Help with the government procurement process

May 20, 2010

by Julie Mierau Nothing — truly, nothing — is more frustrating than trying to figure out how to access the government procurement process. And yet government contracts can be extremely lucrative for small business owners. Today our staff met with Gordon Bonnes, government contracting specialist with Iowa State University Extension’s Center for Industrial Research and Service (CIRAS). Gordon [...]

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Coupon Customer Service

May 19, 2010

By Coreen Trost, Entreprenerial Center Office Manager Does your business use coupons?  If you do, how do you or your employees treat the customers who use them?  Do you thank them for using the coupon?    Or do your cashiers roll their eyes and check the expiration date like you are the biggest annoyance that had [...]

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Iowa Biz Plan Competition – Go Mirror Gear USA!

May 18, 2010

Mirror Gear USA, A Council Bluffs, Iowa business and client of the Iowa Western Entrepreneurial and Small Business Development Center qualified as one of 24 businesses to move on to the next round of the Iowa business plan competition Prizes include: ONE (1) $25,000 Grand Prize. ONE (1) $15,000 Second Prize. ONE (1) $10,000 Third [...]

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Tips to Heat Up your Summer Business

May 11, 2010

Summer is coming. Really. I can feel it in the distance. Sure, it is unseasonably cold right now in Southwest Iowa, but summer is right around the corner and it is time to add a bit to your marketing regimen to your Iowa small business. Having a marketing strategy is key and every business should [...]

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What we know about health care reform

May 6, 2010

While the media, the public and even Congress continue to discover all the details about the recently passed health care reform bill, we can share a few things that we know will affect small business owners. (The information shared here originated from The Harry A. Koch Co.) Companies that employ fewer than 50 workers are [...]

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Don’t pass over your current customers to get new ones

May 3, 2010

Maybe it’s just me, but I get really annoyed when a business or organization I do business with offers special deals for new customers but nothing for existing customers. Just this morning, a business association announced that if you join during May, you can be entered into a drawing for $7,500 worth of free marketing [...]

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From the mouths of our customers

April 22, 2010

Lest we forget, small businesses only succeed if they meet the needs of their customers. Here’s a first-hand account, a cautionary tale, from a colleague of mine in Dallas. Read it — and remember. http://absolutecytron.com/general/small-business-concerns-are-real-and-painful

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Iowa Western Community College Receives Grant to Help Small Businesses

January 26, 2010

In an announcement from Governor Chet Culver, we learned today that Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa  is among 44 Iowa recipients of grants designed to create jobs by helping businesses get started or expand in rural areas.  Governor Culver highlighted these awards from the Federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. IWCC Entrepreneurial [...]

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Branding boiled down to three simple questions

January 21, 2010

Everybody’s talking about branding these days. Marketing consultants want to charge companies to create brands — and sometimes rightfully so. Website consultants want to charge to create an online brand — again, sometimes rightfully so. Image consultants want to charge you to create your personal brand. But is that money well spent? At a seminar [...]

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Your mama was right

January 12, 2010

Remember when your mama told you there was no such thing as a free lunch? Turns out, she was right. Imagine that. Now, repeat after me: There’s no free grant money out there to start or expand my business. That’s right, boys and girls, there is no free grant money out there. No matter what [...]

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