NIACC Pappajohn Center Yielding Dividends for North Iowa

Over 40 percent of the people participating in entrepreneurial training through the Pappajohn Center at NIACC have started new businesses locally.

The recent survey by the John Pappajohn Business and Entrepreneurial Center involved 88 North Iowans who completed the "FastTrac 1 - New Venture" program during the past 2 years. Thirty-seven or 42 percent of FastTrac 1 graduates have launched a new business as a result.

More than one-third (35%) of the new ventures are related to professional services, including e-commerce, while 30% are classified as retail and 20% involve manufacturing or construction.

The vast majority (76%) started the new business on their own. The remainder have a business partner or purchased an existing business.

"The FastTrac program gave me the knowledge to begin the processes, to recognize my limitations, to set goals and timetables, and overall to be organized," said Keith Poolman of Point-to-Success Enterprises of Charles City, which provides Internet marketing services.

Sonne Nielsen of Floyd agrees. "FastTrac 1 helped us do proper marketing research and develop a feasibility study," said Nielsen, who owns Critters ‘n Beans, a retail gift store in downtown Osage.

Norb Thomes and Shaun Finn, colleagues from TeamQuest Corporation in Clear Lake, completed FastTrac together. They have utilized what they learned by launching TeamQuest Web Services and TeamQuest Computer Services, respectively.

"FastTrac 1 helped us identify our target market and gave us the means to develop a business plan for corporate approval," said Finn. "We hope to expand by offering a larger basket of services to an even larger geographic area."

For more information about the FastTrac 1 program, contact NIACC’s Pappajohn Center at 422-4111 or 1-888-GO NIACC, ext. 4111.