Date: Wednesday, July 17 2024 Time: 4:00 - 5:00 pm Location: The Iowa Center Office 2210 Grand Ave Des Moines, IA 50312 Register: Here The “Made In Iowa“ series celebrates the impact of small business on Iowa‘s culture and economy. This session, we are partnering with Lisa Behrends to explore the role of small businesses in connecting communities with an entrepreneur at the start of her small business journey. Join Lisa Behrends, Inspirational Conversationalist, Grant Rolfes, Assurance Manager at Clifton Allen Larson, and Mark Juffernbruch, Director of Business Coaching at The Iowa Center, as they discuss the importance of connecting locally and detail how those at the start of their small business journey can make lasting impacts in their community. Click here to register!

Presenter: The Iowa Center Staff Date: Tuesday, July 23, 2024 Time: 3:00 - 4:00pm Location: 2210 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50312 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. Click here to register! 

          Presenter: The Iowa Center Staff Date: Wednesday, July 24, 2024 Time: 3:00 - 4:00 pm Location: Virtual Register: Here Are you an aspiring entrepreneur or small business owner looking to make a big impact with a limited marketing budget? Look no further than "Marketing for Startups with a Small Budget - A Blueprint for Small Business Marketing." This course is designed to empower you with the knowledge and strategies needed to effectively market your startup or small business without breaking the bank. In today's competitive business landscape, creativity and resourcefulness can be your greatest assets, and this course will show you how to leverage them to achieve remarkable marketing results. Throughout this course, you will delve into innovative, cost-effective marketing techniques tailored specifically for startups and small businesses. From crafting a compelling brand story and harnessing the power of social media to mastering guerrilla marketing tactics and optimizing your online presence, you'll gain a comprehensive toolkit for maximizing your marketing efforts on a shoestring budget. Join us on a journey to discover how to reach your target audience, generate leads, and build a loyal customer base, all while managing your resources efficiently. By the end of this course, you'll have a solid blueprint for navigating the world of marketing as a small business, setting you on a path toward sustainable growth and success. Don't let a limited budget hold you back – learn how to market smarter, not harder, and watch your business thrive. Click here to register!

Date: August 5, 2024 Time: 9:00 am - 11:00 am Location: Online Registration: Click Here Work for Yourself@50+ is a webinar to help you gain the knowledge, support, and resources you need to make informed decisions about working for yourself and take the right first steps toward successful self-employment. The decision to start your own business can be both exciting and daunting. Work for Yourself@50+ breaks the choices down for older adults in an approachable way through five steps: 1. A careful consideration of the potential benefits and risks of working for yourself 2. Exercises to help develop the self-employment idea 3. A realistic overview of what it takes to pursue a self-employment opportunity 4. Guidance to help avoid pitfalls and scams 5. Ways to find trustworthy support and services This is an online webinar. In order to access the webinar, you will need to use either a computer, tablet for smartphone. You will receive instructions on how to join the webinar in your registration confirmation or your reminder email that will go out prior to the webinar. Please do not share the webinar access information with anyone who is not already registered. Click here to register!  The Iowa Center Women's Business Center is funded in part by U.S. Small Business Administration.

Date: August 6, 2024 Time: 8:00 am - 3:00 pm Location: Iowa State University’s Memorial Union 2229 Lincoln Way Ames, IA 50011 Registration: Click Here Join The Iowa Center staff at our booth at Joni Ernst's Entrepreneur Expo 2024! Senator Ernst's Entrepreneur Expo is the best opportunity of the year for Iowa’s small businesses to learn about government contracting and federal innovation programs. This event will feature successful small business speakers, multiple information sessions with procurement experts, and networking opportunities with federal, state, and local agency officials. There are two programming tracks within the Expo: government contracting and federal R&D grants. Participants will pick a track for the breakout and networking sessions. Click here to register! 

Presenter: The Iowa Center Staff Date: Tuesday, August 6, 2024 Time: 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Location: Online Register: Here Getting started in your small business journey can be daunting…let us help you make the process and little easier as we outline some basic steps to Getting Ready! What are the first steps needed to business ownership? What’s a business plan and why do you need one? What are the various types of legal business entities? How do you register your business? Click here to register!

Presenter: The Iowa Center Staff Date: Wednesday, August 7, 2024  Time: 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Location: 2210 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50312 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: Lending 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. Click here to register!

Presenter: The Iowa Center Staff Date: Tuesday, August 13, 2024 Time: 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Location: Online Register: Here Running a small business requires more than having a passion and a vision. To be successful you need to have your financials in order. Unless you are familiar with bookkeeping basics, you might not know how crucial having the right financial documents are to your success. Join The Iowa Center staff as we go over the most useful and important financial documents for your small business. We will discuss and define: Income Statement/Profit and Loss Statement Cash Flow Statement Balance Sheet Accounts Receivable Budget Click here to register!

Presenter: The Iowa Center Staff Date: Wednesday, August 14, 2024 Time: 3:00 - 4:00 pm Location: 2210 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50312 Register: Here Understanding your Personal Credit and How to Establish Business Credit.   Did you know that when you apply for a small business loan odds are that you will have to apply using your personal credit? This information is used by lenders and creditors to assess your creditworthiness and determine whether to lend you money or extend credit. Understanding your personal credit is an essential part of managing your finances and achieving your financial goals. We will also discuss everything you need to know about building personal credit for your business, including why it's important, how to get started, and best practices for maintaining good credit!  Click here to register!

Presenter: The Iowa Center Staff Date: Tuesday, August 20, 2024 Time: 3:00 - 4:00pm 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. Click here to register! 

Presenter: Paul Lemon Date: Wednesday, August 21, 2024 Time: 3:00 - 4:00 pm Location: 2210 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50312 Register: Here Join Paul Lemon at The Iowa Center office for a small business course designed to help you prepare for tax season success! Understanding and fulfilling tax obligations is a foundation of financial stability, and this one-hour course is designed to explore how to set up your small business for success by planning ahead for the tax season. During this session, we will explore what you need to know about self-employment tax, late-filing fees, and tips on how to reduce income taxes. This one-hour course will feature interactive exercises, take-home handouts, and a question-and-answer session. Paul Lemon, CFP® (CPA/PFS Retired), has 47 years of experience in tax preparation, tax consulting, and comprehensive fee-only financial planning. Before retiring in 2021, he owned his own firm- Integrated Financial Planning, P.C that specialized in empowering families and small business owners in clarifying and achieving their goals. Paul encourages everyone to “Give money your attention so it doesn’t rob you of your life’s energy.” Paul is also the author of 2 books – Ten Weeks to Financial Awakening – How to Create Your Own Financial Plan Using Quicken®Software and Ahoy, Money! – How to Chart Your Course to Genuine Financial Freedom. In retirement Paul participates in the VITA free income tax preparation program as well as offering free workshops and seminars on personal and small business tax and financial planning topics. Click here to register!

Presenter: The Iowa Center Staff Date: Tuesday, September 3rd 2024 Time: 3:00 - 4:00 pm Location: 2210 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50312 Register: Here Getting started in your small business journey can be daunting…let us help you make the process and little easier as we outline some basic steps to Getting Ready! What are the first steps needed to business ownership? What’s a business plan and why do you need one? What are the various types of legal business entities? How do you register your business? Click here to register!