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RESOURCES, LINKS AND TOOLS: |
We hope you will find the following
items helpful or of interest.
Please note that the information
provided here is not guaranteed to
be accurate or correct. Furthermore
we have no ability to monitor the
websites or pages of the external
links. You should always consult
with a professional before making
any business decisions.
This and all other pages
listed at
www.BusinessPropertyConsultants.com
are governed by our Terms Of Service
which can be read
HERE. |
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Who
can I contact about financing my
business:
Iowa Small Business Development
Centers
- If you have an SBDC office in your
area, you will find them to be an
excellent place to start. Many
services are free and all are
confidential. They offer business
counseling for both start-up and
existing businesses.
- Banks - Depending
on the amount of the loan and what
it is used for, most banks require
about 20% down, along with proper
collateral, to qualify for a loan.
However, a good business plan may
help secure a loan even if you don't
have the full 20% downpayment. Banks
are also the source for SBA small
business loans. Not all banks make
SBA loans, so you might need to
visit several banks before you find
one that makes them. Basically, the
SBA guarantees a high percentage of
a small business loan, which allows
banks to make loans that they may
not make without a guarantee. |
- Chambers of Commerce -
Some chambers have loan programs
that are for main street or
manufacturing businesses. Chambers
should know about other financing
sources in their area.
- Council of Governments or Regional
Planning offices - These
are organized to serve city and
county governments in a regional
area and sometimes manage funds for
business loans.
- Iowa Department of Economic
Development - This
organization has several financing
programs that can result in a direct
loan or grant for businesses that
meet the criteria for their
programs.
- Private Sources -
Historically, borrowing money from
private sources has been a way to
finance projects.
- Venture Capital - One
additional source of money is
venture capital. Venture capital is
restricted to high growth companies
in which the owner is willing to
give up part of the ownership of
their company in return for an
injection of capital.
Many communities have a
SCORE chapter, which are
retired business executives that
provide free business counseling as
part of the SBA program.
Your local chamber of commerce might
be able to help or refer you to some
mentor that would help you.
Some of the USDA (U.S. Department of
Agriculture) offices and ISU (Iowa
State University) Extension offices
have help available for rural
businesses.
Some banks, CPAs and attorneys may
also be able to help with certain
simple business questions; however,
if the help gets too detailed, they
probably will charge a fee.
And last, but not least, consider
contacting the owner of a similar
company in a different area. They
key is to find someone who is not
worried about competing with you.
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Links to some handy online
tools |
Buydown Calculator. A
buydown is a loan that begins at
a rate below the existing market
rate and then rises, usually
every year, at a predetermined
amount. This mortgage calculator
calculates your savings from
participating in a temporary
interest rate buydown program.
You can compare your cost to
participate in the program with
your total savings.
Buy vs Rent Calculator. This
mortgage calculator compares the
costs of owning versus cost of
renting. You can use this
personal finance calculator to
determine how much money you may
be losing by continuing to rent.
Debt Consolidation Calculator.
This calculator helps you to
determine whether or not you
should consolidate your debt.
Mortgage Qualifier Calculator.
This mortgage calculator gives
you a preview of how lenders
might view your credit. You can
determine if you will likely
qualify for a home loan, and if
so, how much you can borrow.
Closing Cost Calculator.
This calculator will help you
understand the costs and fees
that are due at the time that
you close your home loan. |
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Below are links that you may
find useful for your business |
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Living in Iowa is more than
just a lifestyle — it’s a
preferred way of life.
Businesses, families and
students benefit from a
balanced quality of living.
World-class innovation,
worker productivity and
rewarding careers intersect
here with top-ranking
academics, safe communities
and abundant off-hours
recreation. An Iowa
destination can change your
life. |
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For
forty years, CIRAS has been
helping Iowa State
University and the College
of Engineering carry out
their land-grant university
mission to improve the
quality of life in Iowa by
enhancing the performance of
Iowa industry. CIRAS staff
provide educational seminars
and individualized technical
assistance to Iowa's 5000
manufacturers.
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The
Iowa Manufacturing Extension
Partnership (IMEP) is part
of a nationwide network of
not-for-profit centers in
over 400 locations
nationwide, whose sole
purpose is to provide small
and medium-sized
manufacturers with the help
they need to succeed.
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IPRT's
broad mission is to promote
interdisciplinary research
in the physical sciences and
engineering and specifically
to foster development of new
technologies.
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The
College provides an
innovative educational
expereince linking theory
with practice for tomorrow's
business leaders. The Gerdin
Business Building provides a
new high-tech home for the
College of Business. The
111,000-square foot
building, located on a
campus recognized as one of
the most beautiful in the
nation, is equipped with the
latest state-of-the-art
technology. Featuring
wireless access and
high-tech laboratories, our
students and faculty can
replicate real-world
situations in areas such as
securities trading,
management information
systems, and market
research.
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Technology transfer is the
process of moving research
results from the laboratory
to the marketplace. The
Office of Intellectual
Property and Technology
Transfer (OIPTT) and the
Iowa State University
Research Foundation, Inc.
(ISURF) work in concert to
facilitate and enhance the
inventive and creative works
of Iowa State University's
employees and students and
to transfer these works for
the benefit of society.
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The
Iowa State University
Research Park is a rapidly
growing technology community
of more than 50 companies.
The ISU Research Park is
surrounded by a major
research university, federal
laboratories, and people
ready to invest in
technology start-ups and
more mature companies. It
links technology creation,
business formation, and
development assistance with
established technology firms
and the marketplace.
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Small
Business Compliance Alliance
(SBCA) is the gateway to
information and resources on
IRS, OSHA and EPA
regulations for small
businesses. Through
innovative partnerships with
federal, state and local
agencies, models were
developed to provide
easy-to-understand
regulatory compliance
information and resources in
a totally confidential
format.
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