AMES – COVID-19 has had a significant impact on businesses from large to small, and there are many questions surrounding what business owners and entrepreneurs should do as the state prepares to re-open.
To help answer some of these questions, and to help Iowans understand the many resources available, the Community and Economic Development program and the Farm, Food and Enterprise Development program with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach are providing a series of podcasts and webinars, in partnership with the Iowa Small Business Development Centers.
Known as "Back to Business Iowa," website: http://enterprisedevelopment.libsyn.com/, the collaborators produce about four podcasts each week, and will soon include webinars on popular topics facing Iowa businesses.
Brian Tapp, enterprise development program manager and partner of the project with FFED at ISU Extension and Outreach, said there have been many questions about what business owners should do, and the combination of podcasts and webinars are a great way to reach people.
Recent podcasts have explored topics such as the Small Business Relief Fund for Iowa, evaluating customer segments, revolving loan funds, SBA financial programs and more.
Most of the current topics relate to the pandemic, but Tapp said the information is valuable no matter what stage of recovery a business may be.
Future podcasts will include a look at human resources, the Iowa Retail Initiative and restaurant re-openings, tourism strategies, as well as social media best practices.
Experts in each segment include specialists from ISU Extension and Outreach and from Iowa’s business community.
A link to the Back to Business Iowa podcasts is also available on the Farm, Food and Enterprise Development website: https://www.extension.iastate.edu/ffed/ffed-podcasts/ as well as a link to the "Small Farm Sustainability" podcasts. For more information, contact Tapp at btapp@iastate.edu, or 515-294-4417.