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Often when there is a knock on the Economic Development Office door, (prospective) business owners are checking in to see if there is (new) free or cheap money on the market to address a goal they have identified. And often we do have info on unique financing resources beyond traditional lending. But sometimes an even more important question may be: “How can a business be more effective in its strategic approach?”

Because business development in Tama County comes from so many different types of owners, and many different types of industries, one type of strategic resource may not fit all. Here are ten of our market’s most popular free and/or low-cost general resources to help business owners put together/revamp their business plan as the market evolves:

  • Small Business Association (SBA): is a federal program. In addition to loan guarantee programs, SBA provides free online training, business plan templates. Consulting is specialized for veterans, women and minorities. This program is especially good for self-directed learners comfortable with technology, and special population groups.
  • Service Corps of Retired Executive Consultations (SCORE): is connected to the Small Business Association and provides personalized counseling and training. This program is especially good for business owners interested in focusing in-depth on a specific issue with one-on-one attention from an expert. Comfort with technology will often be necessary.
  • Iowa Small Business Development Centers (SBDC): is a State program to provide services such as development of business plans, manufacturing assistance, financial packaging assistance, contracting assistance, and international trade assistance.  Special emphasis areas include e-commerce, technology transfer, regulatory compliance, research and development, Defense Economic Transition Assistance, disaster recovery assistance, and market research. This resource is ideal for business owners who prefer to work in-person with consultants. Service offering includes one-on-one consulting as well as classroom style workshops, events and seminars. There are five SBDC’s within a 1 hour drive of Tama County.
  • Business License Information Center (BLIC): is a State program providing a comprehensive clearinghouse of Iowa licences. The online search engine enables you to search by licenses, key words, business fact sheets, forms, and wizard. Depending on where you are at in the business life cycle, if it’s planning your business, registering, keeping up to date on compliance requirements or finding resources and seeking to grow your business, assistance is tailored to your needs.
  • Renew Rural Iowa: is an Iowa Farm Bureau program to help business leaders gain access to critical mentoring, a network of local providers, and funding possibilities that can help grow or expand a business. This program is ideal for (new) business owners who prefer to dedicate one day and get information from a wide variety of experts in a lecture setup. A longer-term mentoring program  is also available.
  • Entrepreneurial Development Center, Inc.: is a state program designed to propel Iowa’s entrepreneurial efforts into successful businesses with the support of seasoned entrepreneurs.
  • Iowa Valley Community College District Hawkeye Community College District: offer training resources customized to local market needs.
  • Center for Industrial Research and Service (CIRAS): is the industrial extension arm of Iowa State University, offering amongst other resources government procurement support as well as efficiency development in manufacturing.
  • Target Industry Specific Resources: Various industries furthermore have specialized resources. Please touch base if we can help connect you.

Tama County Economic Development Commission does not duplicate support services that are already available, but rather continually researches and matches evolving external resources to evolving internal needs through strategic partnerships and custom designed programs like the Tama County Entrepreneur Kit. The Commission also relies on a robust networks of leaders like the Tama County Entrepreneur Trust to find solutions for barriers preventing our entrepreneurship culture from being the strongest it could be.

Its official. When a panel of twelve independent statewide leaders and the State Governor single your county out as an authentic and unique cultural asset of Iowa, your greatness is not a subjective opinion anymore.  But with this great honor of being named an Iowa Great Place, comes great responsibility: We need to market and enjoy our Great Place and share what makes it fun with visitors and friends.

To this end, the Tama County Convention and Visitors Bureau is making it cheap and easy to showcase our 300+ points of interest. This group of industry leaders has been working hard on identifying what industry standards could realistically be attained based on regional resources, and have been fund-raising and grant writing to bring the cost of advertising down to only $75 to be featured in the Tama County Travel Pocket Guide 2011-2012. An additional $25 also gets an attraction set up with an online billboard ad for 2 years. Non-tourist attractions can be included in this publication by demonstrating their commitment to quality of life initiatives as the sponsor of a nonprofit attraction of their choice. Click here for an order form.

At the August 2010 Tama County Convention and Visitors Bureau meeting at the new Fox Ridge Winery, the leadership group finalized the details for the groups bi-annual central communication piece offering. They also discussed progress and best strategies for: 1) Murder Mystery Dinner plans, 2) Point of Sales displays campaign, 3) Travel Iowa Market Place, and 4) Launching a multimedia showcase of Tama County’s fun side.

NEXT TAMA COUNTY CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU MEETING
Mon. Aug 30, 2010 6 p.m.
Tama County Museum
200 N. Broadway, Toledo
No cost. Public welcome.

BANK CLUB MARKETPLACE
Market our destination to Bank Club tours. Hosted by Iowa Tourism Department.
Wed. Sept. 29, 2010
Des Moines, Iowa

Whiskey Bottom Estate Sale, 1929
MURDER MYSTERY DINNER

Sat. Oct. 30, 2010 6-9 p.m.
Pilgrim Heights Camp & Retreat Center
3005 E Ave.
Montour, Iowa
$25 Dinner and Character tickets now available. Contact joanne@tamacountyiowa.org or
(641) 484-3108
www.tamacountyiowa.org/mystery2010

Without exception, each of Tama County’s towns invested in curbside appeal over the past 3 years. City Councils, nonprofits, businesses, residents and others were all examples of the catalysts that transformed the face of our towns. At the August Commission Roundtable we discussed the resources and skills that made these developments possible, as well as how further partnerships can build on these successes.

A special thank you to our expert guests Dave Ruopp from the Tama County Sheriff’s Department, and Lorna Perkins, a local freelance artist with experience in mural, historic rehab, and cultural community development for helping us take the conversation to the next level as we explored possible futures.

A snapshot of Tama County’s curbside appeal successes includes:

  • Chelsea: to safely zone flood prone tracts along the Iowa River, City Council created functional smart green spaces for recreational use with inviting signage. Council also initiated nonprofit retail outlets in vacant buildings with potential.
  • Clutier: Nonprofit is gradually transforming the face of Mainstreet by investing donated labor and grant funded investment into rehabilitation of a historic property. A fresh entrance sign was also erected. City Council completed a road widening project on Mainstreet.
  • Elberon: Private business investment transformed Mainstreet with rehabilitation of an historic property, celebrating it with authentic standout character. Elberon demonstrated top in taxable sales growth in Tama County FY 2009 growing 10% in spite of the recession.
  • Dysart: Public-Private partnerships made a $1M streetscape improvement project possible. Nonprofit incentives contributed to further investment into storefronts and signage, as well as pride in residential properties with a Yard of the Month competition. There is not a single empty storefront on Mainstreet.
  • Garwin: Nonprofit and private residents transformed downtown park by constructing a community center and concession stand. Summer concert series in conjunction with the Farmers Market, as well as beautifying flower pots and banners makes this gathering space come alive.
  • Gladbrook: An especially strong partnership between City Council and School District helped facilitate the erection of a digital roadside sign. Other successful collaborative investments include a new community and recreation facility, after that a health and fitness facility, and most recently a new education facility. City Council and forprofit development group are also playing an active role in responsible demolition of brownfield sites, and residential rehabs.
  • Lincoln: City Council is providing strong leadership on keeping a clean town free of clutter and junk. Private business rebuilt after a fire, and patriotic flags serves with decorative and kinetic energy.
  • Montour: winner of the Best Bloomin’ Town of 2008. Nonprofit and area residents contributed to a playground development. City Council is currently initiating a revitalization zone, neighborhood watch program and historic preservation of properties on the scenic byway.
  • Tama-Toledo: Nonprofit leadership launched a multi-year fund-raising project for entrance signs on the new four-lane bypass. Local artists are contributing to the conceptual design. Additional investment to capitalize on the expected increase in traffic flow through the area includes 1) logo signage investment from commercial establishments to stimulate impulse buys, and 2) way-finding and commercial road signs to increase awareness of commercial, industrial, and recreational assets to be considered for future spending planning as a part of the Des Moines-Tama County-Cedar Rapids corridor.
  • Traer: Nonprofit leadership are in the process of erecting city entrance signs, and another nonprofit erected an authentic and unique Industrial Park information sign. City Council in partnership with nonprofit and resident with Guinness Book of World Record asset came together to create a downtown destination attraction.
  • Vining: Private resident created public art celebrating historic significance to the area. City is also working on street signs project.
  • County: 34 Tama County Great Place roadside signs have been acquired and should be up within the next few months. Over the next few years Tama County will also be working on designing and unveiling a moving promotional billboard in partnership with the Iowa Alcohol and Beverage Division.

NEXT TAMA COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MEETING
The next meeting will be a leadership development meeting/workshop with an economic development focus.  All local government leaders, nonprofit leaders, business leaders, emerging leaders and residents with ideas for shaping Tama County’s future are very welcome to be a part of this experience. No cost.
Tue. Sept 28, 2010, 6:30 p.m.
ZCBJ Hall
501 Main Street
Clutier, Iowa
Please RSVP to joanne@tamacountyiowa.org or (641) 484-3108 if you have an interest in joining us for an $8 meal at 6 p.m. and/or to let us know how many workshop materials to have on hand.

Photo (clockwise): Don Lyons (Past Chair), Kendall Jordan, Keith Sash (2nd Vice Chair), Mandy Gehring, Lorna Perkins, Ellen Young, Danielle Plogmann, Marty Hardon (Vice Chair), Carl Zoffka, Midge Horton (Chair), Merle Parks, Dale Stout, Dwayne Luze.
Out of view: Dave Ruopp (Tama County Sheriff’s Department), Gerry Kopriva,  Pete Holden (City of Traer), JoAnn Ruopp (Matchstick Marvels), Joanne Husak, Lindi Roelofse.

Last night leaders from Tama County’s business, education, nonprofit and government sectors came together to discuss strategies for taking Tama County’s ability to cultivate locally originating innovation and leadership to the next level through entrepreneurship. A discussion driven by seasoned entrepreneurs touched on local resources they value, what they learned the hard way, barriers, and opportunities for supporting emerging entrepreneurs. In a post meeting debriefing one of the leaders commented that he thought the meeting discussion was driven by two concepts. A need for increased local entrepreneurial ‘perspective’ and ‘exposure’.

Perspective would relate to the meaningful translation of the thousands of existing entrepreneurial assets that form the foundation of our resource network which can be strengthened and combined increasingly better for Tama County’s specific localized needs. And, exposure would relate to increasing the contact that these entrepreneurship assets have on our local culture as a philosophy for a way of living, thinking and solving problems as oppose to waiting for others to take on innovation leadership roles.

The group scheduled a follow-up meeting within two weeks to build on the momentum of the meeting. Special effort will be made to invite additional seasoned entrepreneurs from a variety of industry sectors, education leaders, and emerging entrepreneurs to build a robust trust of leaders looking at solutions from a multiple points of view.

NEXT ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRUST MEETING
Focus will be on tangible action steps to increase the quantity and quality of emerging local commercial and social entrepreneurs/leaders to facilitate a healthy locally driven economy.
Wed. Sept 1, 2010, 6:30 p.m.
Reinig Center
1007 Prospect Drive
Toledo, Iowa
Free. Public very welcome.

Pictured: (clockwise): Eric Joyce (Lincoln Savings Bank), Dwyane Luze (Dysart Development Corp and Tama County Economic Development), Don Lyons (Mayor of Dysart and Tama County Economic Development), Rick Foster (Gladbrook Tire), Jacque Goodman (Iowa Valley Community College District), Lyle Niemeyer (SCORE), Roy Wiggs (MSRW, LLC).
Out of view: Richard Arp (North Tama School Board), Dale Cyphert (University of Northern Iowa School of Business), Carolyn Dolezal (Tama-Toledo Chamber of Commerce), Jolene Holden (Traer Community Leader), Pete Holden (Mayor of Traer and American Alternative Entery, Inc.), Jerimi Kopsa (State Bank of Toledo), Ronelle Langley (University of Northern Iowa School of Business), Yvonne Mallory (Iowa Valley Community College District), Sandy MacAntire (Kissing Emu Farms), Clete Rowan (Rowan Equipment and Fabrication), Cindy Schulte (Iowa Valley Community College District), Byron Witt (Appraisal and Real Estate Services), Lindi Roelofse (Tama County Economic Development).

During the summer of 2010, the Region 6 Housing Trust Fund received requests for support for almost 50 Tama County residents. Current resources are not enough to fund every qualifying request for increased safety and health, but market intelligence gained through the process is helping us understand the need and barriers increasingly better to drive longer-term solutions. And with evolving understanding of the hurdles, the Region 6 Housing Trust Fund team kicked off the 2012 financial year funding campaign this week.

In order to gain access to the Year 2 $268,167 of state investment for our region, Tama County needs to demonstrate proportional capacity for local buy-in before October 1, 2010 of $9,577. That means for every $1 Tama County invests into our County’s high risk housing stock, the state would invest $5 into Tama County through Iowa Finance Authority. Region 6 Planning, Mid-Iowa Community Action and Tama County Economic Development in addition to a number of entities in and around Tama County recognizes the need to build and strengthen Tama County from the inside out using an inter-disciplinary approach. To this end these entities have pledged $16,760 of in-kind contributions to ensure equitable execution that maximizes each dollar invested.

Currently Tama County residential properties identified with Housing Trust Fund needs include:

  • Chelsea – 1 person
  • Clutier – 2 persons
  • Garwin – 9 persons
  • Gladbrook – 2 persons
  • Montour – 1 person
  • Toledo – 14 persons
  • Tama – 15 persons
  • Traer – 4 persons

Application deadline for the first round of the Region 6 Housing Trust Fund resources has passed, and the Year 2 round is not open yet. To learn more about the Region 6 Housing Trust Fund, be added to the mailing list for the next round of applications, or for info on other housing financing resources in Tama County Iowa, please touch base.

A hot topic to a number of prospects this past week has been new construction, expansion and new investment in properties on the new US Highway 30 Bypass through Tama-Toledo. Some prospects are recognizing the future potential of this strip as US Highway 30 is expected to continue increasing its absorption of Interstate 80 traffic. It is already the shortest route connecting Iowa’s biggest cities like Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, and it is also increasingly becoming the safest route. Others’ objectives surrounding interest in these bypass properties include accessing the coveted New Market Tax Credits.

New Market Tax Credits is a federal income tax credit program allocated over 7 years with a total 39% investment credit (closer to 25% after time value of money, transaction cost and legal fees on a typical project have been factored). It is a complex program and only three agencies are certified to serve as intermediary for projects in Iowa. Of importance in scoring high to gain access to these investment credits would be:

  • rural location of the project
  • number of jobs created (direct and indirect)
  • level of capital investment

Projects under $3 million are discouraged from pursuing these credits, but the resources do extend beyond traditional industry development to include construction of hospitals, charter schools, human services and other non-profits with capacity to create high volumes of jobs.

Tama County has one zone that qualifies at this time. As pictured above, it starts at the Meskwaki Settlement and runs along US Highway 30, through Toledo, and ends at the eastern edge of the incorporated city of Tama.  About 15 property owners have formally approved putting their Hwy 30 Bypass and New Market Tax Credit Zone real estate on the market. Another half-dozen gave verbal indication that if it would greatly benefit the area they would be willing to consider selling. If you are a property owner willing to be on either of these lists to help prospects locate or expand in Tama County Iowa, please touch base.

A list of properties formally on the market in Tama County can be viewed online by clicking on available buildings, sites, or housing.

The Kauffman Center’s 2010 report on Entrepreneurship indicates that over the past 10 years Iowa has been in the bottom percentile of states where entrepreneurship are being initiated (1). So how can we change that? How do we get more people excited about the idea of being their own boss and starting a business in a rural county like Tama County? To maintain a healthy rural economy, it is especially important for Tama County to cultivate a workforce and community that recognizes when market opportunities are being missed, and take action to successfully address market gaps.

There are a couple of ways we can help each other with the roadmap to a healthier entrepreneurship culture. At this meeting we are interested in opinions from a broad spectrum of people. Some of the discussion topics will include:

  1. Why is our community so successful in cultivating multiple generations of farmers (agricultural entrepreneurs) but we are less successful in cultivating traditional commercial entrepreneurs? Can we learn from our success and duplicate positive things, while finding solutions for the commercial side barriers?
  2. Why were we so successful with record-breaking new entrepreneurial activity in Tama County the first half of the year? We have already exceeded the previous year’s numbers. What are some of the reasons people started or bought businesses at the tail end of the recession in Tama County? Might that speak to core competencies to build on for future growth? Is there adequate access to capital and skilled workers, or are opportunities being missed?
  3. Is our next generation a group that we should focus our time and resources on to cultivate rural entrepreneurs? How about our alumni that have moved away and may have an interest in coming back? Business plan competitions, Entrepreneurship retreats, workshops, nonprofit groups can all be vehicles to open people’s minds to possibilities that they may have not considered otherwise. Can our schools, community colleges, local governments play a role to get us to the next level?

Join us for a Roundtable discussion.
Free updated financing resources booklets will be available, as well as Tama County’s Entrepreneurial Starter Kits.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP ROUNDTABLE MEETING
Bringing together local experts to design and roll out the next generation of entrepreneurship resources and assess what can be improved to strengthen our local entrepreneurship culture.
Wed. August 18, 2010, 6:30 p.m.
Reinig Toledo Center
1007 Prospect Drive
Toledo Iowa 52342
Please RSVP to joanne@tamacountyiowa.org or (641) 484-3108
No cost. Everyone is welcome.

CURBSIDE APPEAL ROUNDTABLE MEETING
Bringing together visionary leaders, financing resources, and local talent and expertise that can execute great things to make Tama County as visually welcoming and pleasant as possible.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010, 6:30 p.m.
Gladbrook City Hall (upstairs)
319 – 2nd Street
Gladbrook Iowa
Please RSVP to joanne@tamacountyiowa.org or (641) 484-3108 for $8 meal starting 6 p.m.
No cost. Everyone is welcome.

(1) Kauffman Center, 2010

Yesterday we got a phone call from a manufacturing plant in Tama County. Cletus Rowan, President of Rowan Equipment & Fabrication, explained that they have new contracts and opportunities, but the area workforce are not applying: “We need a Welder, Draft Person, a Chip and Grinding Person. Where are the unemployed workers looking for jobs?”
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And they are not alone. Various trucking companies in Tama County confirmed earlier this week and last week that they have available positions. “We need certified truck drivers, and come November when legislative changes take effect, the demand for truck drivers with demonstrated superior safety skills is expected to be even higher,” explained Jim Ocheltree, President of Elliott Brothers Truck Line, Inc. in Dysart, Iowa. Yet another trucking company President Randy Zimmerman of Z Line LTD in Toledo, Iowa confirms this and adds “If I can find a quality driver, I can find work for him or her.”
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Top demand in Tama County Iowa is in Hospitality & Tourism, Manufacturing and Education. But this dwarfs in comparison to the need for Healthcare workers. The demand for skilled Healthcare workers are three times higher than other industries.  ”We see a general need in the area for nurses and lab technicians. Right now, we specifically have a need to fill a position for a psychologist. This position has been on the market for over three months now”, says Deb Hanus, Superintendent of the Iowa Juvenile Home/State Training School for Girls.
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If you are a job seeker, a list of these and other Tama County based jobs are posted on the Tama County Economic Development website: www.tamacountyiowa.org/employment. The northern part of Tama County is 20 minutes south of Waterloo/Cedar Falls, and the southern part of Tama County is less than one hour from major metro markets like Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Ames and Iowa City.
Photo Contributed by Pamela Thiele, Dysart Iowa.

“There are a number of wonderful projects happening in Tama County, and we are happy to support them.”

Larry Schlue, President
Mansfield Foundation

The Wesley and Irene Mansfield Charitable Foundation based in Belle Plaine Iowa’s mission is to financially invest in education and economic development of the region. It is also one of the top giving Foundations in Iowa. And this year a record high five Tama County projects received grant support totaling over $55,000. We deeply appreciate Mansfield Foundation’s recognition of Tama County nonprofits’ vision for building a better future, as well as the nonprofits’ leadership who are proactively shaping Tama County’s future to benefit the greater good. Recipients for 2010 include:

  1. Tama-Toledo Highway 30 Bypass signage
  2. Dysart Agricultural Museum and Interpretive Center
  3. Haven School House Restoration
  4. South Tama Recreation Trail Enhancement
  5. United Way

Larry explained that they are also aware of other Tama County projects that they hope to support as soon as progress is a little further along. Deadline for the Mansfield Foundation grant is typically May 31 of each year. Contact us if you are interested in finding out more about this (or other financing resources) for Tama County projects. The annual Tama County Grant Writing workshop is expected to be offered again in January 2011.

Question: How is it possible for US industry to be growing by the billions, while the number of US manufacturing workers have been decreasing by millions over the past three decades?

ANSWER: In a nutshell: innovation. Over the past 30 years technology improved, workforce skills and training improved, and operational management improved. That meant industry was able to gradually decrease their workforce while increasing wages for workers who adapted best to a plant’s new money saving technology and processes.

The good news is that this change in the economy is increasing the value and (theoretical) wage of the skilled worker at the local manufacturing plant. The bad news is that a worker is less likely to secure that coveted, stable manufacturing job today than 30 years ago because the number of manufacturing jobs have been steadily decreasing.  The decrease we are talking about here is thus not due to an anomaly like a recession, nor to offshore outsourcing. Its because of the good old fashioned American ability to recognize and optimize new efficiency resources in the marketplace.

This is but one of the reasons old business models embracing paradigms of bigger is better, the superiority of top-down bureaucratic organizational structures, and the strong focus on products, are being replaced. An ever-changing marketplace requires new focus on building organizations, which are more agile, decentralized, interactive and adaptive with a strong emphasis on attracting and retaining intellectual and human capital. New perspectives and innovative approaches are required—by businesses and by communities—hoping to attract and retain the best and brightest in business and industry.

That means the old school smokestack focused economic development approach has also been replaced by dynamic partnerships that often includes both the public and private sector.

Today Tama County Economic Development Commission defines our mission as a pioneering, evolving process, which engages the entire county in building the context and products necessary to attract and retain businesses and the labor force needed to ensure an economic foundation that will sustain the desired quality of life for all community members.

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