Small Business Blog

According to entrepreneur and author Jay Goltz, businesses go through three stages: start up, throw up and grow up. In the March edition...

For the last nine years, my business purchased a spot on a search engine-type Website to help potential customers find us. In the first...

It may be  a stretch to say that President Elect Barack Obama’s Web 2.0 tactics during his campaign was the single factor in his win, but...

Tragedy struck very close to home for me and many  residents of the Glenwood and Council Bluffs area.  The Fountains Ballroom, a fabulous...

Digital marketing gives small businesses an opportunity to engage  customers in a one on one conversational and interactive experience. ...

Okay, choir, heads up. The sermon is about to begin. A marketing plan is more than an advertising campaign. All together now, a marketing...

So here is the problem.  I lose things.  And so does my family.  Things like phones, coats, DVDs, etc.   We typically travel over 1000...

In my opinion,  ALL individuals starting a new business should have some “form” of a plan.  The form could be a 150 page formal plan with...

Times must be tough. I’ve heard from several business owners in the past few weeks that they are suddenly receiving past due notices from...

I love everything that is marketing and am eager to get ideas and usually will spend time learning everything I can from anyones’...

You hear people all the time talking about “giving back” to their communities, their customers, their professions. Giving back makes you...

Believe it or not there are many, many businesses in Southwest Iowa without websites. They are probably not reading this because, well,...

We know what the economic downturn has done to our 401K’s.  But how is it affecting the decisions of our commercial lenders/banks in...

In the midst of everyday tasks of general business housekeeping and putting out fires, business owners always have those “big picture”...

My immediate advice is to FOCUS ON CURRENT CUSTOMERS! They know you, are comfortable with you and will feel comfortable referring you to...

I co-own a small business and have for 9 years. Over the course of those years, my business partner and I have agreed on most issues,...

If you don’t care about the economy, if you don’t care about making sure everyone has health care, if you don’t care about the war or...

Here’s a given: Congress will figure out some sort of a bailout plan for our financial institutions and Wall Street. But here’s another...

The October 2008 issue of Entrepreneur Magazine has a great article on the 2008 presidential election.  The article takes a look at past...

Here are a few of our “go to” websites at the Iowa Western Entrepreneurial Center and SBDC: www.entrepreneur.com – I have always been a...