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Iowa West Foundation Grant Funds HTC in
Rural Pottawattamie County, Iowa
This month, we are kicking off a new project just across the Missouri River in Iowa. A grant from the Iowa West Foundation will support a year-long project in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, to introduce HomeTown Competitiveness (HTC) to community leaders in the 12 rural municipalities in the county, which is home to Council Bluffs. The project will kick off in March with an HTC Academy, continue with a field trip to an  HTC community in Nebraska, and then proceed with assessment activities focused on the four HTC Pillars: Entrepreneurship, Youth Engagement, Community Philanthropy and Leadership Development.
The HTC framework was created by the Heartland Center, the Center for Rural Entrepreneurship and the Nebraska Community Foundation nearly a decade ago. HTC has since been implemented in nearly 20 communities in Nebraska and in numerous other states. HTC was also honored with the Community Development Society's Innovative Program of the Year Award. Other partners in Pottawattamie County include the Western Iowa Development Association and an organization known as C.I.T.I.E.S., which represents the 12 rural municipalities.
--Milan Wall, Co-Director
--Vicki Luther, Co-Director
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USDA Grant Supports Business Coaching In Nebraska and Kansas Communities
By Carolyn Lee
The Imperial (Nebraska) Republican
Twenty businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs were assisted through the City of Imperial's business coaching program in 2010. Two ofthose business owners reported at a meeting last Wednesday.
The business coaching program is offered through the city's economic development division. It is funded by both the city and a USDA Rural Business Enterprise Grant through the end of this year.
Milan Wall of Heartland Center for Leadership Development commended the city for its efforts to help current and aspiring business owners. The purpose of the business coaching program, he said, is to "seek out businesses with growth potential or transitional businesse s," plus those persons wishing to start businesses.
The grant monies are being spent in the Atwood, Kan. area and this area, he noted.
Leslie Carlholm, Imperial's Community Development Coordinator, described how the program fits into Imperial's overall economic strategy. It addresses business retention and expansion, as well as entrepreneurial development, she said. The third economic strategy, business attraction, Carlholm said, is also somewhat affected. "We have such a strong business community, and we want to be good partners with them when a business looks at us" for relocating, she said.
Carlholm said of the 20 businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs assisted over the past year, six are aspiring entrepreneurs, 12 are existing businesses and two are business transitions, or changing owners.
Two of the clients are Hispanic and one is a youth.
Five businesses have been referred to business coach Janeece Woofter of Imperial. Four have been referred to the Nebraska Business Development Center, and five have been referred to the Rural Enterprise Assistance Project. Woofter is considered the top or "A" level, Wall said, for businesses poised to grow or expand. She works one on one with the business owner on a regular basis, with "complete confidentiality at every step of the way."
"The program is designed to provide assistance by guiding businesses to the appropriate resources," she said. Resources can be local, external organizations such as the Nebraska Business Development Center, Woofter's personal network, or by Internet.
Carlholm said she is still working with five clients to place them in the program.
Four businesses have been started or transitioned. Carlholm said, "Maybe this doesn't look like a lot, but from my side of the table it's really great." Two new projects are in progress, with a 70 percent chance that they'll work, Carlholm said. "Unfortunately, two businesses have closed," she added.
The owners of businesses in the program who were present at the meeting commended the program and Woofter. "I needed a lot of coaching," one owner said. "She (Woofter) gave me a great amount of ideas and direction." Woofter told those present that if the program "can reach new businesses from the beginning, that would be nice."
"The overwhelming majority of businesses I work with would like help with bookkeeping and technology," such as web sites.
Carlholm added that feasibility studies and market research are also areas in which businesses ask for help.
The Community Development Coordinator has begun visiting existing businesses in Imperial to distribute surveys, asking "Are you thinking about growing?" and detailing what the program can do to support them.
In addition, the website www.imperialed.com is available for the public to peruse.
Lied Imperial Public Library Director Beth Falla told those present that the library offers many resources for entrepreneurs and small business owners.
New computers have been purchased through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and federal monies, a faster broadband is expected soon, free computer classes are offered and the library has a large selection of leadership, business and career resources.
"I envision the library to become Imperial's business development center," Carlholm stated. "Small businesses can take advantage of it for a nominal fee," for scanning, faxing, a video screen and more.
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Heartland Center Hosting New Webinar Series on
Social Media and Community Development
The Heartland Center for Leadership Development is now taking registrations for our new three-part Social Media and Community Development webinar series. These three webinars on using social media and designing webinar-based instruction will begin in March and end in May, 2011. Each webinar will be designed to provide interaction, discussion and feedback. Webinar participants will receive a packet of down-loadable training materials that include session powerpoints and readings. Registrants will also be able to view the webinar via post-webinar recording, so you can refresh your learning experience at any time. Webinars will last 60 minutes and will be hosted by Heartland Center trainers Milan Wall and Kurt Mantonya. This spring's topics include: - Thursday, March 10, 2011, Facebook, Twitter, Blogs and Bulletin Boards: Is it Faceblog, Flickrtwit and Linkedbook? Social media has become mainstream in our society and can be used to benefit your organization and your community. Participants in this webinar will learn the definitions and examples, list benefits and cautions, decide which tools to use, discover nine strategies for social media marketing, discover Twitter options and learn about Weblogs or Blogs.
- Thursday, April 7, 2011, Using the Webinar for Training: Training budgets cut back? No time for several-day trainings? Don't want to travel? See what organizations are doing to provide high-quality educational opportunities at a distance. This webinar will cover best practices in webinar design and delivery, advice on picking the right technology and cost considerations in choosing webinar technology and audio platforms.
- Thursday, May 12, 2011, Social Media and Community Development: How is your community using social media to engage residents and attract newcomers? This webinar will help you design a social media toolkit that you can start using right away. Participants will learn what strategies other communities are implementing and why, look at best practices in website and social media development, discover five elements every website should have and focus five strategies to make these work.
Each webinar will start at 12:00 p.m. (Central) and end at 1:00 p.m. The cost of each webinar is $69.99, or purchase the entire webinar series at one time for $185.00, a savings of nearly $25.00. Each registration entitles a single user to have more than one person attend at their computer in one site. Additional registrations from the same organization will be treated as another single registration. For more details and registration information about this exciting webinar series, please visit the Heartland Center's webinar page. You can also contact Kurt Mantonya for additional information.
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Federal Home Loan Bank of Topeka Announces Grant Opportunity for Community Development
The Federal Home Loan Bank of Topeka has released its annual grant announcement for the Joint Opportunities for Building Success (JOBS) program. This grant program is an economic development initiative that assists member banks in promoting growth in their communities. These grants of up to $25,000 can be used in a variety of ways including facilitating entrepreneurship training and funding viable small business projects and infrastructure development that leads to increased employment opportunities. Funds can also be used to help communities create a community-wide strategic plan.
The Heartland Center has assisted several communities under the JOBS initiative to create these strategic plans. If you would like more information, please contact Kurt Mantonya. For more information about the JOBS program, visit the JOBS website.
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 On the Calendar at the
Heartland Center
February 2011- Co-Director Milan Wall will be in Dickinson, North Dakota to facilitate a leadership development workshop at Dickinson State University.
March 2011- The webinar, Facebook, Twitter, Blogs and Bulletin Boards will take place on March 10.
- Milan will be in Barry County, Michigan.
April 2011- The webinar, Using the Webinar for Training will take place on April 7.
- Senior Associate Kurt Mantonya will be in Cookeville, Tennessee speaking at the 16th Annual Rural Economic Development Conference.
- Milan will be in Thompsonville, Michigan speaking at the Michigan Small Town and Rural Development Conference.
May 2011- Milan will be facilitating an on-site training for the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health in Austin, TX.
- The Webinar, Social Media and Community Development, will take place on May 12.
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About the Heartland Center
The Heartland Center for Leadership Development is an independent nonprofit organization developing local leadership that responds to the challenges of the future. The Heartland Center is headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska with a field office in Kerrville, Texas.
Heartland Center for Leadership Development
3110 N. 40th St. Suite A
Lincoln, NE 68504
(402) 474-7667
www.heartlandcenter.info
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