Small Business Blog

Entrepreneurs must prepare five main documents before applying for a small business loan. These vary depending on the lender, the...

Employees and independent contractors are not the same. As a small business owner, it is important to understand the differences between...

A trade secret is any confidential piece of information that provides your small business a competitive advantage over rivals. As such,...

Multiple times per week, clients ask me how to go about protecting their business names, company logos, and catchy slogans. They...

Determining how to price your products and services is a tough decision all entrepreneurs face. Small business owners — especially those...

As a sole proprietor or single-member limited liability company (LLC), the mere thought of tax season may cause anxiety. Before you get...

This week, the Iowa Western Small Business Development Center staff spent time in Iowa City watching its Venture School kick-off. Iowa...

As a small business, you likely hired the help of independent contractors, lawyers, and other outside services throughout 2014. Despite...

by Julie Mierau We all know that physicians pledge to “first, do no harm.” But do you know Google’s company motto? “Don’t be evil.” Yep,...

Mirror Gear USA is owned and operated by Marie Wickman. Marie invented and developed the Mirror Gear ™, a dental mirror cover for use in...

While the media, the public and even Congress continue to discover all the details about the recently passed health care reform bill, we...

Everybody’s talking about branding these days. Marketing consultants want to charge companies to create brands — and sometimes rightfully...

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:...

On my drive in to the office this morning, an NPR reporter was quoting a report, due out today, that says most Americans hate their jobs....

On NPR’s “Marketplace” this morning, the host asked a simple question: Who has more disposable income — Gen Y’ers or Baby Boomers? The...

Social Media Toolkit: The Nuts & Bolts of Your Social Media Strategy Posted using ShareThis #SmallBusiness #Socialmarketing #Entrepreneur...

I do a lot of reading, thinking and brainstorming on ideas for small business in small communities like Council Bluffs and across...

Want to trade accounting services for goat cheese? How about bike repairs for graphic design? Advertising for overnight accommodations?...

Tips For Small Businesses Today Last year at this time the majority of our clients here at the Iowa Western Small Business Development...

Everywhere you turn for marketing advice, you’ll hear how important word-of-mouth marketing is. Start-up business owners even list this...