Presenter: Jill Lippincott | Team Lead, Innovation and Apprenticeship Date: September 1, 2020 Time: 11:00am – 12:00pm Location: Online As a small business owner, you’ve quickly learned that there are many different roles that you must step into to run your business. In our Small Business Essential classes you’ll learn from experts who will educate and guide you on how to wear these many hats that are required of you. Each week we’ll showcase a topic in the areas of accounting and finance, sales and marketing, operations, or self-care. This week Jill Lippincott, a Team Lead, Innovation and Apprenticeship from Iowa Economic Development Authority will present an overview on the Targeted Small Business program. About our speaker Since 2016, Jill Lippincott has managed the Targeted Small Business certification program and connected eligible Iowa businesses to local resources, educational materials, networking events and financial opportunities at Iowa Economic Development Authority. As the Team Lead for the Innovation and Apprenticeship team, Jill serves as IEDA's liaison with the Iowa Innovation Council, a group that recommends public policy and strategies to support innovation and entrepreneurial activities and works on initiatives related to strengthening the entrepreneur ecosystem and workforce throughout the state. Prior to working for the state of Iowa, Jill has worked with non-profits and startups in Iowa, Colorado and Nebraska to lead strategic planning, business development, and quality improvement projects. Jill holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Colorado-Denver.

Presenter: Nora Crosthwaite | Owner, Home Sweet Des Moines & Stagerie Date: September 4, 2020 Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm 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 Nora Crosthwaite, owner of Home Sweet Des Moines and founder of Stagerie. About our speaker Nora Crosthwaite is the owner of Home Sweet Des Moines at RE/MAX Concepts, and is also the founder of Stagerie, an online staging company. She has a background in IT, but switched gears in 2015 to explore her entrepreneurial side and focus more on helping everyday people. She is a residential REALTOR(r), working with people to buy and/or sell homes for their current stage of life. In addition, she started Stagerie this year to bring stagers together with real estate agents and homeowners, helping homes sell faster and for more money in a cost effective and convenient manner. Outside of her work at Stagerie and Home Sweet Des Moines, Nora is a wife to Paul, mom to Layla, and cat-mom to Frankie and Mara. She loves live music, traveling, martial arts, and Des Moines community builder. She has worked with Pi 515 (www.pursuitofinnovation.org) and regularly leads a team for the Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity's Women's Build event (www.gdmhabitat.org). Nora and her family have adopted Des Moines as their home since 2010.

Presenter: Tina Mowry Hadden, Owner of Mowry Strategies Date: September 8, 2020 Time: 12 – 1pm Location: Online When we think about the old days of traveling and pulling out the road map, it definitely got us where we needed to go, but it didn’t have all the bells and whistles that our GPS systems have today. Think of strategic planning today as more of a GPS system. We need to more than a few goal statements and action steps, we need a process that inspires self-awareness, builds strong teams and identifies the multiple ways to best communicate with employees, customers, shareholders, and the general public. Tina Mowry Hadden, owner of Mowry Strategies, has been working with clients to develop short- and long- term strategic plans for over 15 years. She brings her journalism background and ability to work with the media to assist business leaders in developing their brands and telling their stories. Join her via Zoom to hear about the strategic planning process she uses with her clients and learn tips for creating a strong branding and business strategy for your business. a) create a common vision b) set goals c) and outline the work-plan to increase the bottom line, develop customer base, offer top-notch customer service and continually tell the story of the business or organization. About our speaker Tina Mowry Hadden started her Public Relations and Strategic Planning business in 2003. Raised on the family farm in rural Iowa, the entrepreneurial spirit of her childhood has been a driving force behind the success of her business. Hadden often says, “A strong work ethic and commitment to off the charts customer service are the secrets to my success.” Hadden has worked with private businesses, nonprofits and local governments to facilitate business strategy and guide branding. A few...

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.