Presenter: Ben Schultz, Client Services Coordinator Date: September 15, 2020 Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm Location: Online Getting new customers for your small business can feel hard, uncomfortable, or even forced—but it doesn’t always have to be like that. Ben Schultz, Client Services Coordinator with The Iowa Center, will help you focus on reframing “sales” as sharing your story to your target market. Ben will share best practices for refining and sharing what makes your business unique. This presentation will give business owners the skills to talk about their business more confidently and deliver a clear, effective message to their audience. About our speaker Ben Schultz works as the Client Services Coordinator for the Iowa Center for Economic Success, connecting clients to the best resources and partners at the Iowa Center to help them start or grow their business. Prior to joining at the Iowa Center, Ben worked in sales at a large insurance brokerage for over a year. In that role, Ben worked with a small team focused on simplifying the company message to better reach their potential customers. Ben's sales path had him speaking to a wide range of people from small business owners here in Iowa to Presidents/CEOs of Fortune 500 companies and everything in between. In his short time in insurance, Ben brought in several new clients and laid the foundation for 30+ other potential customers to develop a relationship with him and his firm.  Ben was a 2019 graduate of Drake's College of Business with a degree in Business Management and minor in Economics. Through coursework, community projects, and experience in the workforce, Ben has gained (and is still learning more every day in) an understanding for the factors that motivate people to act in certain ways. This understanding helped him craft efficient sales messages and...

Presenter: Julia Hunt, Julia Mae Photography LLC Date: September 21 – November 9, 2020 Time: 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm Location: Online FocusME provides a space for working women to support each other with connections and accountability as each sets her own professional and personal goals. New groups form every quarter and meet once per week for 8 weeks. Each is led by a facilitator whose role is to organize the group around weekly themes and to push each participant to achieve what she sets forth. As a participant, you will: Lean on each other, give advice, share connections and experiences. Do business with each other if/when appropriate, all while connecting with other women and resources. Be a source of support, referrals, and networking: the focus is on personal development that will impact your growth. Spend time and emphasis on topics such as goal setting, pitching your ideas, prioritization and time management. Cost to participate is $99 (inquire about scholarships!) and includes eight weeks of small group meetings Monday from September 21 – November 9. Application deadline, September 18, 2020. Interested? Please download the application here, fill it out and then email to Ciara Ladroma at cladroma@theiowacenter.org. Once your application has been reviewed, you'll be contacted to schedule a short interview to determine your readiness for FocusMe. About our speaker Julia Hunt is the owner of Julia Mae Photography, LLC and specializes in Social Media and branding photography. Julia is passionate about helping entrepreneurs, influencers and businesses express their stories genuinely through photography. Julia is also a Professional Life Coach who helps others discover, set and achieve their goals, find clarity, manage time and prioritize. Julia has spent 20+ years as a photographer, restaurant manager and more recently added coaching to her line-up. When she is not juggling her two...

Presenter: Sally Cooper Smith, President and Creative Director of Cooper Smith & Company Date: September 22, 2020 Time: 12-1pm Location: Online This email marketing class will provide tips, hints and how-tos even the novice can use to get more from your email efforts. We’ll focus on Mailchimp, but what you’ll learn can be used in any email management system. Learn how to use segmentation to improve deliverability and open rates and Canva to produce graphics that make your emails stand out. About our speaker Sally Cooper Smith is the President and Creative Director of Cooper Smith & Company, a marketing and design firm she founded in 1993. Sally Cooper Smith specializes in marketing and business strategy for small businesses. She works with founders and entrepreneurs to grow their businesses through more effective branding, advertising, and communications—online and off. Ms. Cooper Smith graduated with honors from Iowa State University, where in 2011 she was granted their prestigious lifetime Design Achievement Award. Sally continues to be involved with her alma mater, serving on the advisory board to the Department of Graphic Design. Her studio’s work has been published internationally in Logo Lounge and PIE Books, as well as Communication Arts, Graphic and Studio magazines. They’ve also received awards in numerous regional and national in competitions for the American Advertising Federation, The Art Director’s Association, and the American Marketing Association. Sally brings her experience in branding, communications, marketing, and business management to the boards she works with, having served in the past as president of the Des Moines Symphony Ambassadors, the Civic Music Association, the Art Director’s Association of Iowa and Ballet Des Moines. Sally is a member of the Rotary Club of Des Moines, A.M. and volunteers as a mentor for the University of Iowa’s Venture School and Iowa State University’s CyStarters.

Presenter: TJ Daniels, Sr Loan Officer + Credit Coach & Alex Polzin, Director of Finance & Administration Date: September 28, 2020 Time: 4:00pm - 5:00pm 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 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: TJ Daniels, Sr Loan Officer + Credit Coach Date: September 29, 2020 Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm Location: Online Have you felt uncertain or confused when looking at a credit report? This webinar will provide an overview of the different types of credit reports (Business Division and Consumer Disclosure Reports), the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), and explain where the information on credit reports comes from. We will highlight the different sections of a credit report (personal identifying information, credit history, public records, and inquiries) and discuss important information to be aware of when reviewing a credit report. Finally, the process of how an account becomes a charge-off will be explained before reviewing best practices. About our speaker TJ 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.

Presenter: Todd Sommerfeld, Owner & CEO of Kreg Tool Company Date: October 2, 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 Todd Sommerfeld, second-generation Owner & CEO of Kreg Tool Company in Huxley. About our speaker Todd Sommerfeld is a husband, father, and the second-generation owner & CEO of Kreg Tool Company in Huxley. Todd joined Kreg in 1999 after a brief stint in public accounting. Since that time Kreg has grown from 12 employees to over 240. Todd has been involved with all aspects of growing and scaling an entrepreneurial business including the transition of both his father and himself from the role of CEO. Todd is a certified executive coach who has become as passionate about human growth and development as he is about product and business development. Now in his second stint as company CEO, Todd is focused on creating a human centered culture that intentionally invites the co-creation of Kreg’s rapidly emerging future.

Date: October 5, 2020 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 October 5, 2020. 

Presenter: Brett Moellers, Bookkeepers Inc Date: October 6, 2020 Time: 12:00pm -1:00pm Location: Online Running a small business is a constant battle against time and managing your books can be one of the biggest times sinks in your small business. Fortunately a tool like Quickbooks can break your bookkeeping needs into simplified, manageable tasks. Join Brett Moellers with Bookkeepers Inc for an overview of Quickbooks Online and learn how to keep track of business activity in one secure location. About our speaker Brett grew up on a farm in Northeast Iowa and went to school at the University of Northern Iowa where he studied for my CPA and earned a Masters in Accounting. In college he started his own small painting company and realized the many questions and challenges small business owners have. He started his accounting career working for an accounting firm in Minnesota where he worked as an auditor focused primarily in the Healthcare industry. Over three years later Brett moved to Des Moines and decided to follow his passion in helping small business owners. He started working at The Bookkeepers Inc. where they focus on assisting small business owners with many of their financial and tax needs.

Presenter: TJ Daniels, Sr Loan Officer + Credit Coach & Alex Polzin, Director of Finance & Administration Date: September 23, 28 & October 6, 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 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: Chris Martin | Client Success Manager Date: October 13, 2020 Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm Location: Online In todays unprecedented times it is more important than ever to delight your customers and maintain a positive relationship with them. Conflict can signal the beginning of the end of a relationship with a customer or the start of an even stronger one. In this discussion we'll review best practices to address customer conflict, deflect confrontation, and in some cases prevent the incident from actually ever occurring. About our speaker Chris Martin is a seasoned Client Success Manager currently employed at Gain Compliance, an insurance industry start-up in the East Village. He brings 7 years of customer success experience, 5 years of restaurant management experience, and more years than he's going to admit of retail experience to the table. He is passionate about the customer experience and insuring that all customers are successful in reaching their goals. Chris graduated from Grand View University in 2010 with a degree in Service Management and from Iowa State University in 2013 after earning his MBA. He is a die hard Cyclone fan and is very excited that sports are being played on these gorgeous Iowa fall weekends.

Date: October 15 - November 19, 2020 Time: 9 am - 12 pm Location: Online Why is maturing your business as hard as—or even harder than—launching? All of the same challenges and obstacles that face a brand new entrepreneur don’t just fade away after the doors open. They grow and change right along with a business that is finding its feet. It is just as important to reevaluate your values and principles, community impact, and strategic plan as you work towards sustainability and growth—and that’s what we will cover in this course. DreamMaker is a six-week course to help you find sustainability or even growth in your business after you’ve built your foundation. This course will help you better understand and manage the many hats you’re required to wear as a small business owner. Here's what you'll do during this 6-week online course: Personal Story & Community Impact – October 15 A panel of local small business experts are ready to help you better understand your social relevance and impact. Learn how to improve time management, organization, and managing expectations in your day-to-day. Product, Growth, & Scalability – October 22 Understanding your target market is vital to any small business owner: find your price point, know when it’s the right time for growth, and how to measure success. Sales & Customer Service – October 29 Sales strategy, customer contracts, setting standards, and handling customer conflict don’t have to be intimidating with help from some of Iowa’s most accomplished customer relations professionals. Brand, Marketing, and Advertising – November 5 Brand consistency, maintenance, advertising, social media, and how to pull it all together. Back Office – November 12 Billing, bookkeeping, budgeting, and when you should just hire an accountant. Learn about inventory management, payment services, vendor assessments, and protecting your company data....

Presenter: Dr. Debra Bishop, Drake University  Date: October 20, 2020 Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm Location: Online Profitability - the pathway to long-term business sustainability and growth! Are you trying to decide whether to get started, considering a location, or contemplating a strategy for growth? Join us for an interactive, engaging, practical session looking at profitability using the principles of break-even analysis. About our speaker Dr. Debra Bishop received a doctorate in Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering with a concentration in operations research from Iowa State University in 1996. She has been at Drake University since 1996 and until February held the position of Director of the Buchanan Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership as well as the Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship Outreach. She is a Professor of Practice in Management and International Business teaching primarily operations management. Dr. Bishop has taught courses in entrepreneurship, operations improvement, break-even analysis and procurement to business professionals. She has been the recipient of the Brooks Faculty Excellence Award as well as the David B. Lawrence Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award. Additionally, Dr. Bishop is a visiting professor at Makerere University Business School in Kampala, Uganda taking students to Uganda for a short-term course studying sustainable development issues each May.