On August 6th, Senator Joni Ernst, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, is bringing Washington, D.C., to the heartland. Senator Ernst’s Entrepreneur Expo is the best opportunity of the year for Iowa’s small businesses to learn about federal, state, and local government contracting opportunities, and federal innovation programs. The goal […]

The National APEX Accelerator Alliance (NAPEX) and your local APEX Accelerator Program are excited to announce the upcoming DCAA Pricing Series. Part 2 of the Pricing Series includes Indirect Costs and Rates and Monitoring Subcontracts. This webinar will be held on August 7th at 1:00 pm. Not sure how to build your indirect rates? Experts […]

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 […]

This event, hosted by the Greater Des Moines Partnership on Thursday, August 8th, from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm, offers a lunch and learn for attendees to experience learning, networking, and developing relationships with local government agencies and other business corporations in the contracting space. The morning will include short briefings from each participating agency […]

Running a small business requires more than having a passion and a vision. To be successful, you need to have your financials in order. Unless you are familiar with bookkeeping basics, you might not know how crucial having the right financial documents is to your success. Join The Iowa Center staff as we go over […]

Understanding your Personal Credit and How to Establish Business Credit.   Did you know that when you apply for a small business loan, the odds are that you will have to apply using your personal credit? This information is used by lenders and creditors to assess your creditworthiness and determine whether to lend you money or […]

The Department of Administrative Services (DAS) Central Procurement is now offering orientation for vendors interested in doing business with State of Iowa agencies. Learn the basics of public procurement. Learn about what the State purchases. Learn where to find solicitations. Learn who to contact. Learn where to find other procurement information. Learn about the availability […]

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 with a road map for completing your plan and taking the next steps toward business ownership. Also, connect with other aspiring small business owners to refine your […]

If you’re doing business in Iowa, learning to navigate and utilize GovConnectIowa is essential.  This website was launched in November 2021 to make one central location for businesses to help manage their small business taxes, licensing, and registration.  They have plans to continue adding the ability for alcohol compliance, education, and licensing in late 2025.  […]