The Iowa Center

09/04/2026

Meet Kim and Trish with Hawkeye Area Community Action Program (HACAP), one of our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) partners! VITA would not be possible without the support of statewide partners, collectively working together to help Iowans file accurately, correctly claim, save on costly preparation fees, and access financial counseling.

Thank you for all you do to support Iowans! Learn more about HACAP and all they are doing in our communities at: https://www.hacap.org/

09/03/2026

"By strengthening household finances one return at a time, VITA transforms tax season from a source of stress into an opportunity. Those refunds often help families pay for necessities close to home such as rent, utility bills, groceries, childcare, transportation, emergency savings, and other essentials. The IRS estimates that extension’s VITA services resulted in more than $9.3 million in economic impact in Iowa this year."

Check out this amazing article from one of our partners, Iowa State University Extension, on the impact of VITA on Iowans!

🔗:

For many Iowa families, tax season brings anxiety. Questions about filing correctly, paying preparation fees, or missing valuable tax credits can make an already tight budget even tighter. Through Iowa State University Extension and Outreach's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, thousands of Io...

09/03/2026

Looking for section by section help and expertise on writing your business plan? This weekend is your last chance to register for our fall DreamBuilder presented by U.S. Bank before the 8-week program kicks off next week!

For $250, you will receive 1:1 coaching, live group classes, networking, in depth business fundamentals training, a $1400-value Industry Intelligence Report based on your NAICS code, and a pitch at the end of the 8 weeks, where you will present your business plan to the community with feedback and more!

Check it out or register at: https://theiowacenter.org/dreambuilder/

09/02/2026

Are you looking for marketing strategies on a budget for your small business? Join us tomorrow for a no cost marketing class in person here at The Iowa Center. 📓💡

Learn more and register: https://theiowacenter.org/event/always-ready-marketing-in-person-3/

09/02/2026

Monserrat, our finance coordinator, grew up helping her mom run her own cleaning business, which made a lasting impact on how she views small businesses 🫧🧽 Monserrat is passionate about buying produce from immigrant owned and operated grocery stores, knowing firsthand the rewards and challenges of owning and working at a small business. Monserrat enjoys working at The Iowa Center because she gets to make a lasting impact, as her mother had on her, on others around her!

09/01/2026

We have TWO in person small business classes this week 📒✏ TOMORROW, learn about access to capital for small business owners at Always Ready: Lending at 3 p.m. at The Iowa Center. Thursday, we're talking marketing strategies on a budget at 3 p.m. in person as well!

Learn more about upcoming classes and register at: https://theiowacenter.org/services/classes/

08/31/2026

Thank you, Lincoln Savings Bank, for your generous contributions and support of The Iowa Center and the small business community we serve!

Outstanding partners allow The Iowa Center to empower Iowans with the potential to succeed as they pursue opportunities for financial success, providing small business owners and entrepreneurs with the resources and education needed to launch, manage, finance, and grow the small businesses that make our communities vibrant places to live, work, and visit.

08/30/2026

September is JAM packed with small business classes at The Iowa Center ☕📒If you've been looking for resources to help your business ownership journey, let this be your sign to attend a class or schedule an appointment for our 1:1 business coaching.

Always Ready: Getting Ready (Online)
- First steps to kickstarting your small business journey
- Tuesday, September 1 at 3 p.m.

Always Ready: Lending (In Person)
- Access to Capital for small business owners
- Wednesday, September 2 at 3 p.m.

Always Ready: Marketing (In Person)
- Marketing basics for startups with a limited budget
- Thursday, September 3 at 3 p.m.

Always Ready: Financials (Online)
- Small business financial statements and recording business transactions
- Tuesday, September 8 at 3 p.m.

Always Ready: Business Plan (Online)
- Overview and key elements to a small business plan
- Tuesday, September 15 at 3 p.m.

Business Insurance 101 in Carroll, Iowa (In Person)
- Coverage your small business actually needs
- Thursday, September 17 at 3 p.m. in Carroll, Iowa

Elevate: Is Your Business Ready for Expansion? (In Person)
- Align small business growth with your long-term vision
- Thursday, September 17 at 3 p.m.

Small Business Taxes: Getting Ready for Tax Time (In Person)
- Understanding small business tax obligations and recordkeeping
- Tuesday, September 22 at 3 p.m.

Elevate: Is Your Business Ready for Expansion? (ONLINE)
- Align small business growth with your long-term vision
- Thursday, September 24 at 3 p.m.

Learn more and register at: https://theiowacenter.org/services/classes/https://theiowacenter.org/services/classes/

08/29/2026

Thank you, U.S. Bank, for visiting The Iowa Center this past week! We are thrilled to host our DreamBuilder cohort sponsored by U.S. Bank this fall, kicking off September 9. 📒💭 There's still time to register, if you are a small business owner or entrepreneur looking to get step-by-step guidance on each section of writing your business plan.

To learn more and register at: https://theiowacenter.org/dreambuilder/

08/28/2026

LAST CALL: Register for our Fareway Business Coaching Cohort and hear firsthand from Fareway executives how to get your product onto the grocery store shelf 🥦🍫🧃

Join The Iowa Center and Fareway executives, as we lead classes on key grocery distribution topics. Participants also received follow-up group and 1:1 coaching to apply the high value knowledge that they received from the Fareway team to their individual business plan.

Applications are open, but spots are going fast! Classes will be held in-person on Thursday, September 10 and Thursday, September 24 from 10:00 a.m. (join us at 9:15 a.m. for coffee & networking) to 2:30 p.m. This cohort is for small businesses owned and operated out of Iowa.

Learn more and apply at: https://theiowacenter.org/grocery/