Becka Owen, owner of Blooming Acres Florist in Mount Vernon, plans to use the $10,000 it won in this week's Open 4 Business contest to expand and buy materials to host crafting classes. CREDIT BLOOMING ACRES
A Mount Vernon florist and gift shop was named runner up in the final round of the statewide Open 4 Business contest at the Iowa Downtown Conference in Dubuque on Wednesday.
"Second place winners! We are beyond excited!" said Becka Owen, owner of Blooming Acres Florist, in a Facebook post celebrating the win. The shop, located at 221 First St. NE, will receive a $10,000 grant, which Owen plans to use to expand her space and purchase materials to host crafting classes.
Euphoria Coffee, located in West Union, took the top $20,000 grant and third-place finisher, RJ's Plumbing & Heating in Corning, will receive a $5,000 grant.
Five businesses from Main Street Iowa communities competed in the final round of the contest, which started with a field of 22 applicants in May.
"I'm always wowed by our competitors. It takes guts to stand in front of a panel of judges and share your dreams for your business," said Debi Durham, director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) and Iowa Finance Authority and emcee of the event, in a release. "They each have a unique story, but they all share a passion for their Main Streets and a commitment to using their business to make their communities better."
This is the fifth year of the Open 4 Business contest. Businesses located in the 54 Main Street Iowa districts across the state are eligible to apply for the grants, which are administered through IEDA's Iowa Downtown Resource Center and Main Street Iowa programs.
Since its inception, the Main Street Iowa program has generated nearly $2 billion in private investment, more than three million volunteer hours, nearly 5,000 new businesses and more than 15,000 jobs.
"Main Street Open 4 Business enables entrepreneurs in downtown districts to take an in-depth look at their current business operations and think big about business expansion opportunities," said Michael Wagler, Main Street Iowa state coordinator, in a release. "The innovation, hard work and leadership these businesses demonstrate reinforces each local Main Street's efforts to enhance their local commercial districts."
For more information about the Main Street Iowa Open 4 Business grant program, contact Robin Bostrom, business specialist, Main Street Iowa, at (515) 348-6176 or [email protected].
From left to right: Carol Elliott, Aroma Artisan Pizza, Cedar Rapids; Michele Grudzinski, M & K Dust Control, Mount Vernon; Amy Heinen, Quick Action Accounting & Business Solutions, Cedar Rapids; Steven Davis, Bio::Neos, Coralville; Anne King, Collective Data, Cedar Rapids
Five Corridor entrepreneurs, among the first Iowa graduating class of Goldman Sachs' 10,000 Small Businesses Program, were recognized at the Iowa State Fair earlier this month.
10,000 Small Businesses made a commitment to serve entrepreneurs in rural and urban communities across Iowa at the fair last year. This year, the first two cohorts of 73 Iowa entrepreneurs were celebrated by Gov. Kim Reynolds, supermodel and entrepreneur Tyra Banks, and Goldman Sachs Chairman and CEO David Solomon.
Among them were:
Carol Elliott, Aroma Artisan Pizza, Cedar Rapids
Michele Grudzinski, M & K Dust Control, Mount Vernon
Amy Heinen, Quick Action Accounting & Business Solutions, Cedar Rapids
Steven Davis, Bio::Neos, Coralville
Anne King, Collective Data, Cedar Rapids
"I want to offer my congratulations to the graduates, their families and employees," said Mr. Solomon, in a release. "We were thrilled to celebrate the innovation and determination of small business owners, and I was able to see first-hand how they are applying the program's lessons to drive economic growth and opportunity across Iowa."
The program's first graduates represented diverse industries, including farming and welding, and hailed from 20 different counties statewide.
10,000 Small Businesses helps entrepreneurs create jobs and economic opportunity by providing greater access to education and business support services. The program, which is provided at no cost with support from the Goldman Sachs Foundation, offers a curriculum designed in partnership with Babson College, recently named No. 1 for Entrepreneurship by U.S. News & World Report for the 22nd year in a row.
To date, over 8,600 small business owners from all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico have graduated from the program, with 67 percent of graduates seeing revenue growth six months after completing the program and 47 percent reporting creating net new jobs.
The program is offered for small business owners across Iowa at Des Moines Area Community College, in partnership with Iowa's community colleges. Eligible businesses have been in business for at least two years, have at least $100,000 in revenue, and have at least two full-time employees, including the business owner. Businesses of all types and across all industries are encouraged to apply.
Applications for the education program are being accepted at www.10ksbapply.com/.
In the CBJ: Cedar Ridge distills rock star whiskey with Slipknot
When Jeff Quint, owner and founder of Cedar Ridge Distillery, got an e-mail from the manager of Slipknot, a band he'd vaguely heard of, asking if he'd be interested in collaborating on a whiskey, his first impulse was to delete it and move on. Then, he figured he might as well forward it to the Swisher-based distillery's management team with a note: "We probably don't want to pursue this, do we?"
Today, nearly 24,000 sold bottles later, the craft spirit that almost wasn't - No. 9 Iowa Whiskey - has sold out across Iowa and in numerous other states, is winning accolades from booze critics across the nation and just landed its first overseas order from Japan, one of the many global markets where the homegrown metal band's newly released album "We Are Not Your Kind" tops the charts.
"Yeah, I'm OK with it," Mr. Quint said dryly, reflecting on the hectic past few weeks since No. 9 Iowa Whiskey went national, coinciding with Slipknot's Aug. 9 album release and Aug. 10 sold out show at the Iowa State Fair. "I've certainly become a fan."
For the launch, Cedar Ridge produced 4,000 cases of the 90-proof No. 9, named for the number of Slipknot band members, and the pricier 99-proof No. 9 Reserve Iowa Whiskey, both made with corn from the award-winning distillery's family farm in Winthrop. Mr. Quint now says he should have forecast 8,000 or 12,000 cases because most of the initial run sold that first day.
"It will be mid-September before we catch back up," he said, adding that the distillery planned to begin bottling another 4,400 cases or so from barrels beginning Aug. 23, a somewhat lengthy process considering all the corking, labeling, neck hanger placement, capsuling and boxing required to get each case ready.
"We released it on Aug. 10 and by the next day, there was not a bottle left in the state of Iowa," Mr. Quint said.
Read the full members-only story in this week's print or digital editions of the CBJ.
Small Business Reorganization Act will streamline bankruptcies
The Des Moines Business Record reports the Small Business Reorganization Act, authored by Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, streamlines existing debt reorganization procedures and reduces certain small business bankruptcy requirements intended for major corporations.
"Mom and pop shops shouldn't face the same debt reorganization challenges as major companies with armies of accountants," Sen. Grassley said.
The legislation adds a new Subchapter V to Chapter 11 to streamline the bankruptcy process for small business debtors.
A fact sheet put out by Sen. Grassley's office notes that Chapter 11 was designed for administering complex business reorganizations involving multi-million dollar companies. Despite containing several provisions specifically focused on small business debtors, there has been a significant amount of research showing that Chapter 11 may still create difficulties for small businesses, including high costs, monitoring deficits, and procedural roadblocks.
Consulting: Think like a customer or lose the sale
In this week's consulting spotlight, John Graham of GrahamComm says the old saying that thinking like customers is a "trap" should be kicked to the curb.
"Don't fall into the trap of thinking like a customer. If you do, you're done!" This warning has been pounded into the heads of salespeople and it will follow them until their last day on the job.
Why is thinking like a customer dangerous? It's the noxious notion that leads down the dark and dismal path to serious trouble - lost sales. If you dare to let yourself think like customers, you may be distracted from your mission and become overly understanding and sympathetic, even finding yourself walking in a customer's shoes.
Yet, successful salespeople work hard at sharpening their understanding of what prospects and customers are thinking. It takes effort and skill to get inside someone's head and it starts with asking questions:
What's important to them?
What are they looking for?
How motivated are they?
Are they focused or not sure of themselves?
What are they trying to tell me?
Do they expect too much?
Will they be fair?
What are they not telling me?
Are they worried about being taken for a ride?
How concerned are they with making a mistake or getting stuck with a decision they will come to regret?
Accurate answers to these questions help to get an exact picture of what's going on and that changes the sales narrative. Instead of focusing on how you're going to get customers to do what you want, you move to letting them know you're on their side and your mission is to help them achieve their goal or dream.
In fact, it takes doing the opposite of what salespeople have been told to avoid - thinking like customers. It applies to all sales, whether you're selling burritos from a food truck, diamond rings, engineering systems, real estate, insurance or medical equipment.
What is the customer trying to say? Some people have trouble expressing themselves clearly, either unwittingly or on purpose. People often want others to think well of them, so they answer questions in ways that will impress the salesperson. They may let it be known, for example, that they can afford a purchase that's far beyond their financial means.
First Facebook, now LinkedIn. Forbes reports the career networking platform blocked 21.6 million fake accounts in the first half of the year, as scrutiny of the social media giant grows.
Forward the FREE, weekly CBJ on Small Business newsletter to your friends and colleagues, and share the feeling of being informed! Use our fast, one-minute subscription to the CBJ's newsletters
here, or check out our other subscription options
here.
See something we missed? Send tips, leads, corrections, etc. to [email protected].
Note: The CBJ is now observing summer hours through Aug. 30. The CBJ offices will be open Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., and Fridays, 8 a.m.-noon.
Corridor Stocks
Short-Term Event Planner
Sept. 3
Iowa City Roundtable, by Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce, noon-1 p.m., Hilton Garden Inn, 328 S. Clinton St., Iowa City. Members are invited to network and keep up to date with chamber and community events. Free. To register, visit
bit.ly/2HdiZn1.
Sept. 4
1 Million Cups, by 1MC Cedar Rapids, 8:15-9:15 a.m., Geonetric, 415 12th Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids. Join for community connections, free coffee and presentations by entrepreneurs, established companies, experts and more. Free. For more information, visit
facebook.com/1MCICR.
1 Million Cups, by 1MC Iowa City, 9-10 a.m., MERGE, 136 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City. Join for community connections, free coffee and presentations by entrepreneurs, established companies, experts and more. Free. For more information, visit
facebook.com/1MillionCupsIC/.
Sept. 5
Wake Up Marion, by Marion Chamber of Commerce, 8-9 a.m., There's No Quit Kickboxing and Self Defense Studio, 1317 Seventh Ave., Suite A, Marion. Meet owner Duane Johnson and other Marion Chamber members. Free. To register, visit
bit.ly/2SRcV8s.
Promopalooza!, by Bankers Advertising Company, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Coralville Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, 300 E. Ninth St., Coralville. Visit with over two dozen of our top suppliers to explore thousands of promo products including awards, bags, calendars, drinkware, food gifts, pens and tech accessories. Free. Lunch will be provided. Register at
tinyurl.com/Promopalooza-2019.
Demystifying the Power of Hash Tags, by SCORE of East Central Iowa, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., HyVee, 5050 Edgewood Road NE, Cedar Rapids. Learn steps and tips for utilizing hash tags in your business' social media posts. Cost: $10. To register, visit
conta.cc/2MJBR0C.
Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting, by Chamber of Commerce, 4-6 p.m., MERGE, Lower Level, 136 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City. The chamber is planning its own ribbon cutting. Free. For more information, visit
bit.ly/2H4Xi8H.
Headlines from CBS2/FOX 28
These news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28
Interstate 80 is the state of Iowa's most dangerous highway during the summer months, according to a new report from ASecureLife.com.
The upcoming Labor Day weekend is the final one included in "Summer's 100 Deadliest Days," which typically lasts May through September. I-80 ranks in the top three deadliest highways in six different states. ASecureLife.com analyzed data from 2015 to 2017 of fatality reports from across the nation to see which roads had the highest number of deadly crashes. The report named the three most dangerous roads in each of the 50 states and Washington, D.C. To see the nationwide stats, click here.
The Cedar Rapids Washington High School and Starmont High School are seeing something in common - a decline in sports participation.
Associate principal and activities director of Cedar Rapids Washington High School Grant Schultz says he's noticed this decrease in his four years with the school. "Our numbers in our program were over 100 four years ago and now we're at approximately 75, so that's a pretty dramatic reduction in that short amount of time," says Mr. Schultz. The lack of numbers impacts smaller schools, like Starmont High School, even more. Activities director for Starmont High School Chad Whittle has seen the impact first hand in the last couple of years. "The last two years we've been struggling with football numbers. The last two years, we didn't even finish the season due to some injuries, concussions, and just in general lack of numbers," says Mr. Whittle. Mr. Schultz tells CBS2/FOX28 News he believes a reason the numbers in sports participation is declining is because students are choosing to focus on one sport throughout high school. Read the full story here.
These news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28
CBS2 Weather First Forecast
Today will be a summery day in eastern Iowa with some warmth and mugginess along with a few storms. Cooler air comes back as we head into Labor Day weekend.
Today will be warmer and more humid as a cold front approaches the area. There will be a chance for rain, mainly after 2 p.m. The higher chances for storms will be south of Highway 30. Some storms could be strong with gusty winds, hail, and heavy rain. The rest of the area will be partly cloudy and warm with temperatures in the low 80s.
