Small Business. Resource Guide for. SBA Resource Partners: Making the Network Work for You page 37. PAGE 12 Counseling.

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1 Resource Guide for Small Business U.S. Small Business Administration Iowa SBA Resource Partners: Making the Network Work for You page 37 PAGE 12 Counseling PAGE 20 Capital PAGE 38 Contracting

2 Free Counseling Confidential Low Cost Workshops HELPING Volunteers Welcome! Providing Counseling and Training to America s Small Businesses. CENTRAL IOWA Fisher Community Center 709 South Center Marshalltown, IA (641) info@marshalltown.org DES MOINES Federal Bldg Room Walnut Street Des Moines, IA (515) @scoredm.org DUBUQUE Schmid Innovaton Center 900 Jackson St Suite 110 Dubuque, IA (563) or (563) scoredbq@gmail.com EAST CENTRAL IOWA 2750 First Avenue NE Suite 350 Cedar Rapids, IA (319) crexecs@scorevolunteer.org FORT DODGE c/o Iowa State University Extension Service 217 S. 25th Street, Suite C-12 Fort Dodge, IA (515) fdscore@gmail.com More than 13,000 Volunteers in the United States and 300 in Iowa. Any small business can obtain help from SCORE. Whether you are thinking about starting your own business, have a business that is experiencing problems, are ready to expand, or need some other type of advice, SCORE can help.

3 SMALL BUSINESSES SUCCEED MUSCATINE Chamber of Commerce 102 Walnut St. Muscatine, IA (563) NORTHEAST IOWA Decorah Chamber of Commerce 507 W. Water Street Decorah, IA (563) SIOUX CITY Federal Building 320 6th Street, Room 186 Sioux City, IA (712) SOUTH CENTRAL Chamber of Commerce 217 E. Main St. Ottumwa, IA (641) WESTERN IOWA Cherokee Area Economic Development Corporation 418 W. Cedar St., Ste. B Cherokee, IA (712) or (800) info@cherokeeia.com FREE Cyber Counseling Available SHELDON BRANCH P O Box 276, 416 9th St. Sheldon, IA (712) mgaul@sheldoniowa.com Branch of Western Iowa Chapter

4 SMALL BUSINESS Reni Publishing Publishers of Small Business Resource Advertising Phone: Fax: content IOWA FEATURES 6 Introduction 6 Administrator s Message 8 Regional Administrator s Message 10 District Director s Letter 12 Counseling Getting Help to Start Up, Market and Manage Your Business 12 SBA Resource Partners 15 SBA s Learning Center 16 Reaching Underserved Communities 18 Are You Right for Small Business Ownership? 19 Writing a Business Plan 20 Capital Financing Options to Start or Grow Your Business 20 SBA Business Loans 22 What to Take to the Lender 30 Surety Bond Guarantee Program 31 Small Business Investment Company Program 31 Small Business Innovation Research Program 32 Small Business Technology Transfer Program 34 SBA Loan Program Chart 36 SBA Lenders Program Chart On the Cover: Teresa Myers, CEO of Myers-Seth Pump has become highly successful in the male-dominated word of industrial and construction pump manufacturing. 37 Feature Article Making the Most of SBA s Resource Partner Network 38 Contracting Applying for Government Contracts 38 How Government Contracting Works 39 SBA Contracting Programs 42 Getting Started in Contracting 43 Disaster Assistance Knowing the Types of Assistance Available for Recovery 45 Advocacy and Ombudsman Watching Out for Small Business Interests 46 Additional Resources Taking Care of Start Up Logistics 48 Business Organization: Choosing your Structure 51 Other Assistance 52 Lender Listing Staff President/CEO Joe Jensen jjensen@reni.net English/Spanish Small Business Resource Advertising Nicky Roberts nroberts@reni.net Martha Theriault mtheriault@reni.net Kenna Rogers krogers@reni.net Production Diane Traylor dtraylor@reni.net SBA s Marketing Office: The Small Business Resource Guide is published under the direction of SBA s Office of Marketing and Customer Service. Director of Marketing Paula Panissidi paula.panissidi@sba.gov Graphic Design Gary Shellehamer gary.shellehamer@sba.gov SBA s participation in this publication is not an endorsement of the views, opinions, products or services of the contractor or any advertiser or other participant appearing herein. All SBA programs and services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Printed in the United States of America While every reasonable effort has been made to ensure that the information contained herein is accurate as of the date of publication, the information is subject to change without notice. The contractor that publishes this guide, the federal government, or agents thereof shall not be held liable for any damages arising from the use of or reliance on the information contained in this publication. SBA Publication # MCS-0018 This publication is provided under SBA Contract # SBAHQ05C Iowa Small Business Resource Visit us online:

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6 The U.S. Small Business Administration FROM THE ADMINISTRATOR Let s Work Together When I took my oath as the new SBA Administrator I was energized to work on behalf of entrepreneurs like you. I know you ve risked so much to start and grow your small business, because I ve stood in your shoes. I ve started three small businesses of my own, including a community business bank that provided capital to other small businesses. This not only strengthened my knowledge of the challenges you face, it also strengthened my resolve to help you overcome those hurdles and succeed. When I started my first business almost 20 years ago, I experienced similar changes to the ones you face today. On any given day, I could be called upon to be my company s human resources director, CFO, COO, or chief sales officer all while competing against larger firms in highly competitive markets. I know you multitask your way through similar days to grow your business and provide good jobs for your employees. My message to you is a simple one: The SBA is here for you, to help you access capital, counseling, contracts, or assistance after a natural disaster. We have dedicated resource partners in every community in America whose job is to make your job easier. They will work with you one-on-one to answer your questions, and they will help you open new doors to new business opportunities. One of our resource partners is SCORE For the Life of Your Business-, who marks its 50th anniversary this year. SCORE s 11,000+ volunteer mentors are both working and retired business professionals who are dedicated to providing you with game-changing advice and support. You can learn more about SCORE and our other resource partners, Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) and Womens Business Centers (WBC) in the Counseling section of this guide. Our feature article also provides information about leveraging our resource partner network at different points in your small business journey and shares success stories of small businesses like you who have benefitted from SBA resource partner support. To find the location of your nearest SBA District Office or resource partner, visit At the SBA, taking care of business has been our business for 61 years. This agency has been an important force in America s economic recovery, but we re only getting started. We look forward to helping you become the next great American success story. Sincerely, Maria Contreras-Sweet Administrator U.S. Small Business Administration 6 Iowa Small Business Resource Visit us online:

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8 The U.S. Small Business Administration FROM THE REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR Dear Readers, Hello from SBA s Region 7 Office in Kansas City where we have been busily working to create jobs and restore the American economy! The SBA and the Obama administration are working hard to provide small businesses with the tools they need to grow and create jobs laying the foundation for an economy built to last. SBA is filling the gaps in the marketplace by providing small businesses with more access and opportunity by streamlining and simplifying our programs, making them more attractive for both lenders and small businesses. We have recently made it easier than ever to get a small business loan guaranteed by our agency by changing the rules for our SBA loan programs! These 504 and 7(a) program enhancements will expand program eligibility and improve access to capital for small businesses. Improvements in CDC corporate governance oversight enhance program integrity and encourages more local involvement, said Ann Marie Mehlum, SBA Associate Administrator for the Office of Capital Access. This is good news for small businesses and a real reason for you to take another look at the SBA loan programs, counseling and technical training services from the providers in the RENI guide. We hope you will! Patricia Brown-Dixon Region 7 Administrator U.S. Small Business Administration 8 Iowa Small Business Resource Visit us online:

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10 DES MOINES SBA Staff Listing Message From The District Director DES MOINES OFFICE 210 Walnut St., Rm. 749 Des Moines, IA Fax Joseph M. Folsom District Director CEDAR RAPIDS OFFICE st Ave. N.E., Ste. 350 Cedar Rapids, IA Fax Dennis Larkin Branch Manager Rules For Success Like today s small businesses, large corporate success stories started with only an entrepreneur and a dream. Linda Haus Deputy District Director linda.haus@sba.gov Dawnelle Conley Lead Business Opportunity Specialist dawnelle.conley@sba.gov Lori Hackney District Support Assistant lori.hackney@sba.gov Dave Lentell Lead Lender Relations Specialist thomas.lentell@sba.gov Terry J. Case Lender Relations Specialist terry.case@sba.gov Vicente Vazquez Lender Relations Specialist vicente.vazquez@sba.gov SCORE desmoinesscore@ qwestoffice.net We Welcome Your Questions Barbara Merz Business Opportunity Specialist barbara.merz@sba.gov Keith McBride Lender Relations Specialist keith.mcbride@sba.gov Sheri Osterkamp Program Support Assistant sheri.osterkamp@sba.gov Carolyn Tonn Lender Relations Specialist carolyn.tonn@sba.gov SCORE execs@scorecr.org Relay Iowa Communications Relay Service for deaf, hard-of-hearing or speech disabled TTY/ASCII Voice For extra copies of this publication or questions please contact: Des Moines District Office 210 Walnut Street, Room 749 Des Moines, IA Tel: Fax: Website: The staff of the Des Moines District is proud to present to you this Small Business Resource Guide. We are presenting it as a statewide resource providing an overview of the U.S. Small Business Administration s programs and services and the financial and technical assistance resources from our partners. Use it as your go to reference for information on how to start a business, business planning, business regulations, financing, entrepreneurial development, and government contracting assistance. Owning your own small business is part of the American Dream. Iowa needs small businesses to keep our economy strong. But what do small businesses need? The same things they ve always needed access to capital, management and technical assistance, contracting opportunities, and advocacy. These core needs haven t changed, and leading the way in helping small businesses to get the tools they need to succeed and realize those dreams is the SBA. At SBA, our mission, simply put, is to help people throughout Iowa get into business and stay in business. We are proud to work side by side with the agencies and organizations you will find in this Resource Guide to do just that. Whether you are just starting your business venture, or you re an existing business, we have the tools and resources to help you. We are pleased to partner with RENI publishing to make this information available to you. We also thank our advertisers for making this Guide possible and for their ongoing support of small business in Iowa. We at the SBA in Iowa are committed to being your small business resource. Please visit our website at or contact any of the SBA staff listed in this Guide for assistance at any time. Joseph M. Folsom District Director of SBA s Des Moines District Office 10 Iowa Small Business Resource Visit us online:

11 Doing Business in Iowa The SBA helps business owners grow and expand their businesses every day. THE DES MOINES DISTRICT OFFICE The Des Moines District Office is responsible for the delivery of SBA s many programs and services. The District Director is Joseph M. Folsom. The District Office is located at 210 Walnut St., Rm. 749, Des Moines, IA. The Cedar Rapids Branch Office is located at st Ave. N.E., Ste. 350, Cedar Rapids, IA. Office hours are from 8:00 AM until 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday. CONTACTING THE DES MOINES DISTRICT OFFICE For program and service information, including information on financing, please contact the Des Moines District Office at or the Cedar Rapids Branch Office at SERVICES AVAILABLE Financial assistance for new or existing businesses through guaranteed loans made by area bank and non-bank lenders. Free counseling, advice and information on starting, better operating or expanding a small business through SCORE, Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) and Women s Business Centers (WBC). They also conduct training events throughout the district - some require a nominal registration fee. Assistance to businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals through the Business Development Program. A Women s Business Ownership Representative is available to assist women business owners. Please contact Dawnelle Conley at or dawnelle.conley@sba.gov. Special loan programs are available for businesses involved in international trade. Please contact Vicente Vazquez at or vicente.vazquez@sba.gov. A Veterans Affairs Officer is available to assist veterans. Please contact Dennis Larkin at or g.d.larkin@sba.gov. SUCCESS STORY SBA and Women s Business Center Help Social Media Company Build a Plan for Success After having tried unsuccessfully to start a company in Minneapolis, Ini Augustine was intimidated by all the things that could go wrong. At the time, Ini was working full time job with a company that was showing all the signs of financial instability during the recession. With few other options for employment, Ini felt it couldn t hurt to investigate what help was available for becoming self-employed so In 2012, Ini and her mother signed up to take a business planning class at the SBA Women s Business Center housed at ISED in Des Moines, Iowa. Ini says, The most helpful thing about the business planning class was that they helped me work through my fears, breaking the planning down into little steps. I had the opportunity to speak with people who were self-employed, bankers, lawyers, and CPA s, before I took the plunge and started my company, SocialWise Media Group. In March of 2012, SocialWise Media Group was born. SocialWise Media Group specializes in Social Media marketing, training, and publicity. The company works with non-profits and businesses to integrate marketing strategies using Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and traditional media. Having a plan in place helped Ini s company become more and more successful. Even more than having a plan was the confidence she was given by being mentored by Amelia Lobo, Director of the Women s Business Center. In fact, the Women s Business Center was one of Ini s first clients. Ini was honored that the WBC chose her to help them develop a marketing plan. She has continued to use the Women s Business Center as she participated in her first pitch off contest with the Technology Association of Iowa. This was a fantastic learning experience to pitch her company to potential investors. Amelia coached Ini on what to expect from the judges, her presentation skills, and developing a PowerPoint pitch. The assistance Ini got from SBA wasn t limited to just the Women s Business Center though. When she went to Austin to shoot a documentary on women in technology, Ini called Dawnelle Conley, Lead BOS with the SBA in Des Moines, Iowa. Dawnelle put her in contact with SBA resources in Austin. Darla Booker, SBA Regional Communications Director of Region VI, connected Ini with a woman-owned businesses in the Austin area, one of whom Ini interviewed at the Iowa Party. For Ini, the SBA has been a core part of expanding her network, and reaching her goals. Ini continued to build on her experience with the Women s Business Center. She was named Aspiring Businesswoman of the Year by NAWBO, the National Association of Women Business Owners. She began offering classes at her new office in the West Des Moines Business Incubator. In March of 2014, she successfully completed her first subcontracting role handling social media and publicity for the Affordable Care Act roll out in Iowa. As her business continues to grow, Ini is now in the process of getting ready to apply for an SBA loan to help her expand. Contact SocialWise Media Group at www. getsocialwise.com/ Visit us online: Iowa Small Business Resource 11

12 COUNSELING Getting Help to Start, Market and Manage Your Business COUNSELING Every year, the U.S. Small Business Administration and its nationwide network of resource partners help millions of potential and existing small business owners start, grow and succeed. Whether your target market is global or just your neighborhood, the SBA and its resource partners can help at every stage of turning your entrepreneurial dream into a thriving business. If you re just starting out, the SBA and its resources can help you with business and financing plans. If you re already in business, you can use the SBA s resources to help manage and expand your business, obtain government contracts, recover from disaster, find foreign markets, and make your voice heard in the federal government. You can access SBA information at or visit one of our local offices for assistance. SBA S RESOURCE PARTNERS In addition to our district offices, which serve every state and territory, the SBA works with a variety of local resource partners to meet your small business needs: SCORE chapters, Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs), and Women s Business Centers (WBCs). This partner network reaches into communities across America: More than 13,000 business counselors, mentors and trainers available through over 900 Small Business Development Centers, 110 Womens Business Centers and 350 SCORE chapters. These professionals can help with writing a formal business plan, locating sources of financial assistance, managing and expanding your business, finding opportunities to sell your goods or services to the government, and recovering from disaster. To find your local district office or SBA resource partner, visit SCORE SCORE is a national network of more than 12,000 entrepreneurs, business leaders and executives who volunteer as mentors to America s small businesses. SCORE leverages decades of experience from seasoned business professionals to help entrepreneurs to start and grow companies and to create jobs in local communities. SCORE does this by harnessing the passion and knowledge of individuals who have owned and managed their own businesses and want to share this real world expertise with you. Found in more than 350 chapters and 800 locations throughout the country, SCORE provides key services both face-to-face and online to busy entrepreneurs who are just getting started or are in need of a seasoned business professional as a sounding board for their existing business. As members of your community, SCORE mentors understand local business licensing rules, economic conditions and important business networks. SCORE can help you as they have done for 50 years by: Matching your specific needs with a business mentor Traveling to your place of business for an on-site evaluation Teaming with several SCORE mentors to provide you with tailored assistance in a number of business areas Across the country, SCORE offers more than 10,000 local business training workshops and seminars ranging in topic and scope depending on the needs of the local business community. SCORE workshops cover all manner of business topics, including: an introduction to the fundamentals of a business plan, managing cash flow and marketing your business. For established businesses, SCORE offers more in-depth training in areas like customer service, hiring practices and home-based businesses. For around-the-clock business advice and information on the latest business news and trends go to the SCORE website ( More than 1,200 online mentors with over 150 business skill sets answer your questions about starting and running a business. In fiscal year 2013, SCORE mentors served 400,000 entrepreneurs. For more information on SCORE and to get your own business mentor, visit or call for the SCORE office nearest you. Des Moines SCORE University Ave., Ste. 157 Windsor Heights, IA DesMoinesScore@gmail.com Serves: Boone, Story, Polk, Guthrie, Dallas, Adair, Madison, Warren, Union, Clarke, Marion, Ringgold and Decatur counties. Sioux City SCORE 0104 Federal Building 320 6th St., Rm. 186 Sioux City, IA score104@qwestoffice.net Serves: Lyon, Sioux, Plymouth, Woodbury, Monona and Crawford counties. East Central Iowa SCORE 0227 Corporate Center East st Ave. N.E., Ste. 350 Cedar Rapids, IA ext crexecs@scorevolunteer.org Serves: Benton, Cedar, Jones, Chickasaw, Bremer, Black Hawk, Buchanan, and Linn counties. Iowa City Branch 210 Federal Bldg. 400 S. Clinton St. Iowa City, IA Serves: Henry, Iowa, Johnson, Keokuk and Washington counties 12 Iowa Small Business Resource Visit us online:

13 Fort Dodge SCORE 0351 c/o Iowa State University Extension 217 S. 25th St., Ste. C-12 Fort Dodge, IA Serves: Humboldt, Wright, Calhoun, Webster, Hamilton, Carroll and Greene counties. South Central SCORE 0398 C/O Chamber of Commerce 217 E. Main St. Ottumwa, IA Serves: Appanoose, Davis, Lucas, Mahaska, Marion, Monroe, Wapello, and Wayne counties. Central Iowa SCORE 0484 Fisher Community Center 709 South Center Marshalltown, IA Serves: Hardin, Grundy, Marshall, Tama, Jasper and Poweshiek counties. Northeast Iowa SCORE 0567 Decorah Chamber of Commerce 507 W. Water St. Decorah, IA Serves: Allamakee, Clayton, Delaware, Fayette, Howard, and Winneshiek counties. Western Iowa SCORE 0617 Cherokee Area Economic Development Corporation 418 W. Cedar St., Ste. B Cherokee, IA or info@cherokeeia.com Serves: Cherokee, Clay, Buena Vista, Dickinson, Emmet, Ida, Kossuth, O Brien, Osceola, Palo Alto, Pocahontas and Sac counties. Sheldon Score Branch Sheldon Chamber and Development Corporation 416 9th St. Sheldon, IA mgaul@sheldoniowa.com Muscatine SCORE 662 Chamber of Commerce 102 Walnut St. Muscatine, IA abull@muscatine.com Serves: Louisa and Muscatine counties. Dubuque Area SCORE Main St., Ste. 200 Dubuque, IA Serves: Dubuque county Greater Omaha SCORE Bedford Ave., Ste. 100 Omaha,NE score@scoreomaha.org Serves: Pottawattamie and surrounding counties in Iowa Quad Cities SCORE 1601 River Dr. Moline,IL infoquadcities@scorevolunteer.org Serves: Clinton and Scott counties in Iowa SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTERS The U.S. Small Business Administration s Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) mission is to build, sustain, and grow small businesses; as well as to promote small business development and enhance local economies by creating businesses and fulfilling its mission of creating jobs. The Small Business Development Centers, vital to SBA s entrepreneurial outreach, have been providing service to small businesses for almost 35 years. It is one of the largest professional small business management and technical assistance networks in the nation. With over 900 locations across the country, SBDCs offer existing and future entrepreneurs free one-on-one expert business counseling and low-cost training by qualified small business professionals. In addition to its core services, the SBDCs offer special focus areas such as green business technology, disaster recovery and preparedness, export assistance, international trade assistance, veteran s assistance, technology transfer and regulatory compliance. The program combines a unique combination of federal, state and private sector resources to provide, in every state and territory, the foundation for the economic growth of small businesses. The return on investment is demonstrated by the program s success during FY2013. Assisted more than 14,200 entrepreneurs to start new businesses equating to nearly 39 new business starts per day. Provided counseling services to more than 104,000 emerging entrepreneurs and over 96,000 existing businesses. Provided training services to approximately 330,000 clients. The efficacy of the SBDC program has been validated by a nationwide impact study. Of the clients surveyed, more than 80 percent reported that the business assistance they received from the SBDC counselor was worthwhile. The top five impacts of counseling cited by SBDC clients were revising marketing strategy, increasing sales, expanding products and services, improving cash flow and increasing profit margin. More than 40 percent of long-term clients receiving five hours or more of counseling reported an increase in sales and profit margins. For information on the SBDC program, visit Iowa Small Business Development Centers- State (Lead) Center Ted Bair, Interim Director Iowa State University, College of Business 2321 N. Loop Dr., Ste. 202 Ames, IA Fax tbair@iastate.edu iowasbdc@iastate.edu Eastern Iowa SBDC Marsha Rinetti, Director Eastern Iowa Community College District 326 W. 3rd St., Ste. 715 Davenport, IA ext Fax mrinetti@eicc.edu Indian Hills SBDC Bryan Ziegler, Director Indian Hills Community College 626 Indian Hills Dr. Ottumwa, IA ext Fax bryan.ziegler@indianhills.edu Iowa State University SBDC Ted Bair, Director Iowa State University 2625 N. Loop Dr., Bldg. 2, Ste Ames, IA Fax tbair@iastate.edu Iowa Western SBDC Sue Pitts, Director Iowa Western Community College 2700 College Rd. Council Bluffs, IA ext Fax spitts@iwcc.edu COUNSELING Visit us online: Iowa Small Business Resource 13

14 COUNSELING Kirkwood SBDC Scott Swenson, Director Kirkwood Community College 3375 Armar Dr. Marion, IA Fax Mid Iowa SBDC Sherry Shafer, Director Iowa State University, Capital Square 400 Locust St., Ste. 160 Des Moines, IA North Central Iowa SBDC Lisa Shimkat, Director 217 S. 25th St., Ste. C-12 Fort Dodge, IA Fax North Iowa Area SBDC Brook Boehmler, Director North Iowa Area Community College 500 College Dr. Mason City, IA ext Fax Northeast Iowa SBDC Jay Wickham, Director Schmid Innovation Center 900 Jackson St., Ste. 110 Dubuque, IA Fax Northwest Iowa SBDC Kelly McCarty, Director Iowa Lakes Community College 1900 Grand Ave., Ste. B-1 Spencer, IA Fax South Central Iowa SBDC Dave McLaren, Director Southwestern Community College 1501 W. Townline Creston, IA Fax Southeastern SBDC Janine Clover, Director Southeastern Community College River Park Place 610 N. 4th St., Ste. 209 Burlington, IA ext Fax University of Iowa SBDC Paul Heath, Director University of Iowa E114 Bio Venture Center Iowa City, IA Fax University of Northern Iowa SBDC Dan Beenken, Director University of Northern Iowa 8120 Jennings Dr., Ste. 13 Cedar Falls, IA Fax Western Iowa Tech SBDC Todd Rausch, Director Western Iowa Tech Community College 4647 Stone Ave. /P.O. Box 5199 Sioux City, IA Fax WOMEN S BUSINESS CENTERS The SBA s Women Business Center (WBC) program is a network of over 100 community-based centers that provide business training, counseling, coaching, mentoring and other assistance geared toward women, particularly those who are socially and economically disadvantaged. WBCs are located in nearly every state and U.S. territory including the District of Columbia and the territories of Puerto Rico and American Samoa. They are partially funded through a cooperative agreement with the SBA. To meet the needs of women entrepreneurs, WBCs offer services at convenient times and locations, including evenings and weekends. WBCs are located within non-profit host organizations that offer a wide variety of services in addition to the services provided by the WBC. Many of the WBCs also offer training and counseling and provide materials in different languages in order to meet the diverse needs of the communities they serve. WBCs often deliver their services through long-term training or group counseling, both of which have shown to be effective. WBC training courses are often free or are offered for a small fee. Some centers will also offer scholarships based on the client s needs. While most WBCs are physically located in one designated location, a number of WBCs also provide courses and counseling via the Internet, mobile classrooms and satellite locations. WBCs have a track record of success. In fiscal year 2012, the WBC program counseled and trained over 136,000 clients, creating local economic growth and vitality. In addition, WBCs helped entrepreneurs access more than $40 million dollars in capital. Based on a 2010 Impact Study, of the WBC clients that have received three or more hours of counseling, 15 percent indicated that the services led to hiring new staff, 34 percent indicated that the services led to an increased profit margin, and 47 percent indicated that the services led to an increase in sales. In addition, the WBC program has taken a lead in preparing women business owners to apply for the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contract program that authorizes contracting officers to set aside certain federal contracts for eligible women-owned small businesses or economically disadvantaged womenowned small businesses. For more information on the program, visit To find the nearest SBA WBC, visit In Iowa: ISED Women s Business Center ISED Ventures Contact: Amelia Lobo, Director th St., Ste. 380 Des Moines, IA or Fax EMERGING LEADERS INITIATIVE The intense seven-month entrepreneurship training for small business leaders creates a learning environment to accelerate the growth of high-potential small businesses, stimulates job creation and helps drive economic development within their communities. A competitive selection process results in company executives participating in high-level training and peer-networking sessions led by professional instructors.graduates are poised to create an economic ripple effect because they are now equipped with the support, resources and enhanced business skills to succeed in increasing their revenue, creating jobs and driving sustainable economic growth throughout their communities. Impact of Emerging Leaders: The initiative is currently offered in over 27 underserved communities across the country. Over 2,000 businesses have participated in Emerging Leaders since its inception. An independent impact study of Emerging Leaders past participants reported that they: Created nearly 2,000 new full-time jobs 14 Iowa Small Business Resource Visit us online: