Small Business Blog

Welcome to government contracting! U.S. federal government contracts represent a tremendous sales and revenue opportunity for small...

If you’re planning to start or expand a business, you might need financing help. SBA participates in loan programs for business owners...

Traditional marketing and advertising is telling the world you’re a rock star.  The NEW way of marketing is SHOWING the world that you...

Our SBDC office is closed for winter break until Monday, January 4. We’ve been busy planning for 2016, and look forward to sharing new...

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

WordPress websites work great for businesses of all sizes due to their flexibility and affordability. Large companies using WordPress...

We recently hosted a Lunch & Learn where TS Institute‘s Kyle Osborne discussed the role personal credit scores play in loan and financing...

The ability to make sales and process credit card transactions anywhere and at any time is a necessity for many small business owners....

Is your small business prepared for the upcoming switch to EMV debit and credit cards? The deadline is October 1, 2015, and all...

The SBDC at Iowa Western Community College will be going on the road to serve businesses and startups in the 7 counties it serves a...

Social media is wonderful for connecting with customers directly and in real time. It’s challenging for the same reasons, however. You...

So you have decided your business or organization is in need of a website. Now what? In the past, the choice was clear. Hire a local...

In today’s plugged-in society, e-mail marketing is an important component of your overall marketing strategy. Done right, you attract and...

Nine entrepreneurial teams graduated from Iowa Western’s first Venture School yesterday. Throughout the six week program, our teams...

Aronia Berrys. Lavender. Goat Cheese. Alpaca Farms.  Southwest Iowa produces all of this and more. Here is your chance to compete for...

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...

As a small business, your logo is your main identifying mark. It portrays what you stand for as a company; is one of the first things...

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