00 - 1:00 pm Location: Online Register: Here 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. Click here to register!  

Date: Begins Monday, July 11, 2022 Time: Mondays & Thursdays from Noon-1pm Location: Online Registration Fee: $80 Register: Click Here 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 and learn action steps and strategies to become a better and more savvy business owner. In this 8-class series, you will gain practical knowledge to implement expert strategies in 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. **Please note that this is an educational series--there are a total of 8 hour -long sessions . Please find the full schedule dates/times below.** All classes will be held online from Noon-1pm for four weeks on Mondays and Thursdays starting Monday, July 11, 2022 Classes will be meeting the following days: Monday, July 11: 12:00 -- 1:00 pm Thursday, July 14: 12:00 -- 1:00 pm Monday, July 18: 12:00 - -1:00 pm Thursday, July 21: 12:00 -- 1:00 pm Monday, July 25: 12:00 -- 1:00 pm Thursday, July 28: 12:00 -- 1:00 pm Monday, August 1: 12:00 -- 1:00 pm Thursday, August 4: 12:00 -- 1:00 pm To register click here.   

Presenter: David Zhonghong Dai Date: July 12, 2022 Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm Location: Online Registration: Click Here What is a gig worker? Gig workers are independent contractors or freelancers who typically do short-term work for multiple clients. The work may be project-based, hourly or part-time, and can either be an ongoing contract or a temporary position. While there are plenty of perks to being a gig worker — being your own boss, setting your own hours and working on projects you’re passionate about, to name a few — there are multiple things to consider before pursuing work as an independent contractor or freelancer. Join us as we discuss the 10 things you should know when being a gig worker--from taxes to financial documentation! *** About Our Speaker... David Zhonghong Dai David is a student of the class of 2023 at Grinnell College (Grinnell, IA) majoring in Economics and Political Science with Statistics concentration. He has enjoyed working at Iowa Center of Economic Success this summer as a Microfinance Intern. He has been working on loan projects and Salesforce projects. He is excited to share the most important tips gig workers need to know on July 12th. Click here to register!   

Presenter: Russ Dale, PM of Classes + Coaching and Jose Venales, Director of Microloans Date: July 13, 2022 Time: 12:00pm - 1:00pm Location: Online Register: Here 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 hosts Russ Dale is our Classes and Coaching Project Manager. Russ spends his time working with clients, assisting them through their entrepreneurial journey. Russ also manages the IT initiatives for The Iowa Center, assists with the loan department as needed, and manages our CRM database. Russ is proud to say that he's the intern that never left!  Jose Venales is the Director of Microloans. Jose manages, develops, and implements The Iowa Center microloan programs. At the same time Jose has the responsibility to maintain a healthy loan portfolio to ensure the availability of these resources for future entrepreneurs.  Click here to register! 

Presenter: TJ Daniels, WBC Program Director & Alex Polzin, Dir of Finance & Administration Date: July 27, 2022 Time: 12:00 - 1:00 pm Location: Online Register: Here 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. Click here to register!  

Presenters: Impact Fitness & Nutrition Date: August 5, 2022 Time: 12 – 1pm Location: Online Register: 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. Join us as we listen to the story of Impact Fitness & Nutrition About Our Speakers... Impact opened its doors in December 2018 but the idea was conceived much earlier. Pushing my body beyond its capabilities and getting injured in the process wasn’t fun and not keeping a consistent workout schedule only made it worse. Losing my corporate gig earlier in 2018 was the impetus to begin a journey of creating better movement and better strength in ways our body intended to move.  People get caught up in just doing exercises and not movement patterns. It limits how our body can perform. When we improve in movement patterns we get stronger in those patterns but also stronger overall. We blend group (and personal) fitness with training in 3 movement planes. We live in those movement planes so why not train in them? We use kettlebells, resistance bands, suspension trainers, lever bells, and of course the almighty sandbag to improve the efficiency of our movement. We don’t do our style of fitness to be different. We just do it differently.  Growing our business meant exploring new business opportunities including aerial yoga with Autumn and more importantly our popular nutrition program. It was a natural extension of our programming to help our athletes and others to understand the positive influence of the holistic approach to living a healthier lifestyle. We won’t use the word “diet” but we help people understand the proactive steps to...

Presenter: Sierra Smith, Client Services Coordinator & Jordan Lloyd, Client Services Coordinator  Date: August 10, 2022 Time: 12:00pm - 1:00pm Location: Online Register: Here 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 hosts Sierra and Jordan spend their time at The Iowa Center meeting with new clients to help connect them with the best resources and events for education and advancement. They work to make sure people are aware of the countless opportunities available at The Iowa Center and in the community. Click here to register!