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Entrepreneur Training
The Iowa Lakes Corridor has several training events to assist entrepreneurs in starting and growing their businesses.
Kauffman FastTrac®
The Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation is a certified provider agency for the Kauffman Foundation’s FastTrac® program. The FastTrac® program is a practical, hands-on business development program designed to help entrepreneurs hone the skills needed to creat, manage and grow successful businesses.
FastTrac® participants don’t just learn about the business, they live it. They work on their own business ideas or ventures throughout the program – moving their ventures to reality or to new levels of growth. FastTrac® programs were created by entrepreneurs and are facilitated by entrepreneurs. Read about one FastTrac® graduate’s story here: FastTrac graduate turns dream into reality ( 126.33 kB ). Seven students completed the FastTrac course in the Spring of 2012. Read about it here: Entrepreneurial students create New Ventures
The next FastTrac NewVenture course will be held February 26-April 30, 2013. A registration form can be downloaded here: FastTrac NewVenture Information and Registration. Contact Brian Dalziel at the Corridor office with any questions or for more information about FastTrac, 1-800-765 or 712-264-3474.
Recent graduates of the Kauffman FastTrac NewVenture course
Food Entrepreneur Seminar
The Corridor sponsors the nationally-known “From Recipe to Reality” food entrepreneur seminar bi-annually. The seminar has been held in the region in 2007, 2009 and 2011. The next Food Entrepreneur Seminar will be held Saturday, February 16, 2013. The registration form can be found here: Food Entrepreneur Seminar Information and Registration
The first graduates of the 2007 class, Mike and Tammi Heuck, have launched their food business, TAMS Glazed Bites.
“As first time Food Entrepreneurs, my husband and I did not have a clear plan as to what direction to go in to
bring our product to reality. But thanks to the Iowa Lakes Corridor for holding a Food Entrepreneur Seminar with the University of Nebraska, we came home from the seminar with a clear idea on what we needed to do to move forward. Our product has been on the shelf now for over a year and we are in over 30 stores. We have also participated in several craft shows and fairs. The University provided very useful materials and gave a strong presentation that was full of valuable information on the Food Industry and how they help assist in your projects in a step-by-step plan. It’s been four years now and all along, we have been working with the University of Nebraska and have had assistance with the Iowa Lakes Corridor, and our product has come to reality! The whole experience we’ve gone through with both the University and the Iowa Lakes Corridor could not have gone any better. They’ve made our journey one that has gone very smoothly and has been enjoyable too. With their professional insight and assistance, we credit them for where we are today.”
-Mike and Tammi Heuck
Read more about their food business – TAMS ( 88.57 kB )
