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UNI Announces New SBDC Director

The following information was submitted by our investor, the University of Northern Iowa.

The Center for Business Growth and Innovation at the University of Northern Iowa is excited to announce that Amy Dutton has joined our team as the new Small Business Development Center Regional Director for the UNI center.

Originally from rural western New York state, Dutton moved to the Cedar Valley in 1996 and quickly settled in. Prior to becoming UNI’s SBDC Regional Director, Amy was the Community Outreach Manager for Lutheran Services in Iowa where she worked throughout Black Hawk and Grundy counties to promote LSI programs. Her experience also includes time at the Northeast Iowa Food Bank, College Square Mall and Martin Brothers, as well as current board positions on the Cedar Falls Tourism and Visitors Bureau Board and Cedar Valley Society for Human Resources Management Board.

We are excited to have Amy bring her knowledge, skill and passion for small business and entrepreneurship to our region.  Amy knows what it takes to succeed in today’s marketplace and is eager to share her experiences in building strong, vibrant and sustainable businesses.

As the Regional SBDC Director, Amy will provide one-on-one business consulting and assist entrepreneurs and small business owners in building and strengthening their businesses.  She will also be working alongside regional and state business service providers to build a more vibrant and thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem throughout Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Chickasaw, Fayette, Grundy, Howard and Tama counties.

The SBDC services include startup assistance, business planning, accounting, human resources, marketing, sales, information on local and statewide resources, and much more.  More information on the SBDC program can be found at http://www.iowasbdc.org/regional-center/waterloo-cedar-falls/.

We are also pleased to announce that Dan Beenken has been promoted to the position of Director of Advance Iowa, the Center for Business Growth and Innovation’s holistic consulting program.  Dan, who previously served in the role of SBDC Director, is responsible for helping Iowa’s Second Stage businesses become more sustainable, profitable and prosperous.

You can contact Amy at amy.dutton@uni.edu or by phone at (3189) 273-4328.  Feel free to share her contact information with any and all small business clients you think would benefit from her services.

Global Entrepreneurship in the Cedar Valley

 

Global Entrepreneurship Week is the world’s largest celebration of the innovators and job creators who launch startups that bring ideas to life, drive economic growth, and expand economic welfare.  We’re celebrating all across Iowa with activities designed to reach every type of entrepreneur, from Main Street to corporate, from test lab to home office. Over 30 entrepreneur and small business related events will be happening all across Iowa during Global Entrepreneurship Week, November 17th through the 21st.  IASourceLink has compiled these events and made them available on the Iowa Global Entrepreneurship page at iasourcelink.com/gew.

The Cedar Valley is kicking off this week with several entrepreneurial initiatives. First is the official launch of Cedar Valley 1 Million Cups (1MC), on Wednesday at 9:00am. Each week, the 1MC program offers two local entrepreneurs an opportunity to present their startups to a diverse audience of mentors, advisors, and entrepreneurs. Presenters prepare a 6 minute educational presentation and engage in 20 minutes of feedback and questioning after they present. Entrepreneurs gain insight into possible ways they can improve their businesses. More information at cedarvalley1mc.com.

The presenters for Wednesday’s event will be Trace Steffen with HowFactory, and Dan Beenken with Advance Iowa. HowFactory is revolutionizing the way manufacturers and other companies create, use and update work instructions, standard operating procedures and training. HowFactory just completed the Iowa Startup Accelerator and was chosen for a $50,000 investment from Built By Iowa at Launch Day just last week. Advance Iowa is the State of Iowa’s comprehensive consulting program designed to work with midsized companies to enhance their growth.

Thursday from 12pm-1pm UNI MyEntre.Net will host a free business webinar on “Small Business, Big Profits: Advanced Google Analytics,” made available on IASourceLink. During this online webinar, Megan Horn from Cedar Falls based Far Reach will teach participants how to optimize Google Analytics to provide data quickly, analyze visitor traffic to gain key marketing insights, run a/b testing for real results, and show how landing pages can improve conversions.

Finally we’ll celebrate the ending of Global Entrepreneurship Week in style with Startup Weekend. Startup Weekend is a 54 hour event powered by Google where developers, designers, marketers, product managers, and startup enthusiasts come together to share ideas, build products, and launch startups. More information at swcedarfalls.com.

For more information contact Rob Williams at (319)273-4333 or by email at rob.williams@uni.edu

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