BizFluent: Marketing Date: October 25 - 28 (Monday - Thursday) Time: 9:00 - 10:00 am Location: Online  Registration: Sign Up Here! One of the most important things to a successful business is the ability to attract customers. Many small business owners manage branding, social media, and other marketing strategies without being marketing experts. BizFluent – Marketing is designed to help entrepreneurs learn actionable strategies they can implement to promote their business more effectively. Presenters will be a mix of local experts and Iowa Center staff, and you will have opportunities to network with the speaker and other participants after presentations. Whether you are thinking about opening your first business or managing several existing companies, this course is for you if you want to learn tangible strategies to market you and your business effectively and efficiently! This is a multi-day workshop. October 25 - 28 (Monday- Thursday) at 9:00 am - 10:00 amTopics covered includes: - Branding - Email Marketing - Social Media Marketing - Elevator Pitches This class is one of our 3-part BizFluent series (Marketing, Websites, and Admin). You can bundle BizFluent classes together for a discount. • 1 Course: $100 • 2 Courses: $160 • 3 Courses: $200 Dates of other courses: Website: November 15 - 18 (Monday - Thursday) at 9:00 - 10:00 am Admin/Ops: December 13 - 16 (Monday - Thursday) at 9:00 - 10:00 am Sign Up Here! 

Presenter: TJ Daniels, WBC Program Director & Alex Polzin, Dir of Finance & Administration Date: October 26, 2021 Time: 2:00 -3:00 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!    

Presenter: 5 Elements of an Effective Website Date: November 2, 2021 Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm Location: Online Registration: Click Here People visiting your website need to understand three things within just a few seconds—what you do, in what way(s) your brand can help them, and what to do next. We’ll discuss five simple website elements that can help visitors quickly understand the value of what you offer and take the next step toward engaging with your brand. About Our Speaker... Andrea Love is a marketing communications consultant and copywriter. With 25 years in communications, and as a StoryBrand Certified Guide, she offers expertise in strategic communications planning and creative implementation. Andrea’s personal passion is helping businesses and organizations fulfill their purpose and missions. Click here to register!    The Iowa Center Women's Business Center is funded in part by U.S. Small Business Administration.

Presenter: Russ Dale, PM of Classes + Coaching and Jose Venales, Director of Microloans Date: November 3, 2021 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! 

Presenters: Kate Vigmostad and Jen Kranz, Owners of Volition Skate  Date: November 5, 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. Volition Skate Co. was founded by Jen Kranz and Kate Vigmostad in 2020 - at the height of the global pandemic. We started Volition Skate Co. because we want to share the JOY and the freedom roller skating brings to our lives with as many people as possible. We chose the name Volition, because we want to remind ourselves and inspire others to call upon themselves to create the life and the world they want to live in.   Volition Skate Co.'s Mission More than just selling roller skates, we are building a supportive online and in-person community that provides new skaters the resources they need to thrive in their new-found hobby. About our speakers Kate Vigmostad is a former professional dancer who received an MFA in Dance from the University of Iowa and spent much of her 20s living, working, and dancing in San Francisco and San Diego, CA. Kate is also a yoga instructor, and loves all things that challenge her physically and mentally. Kate is also the owner of Aerial Fitness Underground, a pole and aerial arts dance studio located in Fairfield, IA. Kate is a single mother and loves that her son is growing up with a strong, entrepreneurial mother and wants to expose him to the joy and creativity you can tap into as a small business owner. Jen Kranz received a Digital Media and Conscious Entrepreneurship degree from MIU in Fairfield, Iowa. Jen is...

Presenter: TJ Daniels, WBC Program Director & Alex Polzin, Dir of Finance & Administration Date: November 10, 2021 Time: 10:00 -11:00 am 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!  

BizFluent: Build Your Own Website Date: November 15 - 18 (Monday - Thursday) Time: 9:00 - 10:00 am Location: Online  Registration: Sign Up Here! The past year and a half taught everyone the importance of being online. If your business does not have a website, you are not going to be easily seen. With so many domains to choose from, design options, prices, packages, and data, it can be hard to know where to start. BizFluent – Build Your Own Website is designed to help entrepreneurs learn skills to build their own website, manage website analytics, and know community resources that can help when they have questions. Presenters will be a mix of local experts and Iowa Center staff, and you will have opportunities to network with the speaker and other participants after presentations. If you want to learn how to build and manage an effective website or are looking for ways to improve accessibility and boost clicks, this program is for you! This is a multi-day workshop. November 15 - 18 (Monday- Thursday) at 9:00 am - 10:00 am Topics covered includes: - Best practices for developing informative website - Best practices for developing marketplace website - Difference Between Domains - Analytics and SEO This class is one of our 3-part BizFluent series (Marketing, Websites, and Admin). You can bundle BizFluent classes together for a discount. • 1 Course: $100 • 2 Courses: $160 • 3 Courses: $200 Dates of other courses: Marketing: October 25-28 (Monday - Thursday) at 9:00 - 10:00 am Admin/Ops: December 13 - 16 (Monday - Thursday) at 9:00 - 10:00 am Sign Up Here! 

Presenter: Ann Hartz, CPA  Owner of Ann M. Hartz CPA & Associates Date: November 16, 2021 Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm Location: Online Registration: Click Here Are you a small business owner looking to file your own taxes or thinking about opening your own business? Whether you are a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out, this webinar will be full of important info and tips as we approach tax season. Join The Iowa Center and Ann Hartz of CPA Des Moines as we cover plenty of important information for tax time. About Our Speaker... Ann M Hartz is a CPA with a passion for helping other business owners focus on the parts of their business that matter to them most by taking away their concerns about day-to-day financial and bookkeeping issues. She has wanted to run her own tax practice since before going to school to become a CPA. She says, “It is always what I wanted to do from the time I did my first tax return.” She adds: “My passion is taking a burden away from the business owner and giving them peace of mind that they will not get into trouble with the IRS and that they are doing the very best that they can in regard to their bottom line.” Ann is a life-long resident of Iowa- born and raised in Albia and currently residing in Des Moines. She has more than 20 years of accounting and tax experience. She graduated from William Penn College in Oskaloosa, IA and worked early in her accounting career in the Southern Iowa area. She branched out on her own and opened her own Tax Practice in Albia before moving to Des Moines in 2000. She has worked for McGowen, Hurst, Clark and Smith, The Des Moines Symphony and Unity Point...

Presenter: Russ Dale, PM of Classes + Coaching and Jose Venales, Director of Microloans Date: December 1, 2021 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! 

Presenters: Tobi Parks, Owner/CEO of xBk  Date: December 3, 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. Tobi Parks is a musician; entertainment attorney; Owner/CEO of xBk (Des Moines); and Board Vice President for the National Independent Venue Association Foundation. Join us as we hear Tobi's story, how Covid impacted xBk, what moves she made to pivot, survive, and thrive! About our speakers Tobi Parks is an entertainment and intellectual property attorney, majority owner and CEO of xBk, a Des Moines-based music venue and the Board Vice President for the National Independent Venue Foundation, the 501(c)(3) arm of the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA). She has worked in the Business and Legal Affairs division of Sony Music for a number of years as both an attorney and Director of Copyright for Sony's Columbia Records, Epic Records, and RCA Records. She has a long history working in media having worked for a number of years as a Programming and Promotions Associate for Clear Channel Broadcasting and as Director of Marketing and Public Relations with the PBS produced series, In the Life. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications and a Master of Arts in Media Literacy from Webster University in St. Louis and a Juris Doctor degree from Drake University Law School. She is a musician that has played bass in the NYC glam-punk band Bambï, Toronto-based The Cliks, St. Louis-based acts The Star Death, Is That You?, and Grandpa’s Ghost. As a solo performer and session player, she has worked with Cyndi Lauper, Margaret Cho, Darin Gray, Tim...

Presenter: Ronee Andersen, SPHR, MBA, CTACC, Owner of Coaching and Consulting by Ronee, LLC Date: December 7, 2021 Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm Location: Online Registration: Click Here Now more than ever it is difficult to retain and/or attract new talent for your business. Join us as we ask Ronee Andersen, Owner of Coaching and Consulting by Ronee LLC, her tips and tricks for pivoting your business to the new normal of hiring and retention for your employees. In this session you will learn: What employees want to stay What managers need to retain employees How to attract top talent How to retain your high achievers About our speaker... Ronee Andersen, SPHR, MBA, CTACC Owner, Leadership Coach, and Business Consultant Ronee Andersen, is an experienced Human Resource professional with 20 years of progressive experience in companies from 50 to 6,000 employees. She has experience working in family-owned businesses, private sector and publicly traded companies, as well as, experience in the public sector in city and county government. She has held positions as HR Officer, HR Director and Senior HR Director. She has been a member of leadership and executive teams. With her HR background, she understands the needs of the company, management and the employees. Ronee has held her Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification since 2003. She has an MBA with an emphasis in Human Resources and an advance certificate in Strategic Human Resources from Cornell University. She is a certified coach through the Coach Training Alliance. She is a member of the Iowa Chapter of the International Coaching Federation (ICF). Ronee is passionate about leadership and team development, culture creation and helping individuals and organizations meet their full potential. Click here to register!    The Iowa Center Women's Business Center is funded in part by U.S. Small Business...

Presenter: TJ Daniels, WBC Program Director & Alex Polzin, Dir of Finance & Administration Date: December 8, 2021 Time: 10:00 -11:00 am 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!