Recent studies have shown that Iowa has a lot to do to improve its efforts to help new businesses get started. A new center that officially opened today hopes to do that in the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City area. Curtis Nelson is the C-E-O of the Entrepreneurial Development Center. He says there’s no centralized resource where someone can call and ask how to get a business started. Nelson says the center provides professional mentoring, guidance in locating community resources, help in locating financial assistance, and educational and networking programs. Nelson says his goal in the first year is to help a minimum of 12 new entrepreneurs. He says that number will probably be low because he’s almost there. He also wants to be sure that businesses in the entire region know the center is available. Nelson says he’s working with the Iowa Department of Economic Development so the center can be used as a model statewide.
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