T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY Amy Kuhlers of the Iowa Economic Development Authority speaks during an event focused on state and federal small business resources and barriers to entrepreneurship at the Marshalltown Arts and Civic Center (MACC) on Monday evening. Also pictured are fellow panelists Dave Lentell, the lead lender relations specialist for the federal Small Business Administration’s (SBA’s) Iowa district office, America’s Small Business Development Center Regional Director Leah Locke, who is based in Ames, and Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Iowa Alumni Manager Sveta Miller.

Owning a successful small business is often idealized as a cornerstone of the American Dream, but those who have done it know it entails a massive commitment of time, money and effort. During a panel discussion moderated by Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce President/CEO John Hall at the Marshalltown Arts and Civic Center (MACC) on Monday evening, four leaders representing organizations that provide resources and training to both aspiring and existing entrepreneurs gave presentations before taking questions from the audience of about 20.

Compared to similarly sized communities around the state, Hall said, Marshalltown is underrepresented in the number of businesses currently in operation.

“I think it’s a fundamental shortcoming of organizations like ours that we’ve not provided enough tools and resources and access to tools and resources to develop more small businesses and small business opportunities,” he said. “I know as we navigate into these conversations, there are probably a thousand questions and a thousand different directions, but I think the most important part is the four individuals that we’re gonna have stand up and speak represent an abundance of services, tools and resources that often are accessed by just starting with asking questions and getting pointed to the right directions.”

Speaking first was Amy Kuhlers, the program director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s IASourceLink service, which is intended “to help small businesses succeed by providing complimentary and easy access to assistance needed to start and grow a business.”

She shared some basic information on some of the IEDA’s offerings including the Targeted Small Business Program and Small Business Collateral Support, which are tailored to historically disadvantaged owners such as women, minorities and disabled veterans. Those who live or operate in rural areas or communities with less than 20,000 people, she added, can qualify for Small Business Collateral Support resources.

Following Kuhlers was Dave Lentell, the lead lender relations specialist for the federal Small Business Administration’s (SBA’s) Iowa district office, has been with the organization for over 30 years and specializes in helping people “get into business and stay in business.” With over 280,000 small businesses in the state and just five staff members at the SBA office, Lentell admitted he doesn’t have the manpower to offer one-on-one counseling, but he explained the agency’s partnership with other organizations and opportunities for small businesses to secure government contracts.

“If you’re looking to expand your customer base, government contracting is a great way to do that. We have a number of programs that can assist you in starting to sell your product or service to the federal government,” he said.

In Iowa, Lentell noted, the organizations that provide resources for small business owners “all work together,” and he also touted the flexibility of SBA-backed loans, which can often be repaid in 10 years as opposed to five. After Lentell, the next speaker was America’s Small Business Development Center Regional Director Leah Locke, who is based in Ames at Iowa State University. She said she works with everyone from a would-be entrepreneur inspired by an idea they had in the shower to those working through succession plans for the next generation of the business.

“We do one-on-one, no cost confidential counseling. We can do that over Zoom, over the phone, we can come to you, you can come to us, really whatever you prefer,” she said. “And basically, we just kind of typically sit down with you for maybe 30 to 45 minutes and just kind of learn about your idea, learn about your business, what are you working on (and) what are you looking for help with? And then, we can basically either work through resources that we have or connect you with other partners or perhaps both.”

Last but not least was Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Iowa Alumni Manager Sveta Miller. She was happy to note that the development program has four alums in Marshalltown including Brit Marie’s Boutique owner Brittany Tow, who was in attendance for the discussion.

Miller warned, however, that 10,000 Small Businesses is a rigorous program requiring a time commitment of 12 to 15 hours per week working “on your business instead of in your business.”

As they moved into the Q&A portion of the event, Hall asked the panelists about the biggest barriers entrepreneurs face as they look to take their next steps forward. For Miller, it was time commitment and management, while Locke said too many business owners wait for “perfect” circumstances that may never exist. Lentell warned of a lack of preparedness before applying for loans, and Kuhlers boiled it down to one word: fear.

“It’s hard to step away if you’re working a W-2 job. It’s hard to take that first step, and that’s something we all realize,” she said before noting a surge in new small businesses during economic recessions.

After taking a few questions about the qualifications for the Targeted Small Business Program and Small Business Collateral Support, each of the panelists shared success stories they had witnessed during their tenures — although some declined to provide specific details in the interest of protecting confidentiality.

“It’s just one little door that opens another door that can open a couple other doors that you don’t know until you open that first door, so lots of fun things can happen,” Kuhlers said. “It’s not all roses, but if it were easy, there would be a bazillion businesses, right?”

Aimee Deimerly-Snyder, the owner of Lillie Mae Chocolates, shared a story of her own about how she was left reeling after the price of the chocolate she buys skyrocketed, but she reached out to Hall — who connected her with Locke — and before long, she had successfully launched her gourmet popcorn product line.

“It was nothing but a great experience, and they do a great job of just talking you through it,” she said.

Once the discussion had concluded, a few of those who attended shared their experiences and reflections with the T-R. Tow, who has owned Brit Marie’s for nearly seven years and recently expanded into a bigger space, said she learned about the 10,000 Small Business Program through fellow alum Tasha Schnathorst of aSPArations and decided to take the plunge.

The biggest takeaways, she said, were embracing a growth mindset and networking with other business owners, not just those in the same line of work as herself.

“I can go talk to anybody. They will always know what’s going on, who can help me, or point me in the right direction and vice versa,” she said.

A major goal Tow is still working to implement is a men’s line of clothing to replace the void left by the loss of stores like Willard’s and Gildner’s. An aspiring entrepreneur Tow invited, Cassedi Wolken of Marshalltown, who attended the event with her husband Dakota, said she is interested in starting a business focused on refurbishing furniture and restoring antique furniture.

“Just,like, the confidence of actually doing it and putting 110 percent into it is a little scary at first because you don’t know which direction it’s gonna go and it could go many directions,” she said. “I just have to do it. Just put all two feet in and just dive into it.”

“But I think this definitely gave her some confidence,” her husband added.

Dakota, a 2012 East Marshall graduate who works construction, feels that his skill set can complement his wife’s needs for the business well.

Conversely, Tyler Wollam has owned the North 3rd Avenue Dairy Queen for 22 years, and it’s been in his family since 1965. While a recent road construction project had an adverse impact on the business, the upside, according to Wollam, is that everyone loves treats and ice cream.

“One thing about being in my business is that people will always reward themselves. They’ll be like ‘Man, I mowed the hell out of that yard, and I’m gonna get myself an ice cream cone,’ so that is nice,” he said. “The bad thing that I think all restaurants are dealing with right now, quick service industry and the sit down industry, aside from grocery stores, is (that) transactions are down. Customer counts are down. People are spending less. So they’re showing up less often, and when they do show up, they’re spending less. And they’re buying less items, and it’s really hard to figure out a way to bring that back.”

Wollam attributed the downturn to factors like inflation and a surge in credit card debt and lamented that there’s no “magic fix” to the issue.

“It’s not like I can just say ‘Well I’m just gonna start selling products in Grundy Center.’ I can’t do that. I’m a Dairy Queen in Marshalltown, so I can’t look outside the service area,” he said. “My service area is what it is. We have to try to strengthen the service area, and I don’t even know where to begin sometimes with that because Marshalltown is an ever changing service area.”

In reference to the resources discussed on Monday, Wollam hoped they could help him run a tighter ship even without any immediate spike in sales.

“It’s more just about taking a good look at your business and how it operates and your operations and finding new ways to be efficient, maybe cutting some costs,” he said. “If you can’t make more money, you might as well find a way to spend less money.”

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Contact Robert Maharry at 641-753-6611 ext. 255

rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.