1. Startup Roadmap
- Test the Market Before It Tests You
- Make sure you are not making assumptions. Sit with our team to workshop prototype launch ideas and the Minimum Viable Product (best example is Groupon being a WordPress blog of daily deals; emailed)
- Let's survey potential customers and create your customer avatar. Not everyone is your customer.
- Value Proposition Development: What makes your product or company stand out.
- Why is your product/business different and remember business is the repetition of an activity. Will customers need to come back.
- Build High-Level Business Plan
- Choose Your Legal Structure
- We can connect you with lawyers for a consultation.
- Choose whether a LLC or Sole Proprietor or another legal structure works best for you
- Obtain the Business Name, License & Permits
- Work with an accountant on tax structure and business structure.
- Bring in city partners and contractors if remodeling or builds are needed
- Set Up Finances
- Work with the SBDC and your banking team to create a financial plan. Remember the first few years will be lean, on purpose! Bring in professional finacial experts early.
- Location
- Working with our team, we can make sure a physical location is needed. There are popup opportunities, co-working spaces, and potential markets.
- Does your location have the technology, the traffic, and the space you need.
- Business Insurance:
- Work with our local insurance providers to provide the protection needed as you venture into the world. Don't just think lawsuits: natural disasters, power losses, and many of other unforeseen events can be covered. And not just loss of property but some plans help make up loss of revenue.
- Growth Goals
- Grow into your potential with strategic planning. Everyone has growth goals. Use this roadmap to get to the promise land.
Best Website for startup help is Iowa Source Link
2. Business Plan & Strategy Tools
- Business Plan Template
- Define your Value Proposition
- Financial Projections:
- Create a financial plan so you can confidently manage cash flow and forecast growth — we’ll connect you to advisors like Joel Youngs and the SBDC to build a multi-year budget projection to help you understand what the numbers mean in reality.
- Remember all-in budgets. This includes what you need to take out to afford your personal finances.
- Marketing Plan Outline
- Setup on a 1 on 1 meeting to develop a marketing plan that focuses on customer discovery, competitive analysis, and market research. Remember not everyone is your customer.
- Business Strategic Planning
Best website for business planning and strategy: SBDC Seminars
3. Funding & Finance Resources
4. Legal & Permits in Iowa
- How To Register a Business in Iowa
- Utilize the Secretary of State of Iowa Page to file the appropriate business filing. Work with a lawyer and/or use the templates.
- Sales & Use Tax Permit:
- Work with Iowa Department of Revenue to get your sales tax ID and start collecting the needed information.
- Local Business Licenses
- Most businesses are not required to have a general business license in Clinton. However, for vendors, solicitors, and other special type of businesses, a license is required. Check with the state if there are certain industry specific licenses, inspections, permits.
- Local Building Permits & Occupancy Permits:
- Contact today Karen Rowan with Building & Neighborhood Services to setup this process.
- Federal Tax ID
- Zoning:
- Zoning is established in maps. Make sure any business plan works in
- Remember to consult with a CPA or financial expert to discuss tax filings from any sales tax, corporation tax, and other filings. Along with itemizing deductions.
Best website for is a complete checklist from Iowa SBDC
5. Marketing & Digital Tools
- Marketing Tools
- Website development:
- Easy: Weebly, Wix, Square and other platforms allow easy one page websites.
- Hire a Web Developer to drive your brand and functionality.
- Social Media:
- Make sure you create a social media presence with your business name. Don't have it be preassigned or in your name.
- Have your product, menu, location, hours, and value proposition clearly shown on our socials.
- Art & Brand
- Never overlook what a strong brand can do for a product.
- Hire an artist to create a unique vision
- Diversify Sales
- Poshmark, DoorDash, Toast, and various other online applications.
- Many local shops have mailing and delivery options
6. Mentorship & Coaching
- NewBoCo Office Hours
- 2nd and 4th Wednesdays 8:30-3:30 at Grow Clinton
- SBDC
- Conor Flaherty can meet one-on-one with you
- Attend a SBDC class, currently last Tuesdays every other month at 11am
- SCORE
- Connect with a volunteer CEO mentor
- CIRAS
- Figure out how to expand production. Get your product from widget to launched
- Iowa Center for Economic Success
- Great resource for startup and a loan program
- Rural Ideas Network
- An entire suite of virtual resources from 1-on-1 consulting to web review
- Contact mparbs@growclinton.com today to setup a consultation with any and all.
7. Find a Location & Construction
- Reach out to a commercial real estate broker and examine Crexi for available properties.
- Work with Grow Clinton members on any remodeling or construction needs.
- Remember food trucks, popups, and maker spaces exist. Reach out to Economic Growth for maker space/culinary space accelerator space.
8. Operations
- Staffing:
- Work with our Director of Workforce & Talent Attraction to create an employment plan. With temp agencies, job boards, and more, we can find you the talent.
- Human Resources:
- There are human resource consultants like Total Business Solutions who can provide.
- Local Marketing:
- Utilize Clinton Herald, MacFM, and KROS to seed your business news. Everyone will want to see your business get a strong footing. For obvious reasons!
9. Success Stories
- Adcraft: Former Clinton Herald employees started their business on Main Avenue. Through multiple iterations and growth, Adcraft is now in the Lyons Business Park with a new multi million dollar headquarters. They found
- Lindsay Morhardt: A serial entrepreneur she has created multiple businesses outside of her day job. With various scales, she shows that intentional scaling is the path to success.
- Foster Creations: She has found her niche market and continues to cultivate it.
- Creative Catering Caravan: This amazing couple knew they could make a catering and food truck business be successful.
- These stories highlight our philosophy, slow down, scale up. You need to get out of the dead zone, but rapid growth is also killer. And everyone's timelines are different. But working with our EntreFuel team is how you create the plan to attack opportunities and growth.
10. Next Steps + Contact Info
Are you looking to take the next step? Email asokolovich@growclinton.com AND mparbs@growclinton.com today to start your journey.
