Iowa Lakes Corridor News & Events

News & Events

Corridor launches innovate new website service designed to support local business

Friday, March 11, 2022

IOWA LAKES CORRIDOR LAUNCHES INNOVATIVE NEW WEBSITE SERVICE DESIGNED TO SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS SizeUpIowaLakes provides free market research and business intelligence to help small businesses The Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation (Corridor) is launching SizeUpIowaLakes on its website, making powerful market research and business intelligence available to local businesses to help them succeed. The public rollout will kick off March 21st at 2 p.m. with a public webinar to showcase the tool and answer questions from the public. Local businesses can now access industry-specific and hyperlocal information to help them grow and make smarter decisions using Big Data analysis. The research is individually customize...

Corridor to begin weekly entrepreneurial networking events

Thursday, March 10, 2022

IOWA LAKES CORRIDOR TO BEGIN WEEKLY ENTREPRENEURIAL NETWORKING EVENTS The Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation (Corridor) has announced the start of Corridor Connect, a free networking and educational event that will occur weekly throughout the four-county Corridor region. Corridor Connect is a free, open-to-the-public event to give entrepreneurs and small business owners the opportunity to learn, grow and create valuable connections with others in the entrepreneurial network within the Corridor region. These events will happen weekly from 7:30-8:30 a.m. at various venues in the Corridor. At each meeting, two local companies will share what they do and both challenges and successes they ar...

Corridor supports aspiring entrepreneurs with innovative website service to plan small business openings

Tuesday, February 15, 2022

IOWA LAKES CORRIDOR DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION SUPPORTS ASPIRING ENTREPRENEURS WITH INNOVATIVE WEBSITE SERVICE TO PLAN SMALL BUSINESS OPENINGS SizeUpIowaLakes provides free market research to foster local entrepreneurship Tuesday, February 15, 2022 – Just in time for National Entrepreneurship Week, the Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation (Corridor) has announced a new tool to empower local aspiring entrepreneurs through an innovative online service called SizeUpIowaLakes. The service will be available for free to all local entrepreneurs on the Corridor website beginning in early March. A national entrepreneurship boom is now occurring as entrepreneurs starting new businesses has reached historic highs. This is a positive sign fo...

Iowa Lakes Corridor Region featured in Fresh Pickings Magazine

Monday, February 07, 2022

Read the Article The Iowa Lakes Corridor Region was recently featured in the Winter 2022 edition of Fresh Pickings Magazine. The article highlights area businesses including Cherry Lane Farm and Ruthven Meat Processing, as well as activities, museums, and restaurants in the region for readers to explore. The article describes the Corridor region as “…a quintessential reflection of the masterful way Iowans balance ingenuity and quality of life with rural roots and big-city amenities.” It also shares the stories of Calvin and Krissy Thiessen who began Cherry Lane Farm in 2016 and Chris and Suzie Kraft of Ruthven Meat Processing. “It’s wonderful t...

Okoboji Entrepreneurial Institute 2021 Wrap Up

Thursday, August 12, 2021

This week we welcomed the 15th class of Okoboji Entrepreneurial Institute students to our region to network, learn about entrepreneurship and business, and have fun at the Lakes! The students joined us at Lakeside Labs on Sunday to meet each other and kick off the week. Then after getting together with their teams and their first session of the business simulation, they got some time to meet their host families before heading to Arnolds Park to network with community members. Monday, they kicked things off early, jumping right into the business simulation after breakfast with an opportunity to hear from To...

What is Coworking?

Friday, June 11, 2021

Discover Coworking Coworking is a working environment that is designed to promote collaboration and community. You’ll find these shared workspaces all over the world. Entrepreneurs, creative professionals, coders, independent consultants, freelancers, and business owners that may have traditionally worked from home are now finding the benefits of coworking spaces designed to foster collaboration. Organizations of all sizes see coworking spaces as community hubs of entrepreneurship beyond simply providing physical spaces for people to work and meet. These spaces typically become the first choice location for small group meetups, offsite retreats, and events that promote innovation and entrepreneurship. Amenities in these spaces include desks and chairs...

Krafty's Meat Market

Thursday, April 29, 2021

Greatness starts and ends with something simple. Successful entrepreneurs understand and embrace this. For Nate Kraft, founder of Krafty’s Meat Market, it is all about making food taste good. This is simple to understand and important – we all love good tasting food. Since the April 17, 2021 soft opening of Krafty’s Meat Market, Northwest Iowa is enjoying a taste of something new. We are now being treated to some unique flavors that we did not enjoy a mere two weeks ago. My family visited Nate’s family business and reviewed the selection of locally sourced fresh meats, cheeses, breads and ic...

Angel Investing is a Team Sport

Thursday, April 08, 2021

Angel investors can and do earn returns that exceed those enjoyed by investors in public securities. That said, Angel investors can also lose most or all of the money they invest in a particular company (scary, right?). Angel investors that share information with each other and learn from each other tend to do better than those that go it alone. Angel Investment Networks Angel investment networks exist to improve the performance of investments made by Angel investors. Iowa Lakes Corridor Angels is a group of Angel investors established in 2015 by Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation with the purpose of facilitating investing i...

OEI Alum purchases ownership shares in Spencer Company

Thursday, February 11, 2021

Perseverance and passion are two attributes that describe Andrew Pauley, a 2017 OEI alum and a new part-owner in Specialty Archery L.L.C. in Spencer. Pauley started his first business at the age of 12, which kick-started his love for business. In college at Iowa State University (ISU), he started a new business venture, U Conceal It. “I knew the best way to learn would be to start a business and immerse myself in the business process,” said Pauley. Throughout his time at ISU, Pauley had many opportunities to learn, including being accepted into the 2017 Okoboji Entrepreneurial Institute. Going into the week-long experience at OEI, Pauley mad...

Fast Facts About Iowa Lakes

Low cost of living and affordable housing...

The cost of living and housing prices in the Iowa Lakes Corridor are below the US averages.

Affordability-new

Highway improvements...

Safe and efficient highways are throughout the region for commercial, resident and tourist traffic. Recently improved roads include Iowa 86 and 9, and US 20 and 71.

Highway 86-new

Employment Opportunity

The Corridor offers career opportunities in the key industries of agriculture, manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, and health services.

Employment-new

News & Events

News & Events

Fast Facts About Iowa Lakes

Low cost of living and affordable housing...

Highway improvements...

Employment Opportunity

Sign Up for the Newsletter