ISU/EDC Business Incubator

presents

So You Want to Start Your Own Business? Seminar

A free community seminar for understanding the process of starting a business

Thursday, September 23rd, 7:00–8:30 P.M.
Uptown Normal Heartland Bank Community Room (4th floor)

Have you dreamed of being your own boss? Do you have a passion that could be turned into a business? Owning a business is the dream of many people – for some people this is an exciting and rewarding adventure, but for others, starting and running their own venture is a bad choice. The reality is that most businesses will be out of business in less than five years after they get started- and most of these because they failed. The sad truth of the matter is that most of these business failures can be avoided.

Kelly Mathy, owner of Kelly’s Bakery and Cafe in Bloomington, and Andy Scott, owner of Energistics: High Performance Energy Efficient Home Solutions, will discuss their experiences of starting and operating small businesses and provide insight and advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Space is limited: Register in advance by contacting Brooke Weishaupt at (309) 452-8437 or brooke@bnbiz.org.

The Business Incubator is a joint initiative of Illinois State University and the Economic Development Council of the Bloomington-Normal Area. The concept of the incubator is to encourage local economic development by assisting a wide variety of early-stage companies in their growth and maturity through direct assistance, consultation, mentoring/coaching and educational services.

Please join us to celebrate Central Illinois at a REGIONAL COLLABORATION SUMMIT on Friday, October 8th from 8-11:00 a.m. at the Marriott Bloomington-Normal Hotel and Conference Center (201 Broadway, Normal).

 

Hear from:

• Dr. Allen Goben, President of Heartland Community College
• Dr. Janet Krejci, Dean, Illinois State University’s Mennonite College of Nursing
• Mike Baker, Planning Manager, Illinois Dept. of Commerce & Economic Opportunity
• Rex Duncan, Director of Community Development & Outreach, Southern Illinois University

and learn more about CIRCLE!

 

Please RSVP by Sept. 24th to Cheryl Harvey at (309) 452-8437 or cheryl@bnbiz.org.
There is no charge to attend; however, registration is required as seating is limited. Buffet breakfast included.

Click here for more information about CIRCLE.

 

This event is sponsored by: 
Illinois Dept. of Commerce & Economic Opportunity
Grand Victoria Foundation
Economic Development Council of the Bloomington-Normal Area

The 2010 Community Leaders Breakfast will take place Thursday, November 4th at 7:30 a.m. at the DoubleTree Hotel & Conference Center in Bloomington. Our keynote speaker will be Ted C. Fishman, bestselling author of China, Inc. and Shock of Gray.

Sponsoring the event is an excellent way to show support for our community and to get your company’s name in front of several key community leaders. This event typically attracts over 600 attendees!

 

Sponsorship Levels:

PLATINUM- $2,500
As a platinum sponsor your company or organization will receive the following:

• A table for 10 people
• Recognition in the event program (large logo)
• Recognition both before and after the program on two large meeting screens
• You will have a Premium location in all print advertisements

 

GOLD- $1,200
As a gold sponsor your company or organization will receive the following:

• A table for 10 people
• Recognition in the event program (small logo)
• Recognition both before and after the program on two large meeting screens

 

SILVER- $600
As a silver sponsor your company or organization will receive the following:

• A table for 10 people
• Recognition in the event program (name only)

To become a sponsor, contact Cathy Milligan at cathy@bnbiz.org or by calling (309) 452-8437.

To download a registration form, click here. You can also pay by Visa, MC or Discover by calling Cathy Milligan at (309) 452-8437.

 

About the Speaker:
Ted C. Fishman is a veteran journalist and former commodities trader who has emerged as a leading expert on the People’s Republic of China and its development as a world power. In his writing, Fishman is noted for taking seemingly complex topics – particularly how global economic trends influence people’s everyday experiences – and making them understandable and meaningful for a general audience. In his bestselling book, China, Inc.: How the Rise of the Next Superpower Challenges America and the World, Fishman describes the effects of China’s recent emergence as a world power on the lives and businesses of people across the globe. In addition to success of China, Inc. in America, the book has been translated into 25 languages and is an international bestseller.

Fishman’s latest book, Shock of Gray: The Aging of the World’s Population and How it Pits Young Against Old, Child Against Parent, Worker Against Boss, Company Against Rival, and Nation Against Nation, will be launched as one of the lead titles from Scribner Books in the fall of 2010. The book, which will also be published in several foreign language editions, discusses how the aging of the world’s population drives globalization. It looks at how age demographics inform the exchanges between the U.S., Europe, Japan and growing China. In an early review, Kirkus Reviews calls Shock of Gray “a timely wake-up call.”

Ted C. Fishman has been featured on ABC, CNN, Fox, the BBC, CNBC, PBS, NPR, Public Radio International, and Sky News (UK), among many others. Fishman also frequently consults local, state and federal leaders concerned about how to navigate China’s economic rise. A former floor trader and member of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, he ran his own trading firm until 1992. He has been a visiting scholar at the Stanford Center on Longevity and a faculty director and lecturer with programs for global executives through Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business.

Fishman’s essays and reports appear in many of the world’s most prominent journals, including The New York Times Magazine, National Geographic, Money, Harper’s, Worth, INC, Esquire, USA Today, GQ, The Sunday Times (London) and Chicago Magazine, and his commentaries have been featured on Public Radio International’s Marketplace.

The Green Economy Workshop Series (offered through the Green Institute at Heartland Community College) is designed to educate and promote sustainable business practices.

The series is open to all Illinois-based businesses interested in greening their current workplace, promoting sustainability within the workforce and the community it serves and reducing its environmental footprint. Adopting green practices can not only increase efficiency which saves the company on operating costs, but also can increase revenue based on a positive consumer opinion of environmental stewardship. Sign up for all three workshops for only $180 ($90 after rebate*)!

GETTING READY TO GROW WITH THE GREEN ECONOMY

The green economy is expected to contribute billions of dollars and generate millions of jobs in the coming decades. Wondering how to tap into the emerging green sector? This course is designed to help participants understand the dynamics of the green economy and prepare themselves to grow with the emerging green sector.

Topics include:

• Developing green industries

• Turning existing assets and potential liabilities into opportunities

• Making existing products, processes and services more sustainable

• Understanding governmental policies and initiatives

This course is offered through the Delta Institute, a Chicago based non-profit that is dedicated to supporting the transformation to the green economy.

PROFDVLP 1461 Sec. A
Wednesday 7/28
8:00AM-12:00PM
HCC WDC Rm 1400
$90 ($45 after rebate)
(includes text & breakfast)

GO GREEN AND SAVE MONEY: FISCALLY SOUND GREEN BUSINESS PRACTICES

Save money and improve your organization’s environmental performance through green business practices.

Topics include:

• Greening the office

• Green purchasing

• Activity-based cost accounting

• Greening the supply chain

• Recycling

• Green cleaning/janitorial practices

Energy efficiency opportunities associated with common office functions, such as:

• Heating/air conditioning

• Electronic devices

• Appliances

• Lighting

This course is offered through the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, a division of the Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability at the University of Illinois.

PROFDVLP 1462 Sec. A
Wednesday 8/25
8:00AM-12:00PM
HCC ACEC Rm 2102
$90 ($45 after rebate)
(includes text & breakfast)

GREEN PERFORMANCE THROUGH WASTE MINIMIZATION

Improve your competitiveness through better materials use. Participants will learn how to identify process losses and potential efficiency improvements in packaging, industrial parts and facilities cleaning, fluids purification, water use minimization and purification, and construction activities.

Topics include:

• Best management practices and technologies to improve performance

• Pollution prevention

• Recycling

• Green process development

• Improving the value of by-products

This course is offered through the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, a division of the Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability at the University of Illinois.

PROFDVLP 1463 Sec. A
Wednesday 9/22
8:00AM-12:00PM
HCC ACEC Rm 2102
$90 ($45 after rebate)
(includes text & breakfast)

*Receive a 50 percent rebate from the Green Workforce Training Program:

What is the Green Workforce Training (GWT) Program?

GWT is a reimbursement program, providing up to 50 percent of training costs back to employers when they pay for workers to go through training related to green workplace initiatives or services. GWT is funded through the DCEO-ARRA 2009 Workforce Investment Act Sector Based Initiative.

Which employers are eligible for reimbursement as part of the GWT Program?

Large, medium and small businesses, local governments, governmental agencies, educational institutions, non-profit organizations and collective bargaining units funding training for currently employed workers.

For more information about rebates available through the Green Workforce Training Program, contact Rebecca Rossi at 309-268-8402 or Rebecca.Rossi@heartland.edu.

About the Green Institute:
The Green Institute provides education and information to businesses and residents about energy efficiency, renewable energy, recycling, retrocommissioning and other environmental technologies.

Despite positive results from the first quarter of 2010, McLean County foreclosure filings showed a depressing increase in the second quarter. Foreclosure filings rocketed up to 143 for the quarter – a full 83.3% increase over the same period in 2009. Looking at the first two quarters together, McLean County stands at 274 filings, higher than 2009 and just shy of 2008’s record total of 278 for the same period.

These results demonstrate the continued economic challenges persisting even as the country begins to flirt with economic recovery. As I have stated in the past, home foreclosures lag the overall economy in the sense that foreclosures follow job losses at a distance of some months. Foreclosures happening today are likely indicative of the job market from six to nine months in the past. Based on unemployment figures, I would expect to see a moderate-to-bad third quarter for foreclosures followed by a fairly-positive fourth. Overall, I predict that foreclosure filings will end 2010 just slightly below the 2009 figure.

Sources: McLean County Recorder’s Office, Bureau of Labor Statistics

Central Illinois business leader Larry Maschhoff has been selected to help launch the first operational phase of the McLean County Business Incubator, a joint initiative of the Economic Development Council of the Bloomington-Normal Area (EDC) and Illinois State University. Maschoff, who currently serves as chair of the EDC Board of Directors, will work part-time through the University’s department of Research and Sponsored Programs. The department has received $845,000 in federal funding for the incubator project.

“Our research indicates there is a strong market demand for a McLean County area incubator,” said EDC Chief Executive Officer Marty Vanags. “McLean County has fewer micro-businesses than average, and they are smaller than their equivalents elsewhere in the state or nation. In addition, the presence of two universities and community colleges is a strong asset, both as a potential source of expertise as well as a possible source of entrepreneurs.”

Once operational, the business incubator will serve as part of a network of business assistance programs, which will include Illinois State University-affiliated campus organizations that have economic development or research interests. Other regional and local organizations offering business services may assist clients through the incubator. The mission of the incubator is to assist aspiring entrepreneurs, existing small to medium-sized business owners and researchers with the potential to develop commercial enterprises.

Initially, Maschhoff will work as the incubator’s Business Incubator outreach manager, conducting a range of recruitment, marketing and course development activities toward a target date of delivering services beginning in September. If initial efforts confirm the need for a higher level of activity, Illinois State and the EDC will seek a facility for the incubator to provide more extensive services.

“We are very pleased that Mr. Maschhoff will join the University and work with the EDC to further develop the McLean County Business Incubator,” said Rodney Custer, associate vice president for Research, Graduate & International Studies. “His talent and long-standing knowledge of the Central Illinois business community will be a big asset as this project moves forward.”

Maschhoff currently works as a consultant, helping private businesses arrange financing and increase sales and profits. He also served as president and chief executive officer of the Bank of Illinois for 23 years.

The following is an article written by Lauren Vanags on her Facebook page. Lauren is the daughter of Marty Vanags, the CEO of the Economic Development Council. She and her fiancé, Skyler, own Culture Shock, a retail clothing and accessory store in Rockford, Ill. If you know Marty, you probably know that he is extremely proud of his daughter, not only for the usual fatherly reasons, but also because of her hard work ethic, business sense and commitment to supporting locally-owned businesses, as shown in this article. While it specifically discusses Rockford, it also holds meaning for every other city and town in the U.S. Please read on and discover how shopping locally can not only benefit your local economy, but also your outlook on where you live:

 

To all of my fellow Rockford-ians with love (and everyone else too)
by Lauren Vanags

Everyday I hear people say, “Rockford Sucks” or “I can’t wait to get out of this place.” For me, Rockford is a place where my businesses reside, It is the place I call home. It is a place where I know people, and people know me. Rockford is where I will get married this fall, and Rockford is where I will be for awhile. I can see the pitfalls of Rockford, however, and I understand why the negative on-lookers say the things they say. But regardless, I love this place, and I never run out of things to do or people to meet.

It took me until a couple years ago to figure out exactly why I love it so much. I should start by saying, my whole life I have been involved in local businesses. My first business at my ripe age of 9 years old, was a can business. I collected cans around the neighborhood and my neighbors all participated because I was just “too darn cute.” Not necessarily a local business, but it got me started.

When I was in middle school, my mom and dad opened a bakery. Not just any bakery, A Dog’s Life Bakery. My mom made gourmet dog biscuits, dog cakes, dog muffins, as well as other doggie and kitty varieties of snacks. I helped out as much as I could, day after day, no payment involved, and persevered with my parents as the business struggled, and gained confidence as the business gained confidence. The business closed for various reasons, but it will always be a great part of my memory, and I know both of my parents will never regret A Dogs Life Bakery, or forget the fun we had with it.

I remember growing up supporting local businesses. My dad seems to hate chain restaurants, so that might be one reason I still don’t like to go to chain restaurants as much as some others I know. I remember my dad and I stopping by Mary’s Market at Edgebrook every weekend. I am not sure what my dad was buying, but I definitely remember the cookie I would get every time! (Double Chocolate Macadamia Nut) I still frequent Mary’s Market on a weekly basis for their 1/2 price Wine and Tapas Tuesday!

Along with working at a corporate restaurant and wasting 4 years of my life there, I also worked at a locally owned business at the mall, and remember talking to the owner a lot about the inner workings. I don’t know if he wanted to tell me about it, but I sure was interested in learning about it.

Then, when I was 19, I met Skyler. Brand new owner of the clothing store that opened up in the storefront underneath my apartment, Culture Shock. I met Skyler a couple months after he had opened the store, and then another couple months later I had my hands in Culture Shock big time. I haven’t stopped since. Now it has been 4 years since the store started, and we thank our lucky stars that we have made it so far.

The conclusion I am trying to wrap up from this, is that I think I never hated Rockford because I was always involved in the MEAT of Rockford. The businesses we have shopped at my whole life, the places I have gone in Rockford, the food I have always eaten, has for the most part been local. Of course I am not saying I never go to Olive Garden, or that I have never shopped at Target. We all have. I am saying that in my life experiences, the service is always better at a local business, the people are always friendlier at a local business, and the people who are at the local business WANT TO BE THERE! Everything is better locally, and those people who own the local businesses, have them in Rockford for a reason, FOR YOU!

When you are constantly surrounded by people who are running their business locally for you, you are NOT exposed to the workers stuck in dead end franchised jobs who hate their jobs and blame employees and customers for not getting their bonuses. You are not in contact with people who can’t wait to go home, or can’t wait for you to leave so they can “close up.” You are rarely exposed to environments and fellow customers that are hostile. Instead you are, in fact, greeted by those people who want to see you, who can’t wait for you to come back, and who want to make your experience the BEST it can possibly be. You ARE exposed to other customers who are experiencing the same great concept that you are. It’s a wonderful thing!

Now a days, I will go to MANY extents to shop/eat local before stepping foot in a corporate place. I try to encourage others to do the same as much as possible. My friends are all awesome, and are always willing to try out the newest local restaurants when we go out. It’s a feel good thing that happens when you shop local, and participate locally, or even work at a locally owned business. It makes you feel more aware of where you live, and it makes you more likely to tell someone about the experience you had at said place.

Anyone who knows Skyler and I, know that if a customer comes into Culture Shock looking for something that we don’t have, we try to point them in the direction of a local business who DOES have what they are looking for. Why?! Because we are sooo passionate about keeping things local, regardless of if we have a certain item in stock or not!

Now, everything I have just said, has been purely opinion, and based on my experiences.
The solid FACTUAL truth is that cities that support their local businesses more have a far better economy. There are many statistics out there that can give you facts and figures. My favorite being the 3/50 project (http://www.the350project.net/home) and Local First (www.localfirst.com)http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rockford-IL/Winnebago-Buy-Local/115883611787754

But just to give you the basic rundown from these sites, for every $100 spent in an independently owned store, close to $70 of it returns to the community through taxes, payroll, and expenditures. If you spend $100 of it in a national chain, only around $40 stays in the community. When you shop online, NOTHING stays in our economy.

It’s a big difference when you think of the thousands and thousands of dollars spent in our city every day.

Have you really read all of this?!? I am happy if you have! Please feel free to add onto this note in comment form if you’d like, I would love to know what you have to say.

—————
As a side note:

Recently, Skyler and I joined forces with some wonderful like-minded people and businesses, Choices Natural Market (on Riverside Blvd), The Rock River Times, and Artale Wine (On Spring Creek Rd) to create a movement and a “coalition of local independent businesses, organizations and citizens in and around Winnebago County, Illinois acting in alliance to keep our communities prosperous and sustainable.” It is a group called WINNEBAGO BUY LOCAL and if you haven’t heard about it yet, you will soon.

Basically, it is going to be the networking, and allied group you want to be in if you are a local business, and it will be the group you want to turn to if you want to find anything local from local dish towels, to local cucumbers, to local travel agencies, to local clothing, and EVERYTHING in between.

Our Vision
To establish a strong network of local independent businesses who have come together to strengthen their position in the market place.

Our Mission
To support and cultivate local independent businesses focused on transforming our local economy toward green jobs, sustainable industries and practices, and buying local first.

Our Goals
Foster a sense of community and give a voice to the local independent businesses, educate the citizens of our community about the importance of buying local, change their buying habits toward buying local first, and shift the balance of power in our community so that locally owned independent businesses can survive and thrive.

Are you as excited about this as we are? You will want to be part of this.

We know you are out there, you people who care about this place that they live in, just like we care about it. You see it’s potential just like we do, and you want others to see what you see in Rockford. Start supporting local businesses, you will feel so good about it.

If you want to know more about Winnebago Buy Local, visit our fan page at

If you want to be a MEMBER of Winnebago Buy Local, then leave us your email address, or email us and we will send you information on how to become a member. This is still in it’s early stages but it will be something that you will want to be a part of.

Feel free to contact me, Lauren Vanags, or Karen King of Choices Natural Market, or any of the other founders of this mega-project.

Rockford is changing right now. We can feel it, you can see it. Be a part of that change. Shop local, you wont regret it!

You’re cordially invited to attend a reception honoring our 2010 Circles of Seven graduates on Thursday, June 10th from 5-7 p.m. at Central Station Cafe in Bloomington.

At the event, we will also be holding an informational session regarding the 2010-2011 C7 program. For more information about the next round, click here.

Congratulations to our 2010 C7 graduates:

Erik Barnlund – Mavidea Technology Group, LLC

Martha Burk – Main Gallery 404, Inc.

Jim Carroll – Churchill’s Formalwear

Hombre Darby – News & Views for the Young at Heart

Chuck Fisher – Fisher Driving School

Peg Hayden – Blooming Grove Academy

Cathy Heissler – Learning for Tomorrow, Inc.

Amy Hyunh – Le Bow Wow Club, Inc.

Chad Jones – CJ Photo

Brad Kalavitinos – Le Scent Studio

Maria Kemp – Decadence Bakery & Pastries

Paul Komar – American Business Solutions

Rosemary Komar – American Diversity Business Solutions

David McCloud – The Organic Cleaning Machine, Inc.

Chad Ritchie – Ritchie Law Office

 

 

Check out the following summer session offerings at Heartland Community College:

LEED Green Associate Prep Course (Tuesdays, 6 pm-8 pm, beginning 6/8/2010)
The Green Building Certification Institute (http://www.gbci.org/) recently created the LEED Green Associate (GA) credential which serves as the first step for professionals pursuing a LEED AP specialization. The instructor, Brian Davie, is a licensed architect and LEED AP with over 13 years of extensive experience with the Farnsworth  Group in planning, designing and consulting for various LEED projects across the country.

Introduction to Wind Systems (Friday, 7/9 from 8:30 am-5 pm)
Learn the basics of wind energy such as wind resources, basic system components, system types, turbine types, applications and tower types. This course is a prerequisite for all other MREA wind courses.

Basic Photovoltaics (Saturday, 7/10 from 8:30 am-5 pm)
Attend this workshop to learn the basics of photovoltaic (PV) systems including how PV works and the best applications or limitations of the four PV system types. Students will learn to describe and identify PV system components and explore PV mounting options. Find out how to define the solar window, calculate load estimates and utilize basic site assessment tools.

Solar Domestic Hot Water (Saturday, 7/17 from 8:30 am-5 pm)
Learn how to use the sun’s energy for domestic water uses such as showers, sinks and clothes washers. By incorporating a SDHW system, the typical household can save 50 percent or more in energy costs annually. These systems are easy to install and often pay for themselves in energy savings in just a few years. This class provides an overview of a variety of solar water system types.

Employers paying for workers to attend any of these course may be eligible for a rebate of up to 50 percent! Contact the Green Institute to find out more about our Green Energy Workforce Training Program.  

For more information, contact:
Rebecca M. Rossi, LEED AP
Associate Director
The Green Institute at Heartland Community College
1500 W. Raab Road, WDC Suite 2400
Normal, IL 61761

This video is Tim Norman’s testimony before the House of Representatives Small Business Committee on Wednesday, May26, 2010. Mr. Norman was invited by Congresswoman Debbie Halvorson to speak as a “small business hero” representing the 11th District in Illinois in honor of National Small Business Week. He is the CEO of STL Technology Partners in Bloomington (an EDC investor, as well as a participant in the EDC’s 2010 One Voice trip). Congratulations to Tim for this great honor!

Congresswoman Halvorson and Tim and Katie Norman were also featured on the EDC’s BNBiz Show on Tuesday, May 25 to discuss their expectations about this hearing. Click here to listen to the podcast of the interview.

———————————————————————————————————————————————-

Press release from Congresswoman Halvorson’s office:

Local Small Business Owner Testifies in DC on Access to Capital, SBA Assistance

Tim Norman, Bloomington, IL: “The SBA 504 loan program, with the re-finance option, allowed us to re-capitalize our business.”

WASHINGTON, DC – Highlighting ways the Small Business Administration is able to assist small business owners looking to expand their business, Rep. Debbie Halvorson invited Tim Norman, a Bloomington small business owner to testify before the House Committee on Small Business yesterday on how the SBA helped his small business grow during the recession.

Tim Norman and his wife Katie own and operate a small business called STL Technology Partners, which specializes in computer repair and information technology services. Norman offered testimony about his work with SBA financing. Halvorson followed Norman’s testimony with a question and answer session regarding making the SBA more user-friendly to small business owners.

“Over the 19 years STL has been in business, we have seen two recessions, and undergone a number of corporate changes in order to remain aligned with our clients’ goals and needs,” said Tim Norman in his testimony. “At first, we were not pursuing the use of the loan through the SBA, but as the economy started to turn, it became more and more essential for us to secure the government financing. As we grow, we will definitely be looking at additional SBA loan programs we can leverage to create more jobs and expand our business.”

“We have seen progress in putting our economy back on track so far this year, but if we are going to keep that progress going, we need to give our small businesses the resources they need to create jobs, and that means increasing access to capital,” said Halvorson. “But we also want to make sure small business owners understand the resources that are already available to them, which is why I invited Tim and Katie to DC, to talk about their company and their interaction with the Small Business Administration during National Small Business Week. They’re truly small business heroes, and their story gives me great encouragement that we’re on a path towards economic recovery.”

During his testimony at the House Small Business Committee’s “Small Business Heroes” hearing, Norman spoke about STL’s recent period of growth. “We’ve put to work over 150 people in the last two and a half months, throughout the Midwest… So we are trying to use it [SBA financing] as an advantage to get moving and get growing because now is the time to grow.”

Norman also told a story of a friend who serves in the military and who was leaving to serve overseas. Norman said that he told his friend, “I feel we need to do something. I respect you for what you’re doing in the services you’re offering our nation.” Norman continued, “And he looked at me and he said, Tim I want to tell you something – we’ll defend this country, you create jobs. And that’s what we’re doing.”

As a member of the House Committee on Small Business, Halvorson has worked to introduce and pass legislation to increase access to capital for small businesses. Fighting to increase SBA loan sizes and extend short-term business stabilization loans, Halvorson introduced HR 3723, the Small Business Credit Expansion and Loan Markets Stabilization Act, and has worked to pass HR 4311, the Bonus Depreciation and Enhanced Expensing for Small Businesses Extension Act, which increases incentives for businesses to make new capital investments.

For more information about Congresswoman Halvorson’s efforts to empower small businesses and create jobs, visit the Congresswoman’s website by clicking here. To view small business assistance available though the Congresswoman’s office, click here.

Video of the question and answer panel including Halvorson and Norman can be found at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIFUC-I6RTI

Photo Credit: Kristie Baxter, US House of Representatives Photographer.