Presenter: The Iowa Center Staff Date: Thursday, October 23, 2025 Time: 3:00 - 4:00 pm Location: Online 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: Thursday, October 23, 2025 Time: 3:00 - 5:00 pm Location: Virtual Register: Here Elevate is The Iowa Center’s more advanced 5-class series that helps our clients develop growth strategies for their established small businesses. The series is open to clients who received assistance to launch and grow their small businesses and are ready for the next step, as well as existing businesses seeking education and support to strengthen, stabilize and grow. Topics: Setting SMART goals and KPIs Business models and market positioning Scaling strategies and market expansion Adapting to industry trends and market changes Action Items: Create a business plan Identify growth opportunities in your market Click here to register!

Presenter: The Iowa Center Staff Date: Wednesday, October 29, 2025 Time: 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm Location: Virtual Register: Here A four-part series designed to build financial confidence and long-term security. This four-class series offers crucial financial literacy skills, including budgeting, credit scores, saving strategies, fraud prevention, health insurance, and retirement planning. In the first session, participants will learn how to create and maintain a budget and understand credit scores. The second session will focus on developing effective saving habits and recognizing financial fraud. The final two sessions will cover navigating health care options, planning for retirement, and understanding estate planning for long-term financial empowerment. Additional individual coaching will be available between each session to provide further support. Questions about the course? Contact Nick Meyer at nmeyer@ls2group.com Click here to register!

Presenter: The Iowa Center Staff Date: Thursday, October 30, 2025 Time: 3:00 - 4:00pm Location: 2210 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50312 Register: Here Small business taxes can be complicated. Understanding your obligations and keeping good records makes the process easier, and helps you avoid costly surprises. Join The Iowa Center’s in-house Small Business Tax Professional for a one hour class to learn strategies to prepare for tax time. We will also share information about Iowa Center Services that can help you plan for tax time success. Click here to register! 

Presenter: The Iowa Center Staff Date: Tuesday, November 4, 2025 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: Marcia Treichel & The Iowa Center Staff Date: Wednesday, November 5, 2025 Time: 3:30 - 4:30 pm Location: 2210 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50312 Register: Here Financial Health Chase Money Skills is a financial education program designed to help students and communities improve their financial health. The program offers practical guidance on topics like budgeting, saving, credit management, and fraud prevention. Click here to register!

Presenter: The Iowa Center Staff Date: Wednesday, November 5, 2025 Time: 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm Location: Virtual Register: Here A four-part series designed to build financial confidence and long-term security. This four-class series offers crucial financial literacy skills, including budgeting, credit scores, saving strategies, fraud prevention, health insurance, and retirement planning. In the first session, participants will learn how to create and maintain a budget and understand credit scores. The second session will focus on developing effective saving habits and recognizing financial fraud. The final two sessions will cover navigating health care options, planning for retirement, and understanding estate planning for long-term financial empowerment. Additional individual coaching will be available between each session to provide further support. Questions about the course? Contact Nick Meyer at nmeyer@ls2group.com Click here to register!

Date: Thursday, November 6, 2025 Time: 3:00 - 5:00 pm Location: 2210 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50312 Register: Here Elevate is The Iowa Center’s more advanced 5-class series that helps our clients develop growth strategies for their established small businesses. The series is open to clients who received assistance to launch and grow their small businesses and are ready for the next step, as well as existing businesses seeking education and support to strengthen, stabilize and grow. Topics: Branding and messaging consistency Digital marketing (SEO, social media, email marketing) Content marketing, lead generation, and building customer loyalty Measuring ROI on marketing efforts Action Items: Build a basic marketing campaign Craft a 3 minute business pitch Click here to register!

Day/Time: Thursday, November 6, 2025, 5:30-7:30 PM (for full details and class schedule, click here!) Location: 2210 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50312 In our final session, we’ll celebrate your hard work and growth throughout the course. This graduation class is your opportunity to put everything you’ve learned into action by presenting your business pitch and sharing your marketing strategy with your peers and instructors. You’ll have the chance to showcase your brand story, creative marketing ideas, and the strategies you’ve developed to reach your audience on a budget. This is a supportive and engaging space to gain feedback, network with fellow entrepreneurs, and be inspired by the innovative approaches others have crafted. We’ll close out the course by recognizing your accomplishments and setting the stage for your next steps as a confident, resourceful business owner ready to make an impact.

          Date: Tuesday, November 11, 2025 Time: 3:00 - 4:00 pm Location: 2210 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50312 Register: Here Navigating sales tax doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Join us for a practical, beginner-friendly session on the basics of Iowa sales tax. We’ll cover key topics like: What’s taxable (and what’s not) When use tax applies How to determine the correct rate to charge We’ll also walk through the essentials of staying compliant — from setting up your tax account and registering for the right permit to filing and paying on time. Plus, we’ll explain what to do if you ever receive a letter from the Iowa Department of Revenue. The presenter for this session is Tim Reilly, Counsel at BrownWinick law firm, who previously worked for the DOR as a tax attorney and sales tax policy director and as a state and local tax expert at an accounting firm. Click here to register!

Presenter: The Iowa Center Staff Date: Wednesday, November 12, 2025 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!