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Bridgette Beyer, of St. Ansgar, is the owner/creator of Visual Aspect Designs and has received a $1,300 NanoLoan through the North Iowa Area Community College John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center.

Beyer has worked for the last 15 years in promotional and advertising support to several print and graphics providers in the region. She was displaced last year and wants to continue to meet the needs of her clients by starting her own business in a vacant store front in St. Ansgar. With the help of the Mitchell County Economic Development Corp, St. Ansgar State Bank, SBDC and the NIACC NanoLoan, Beyer is now able to open her own sole proprietorship and work on it full-time.

“The NanoLoan program funds will allow me to fulfill a dream of continuing to do graphic design for my customers and future customers,” Beyer said. She will put the funds toward software.

Beyer will also take the FastTrac® program that will be held in Osage and Charles City starting in August.  Applicants are required to successfully complete the FastTrac® New Venture™ course; a 10 week ‘business boot camp’ that exposes entrepreneurs to key aspects of being a small business owner and helps them put together a business plan. FastTrac® graduates from NIACC have enjoyed significantly better business survival rates with over 200 businesses founded since 1997 and 78% still in business today.

The NanoLoan Program targets a specific, underserved segment of the entrepreneurial community; businesses in the ‘pre-bankable’ phase. NanoLoans up to $2,500 can be used to move a business model farther along in its development by paying for prototype development, patents, equipment, working capital and other start up costs.  

For more information on Visual Aspect Designs call 641-420-5491 or bridgette@visualaspectdesigns.com.

The national NACCE Innovation Award winning NIACC JPEC provides college level courses and degree programs in entrepreneurship, as well as comprehensive consulting services for business start-ups, existing industries and owner transitions in the North Iowa region.   Space is available for start-up businesses in the North Iowa Business Incubator. For more information, contact the NIACC JPEC at 641-422-4111.

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