Iowa Small Business Development Center in North Central Iowa

“Lisa Shimkat and the Small Business Development Center were a huge help with financial statements, from start-up costs to forecasting and fine tuning the business plan.” -  Kelsey T.

“Lisa and her office made the paperwork make sense. Filling out applications can be a scary process especially when many forms are not in Spanish. Lisa was able to walk us step by step through everything and showed us how to control our costs and maintain our cash flow. We were able to develop a plan to determine exactly how much we needed and Lisa showed us how to control our growth during our first year. The service we received was far greater than we ever expected.” -  Patti V.

“In the rural environment, you have the values of those working for you that would be the envy of every corporation in the country. The SBDC helped us navigate in an area where most of the supporting businesses really weren’t familiar with what we did or had no idea of how they could be of assistance. SBDC had the contacts throughout the state and federal agencies that allowed us to position ourselves for steady growth and continuous improvement in a very positive environment to raise a family, have a great quality of life, and be a force in the worldwide manufacturing arena.”-  Tim G.

“The Small Business Development Center was vital in moving my business to a storefront and making Studio Fusion my full-time occupation. I would recommend the Small Business Development Center to anyone wanting to start their own business.” -  Shari B.

“I worked with Lisa Shimkat…she always explained clearly what was needed to get the business going from marketing, how to better write the business plan…always answered any questions I had and did it in a timely manner. Very good at what she does.” -  Tami G.

“The help I received at the Fort Dodge office was more than I anticipated. The representative that worked with me on a one-on-one basis was extremely knowledgeable and understanding, truly cared about helping me succeed and very personable.” -  Christy R.

“Our experience working with the SBDC has been very positive. Lisa Shimkat met with us at the Carroll Chamber office a year or so ago. She made suggestions on how to build our business. The SBDC designed our product brochure and prints them for us at a reasonable price. I keep in contact with Lisa by e-mail and share our successes with her. She continues to be supportive, answers questions and makes suggestions.” -  Nancy R.

“Had it not been for Cindy, I would not have been able to open the store on my own. I feel she went above and beyond normal help. When I had a slight accident and sprained my ankle, if I could get my handwritten notes to her she put it on the computer for me. Any questions I had along the way, she had the answer for me. I would highly recommend anyone that is thinking of starting their own business, and like me did not know where to start, should go to the SBDC. They are so helpful and friendly. There is no way I could ever thank them enough.” -  LaDonna H.