FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – December 1, 2009

Contact:
Maureen Collins-Williams, director, UNI Regional Business Center, (319) 236-8123, maureen.collins-williams@uni.edu
Amy Kuhlers, outreach and marketing manager, UNI Regional Business Center, (319) 273-4328, amy.kuhlers@uni.edu

A new online resource for small business owners and entrepreneurs to access capital is being introduced in Iowa.  The new Iowa Money Map offers small business owners and entrepreneur’s access to more than 800 different grants, loans and equity investment programs available in the state of Iowa to support business start up and expansion.  The money map includes a unique click through county map of Iowa coupled with a searchable listing of public programs easily sorted into grants, loans, equity investments and other incentives. 
 

More than 300 agencies, organizations and developers in statewide have collaborated to create the capital database. According to Jason White, President of Professional Developers of Iowa (PDI) the creation of the Iowa Money Map is critical to economic development in the state.  “Economic developers know that offering plentiful sources of capital is vital to any successful entrepreneurship program. The map is a perfect illustration of the hard work that has taken place in communities and regions to develop these funding pools”.
 

Nearly 4,000 Iowa small businesses are currently being served online at www.myentre.net.  The online community is for any Iowan interested in starting a business and for those already in business looking for networks, capital, technical assistance and business information. To join, simply go to www.myentre.net and select a password to access the Iowa Money Map and other networking, informational and interactive business resources. Through CIPCO’s partnership with UNI this link has been added to our website under Economic Development/Development Assistance Programs.

MyEntreNet is administered by UNI's Regional Business Center, a program of the Business and Community Services division within the College of Business Administration. For more information, contact MyEntreNet Program Manager Amy Kuhlers at (319) 273-4328 or amy.kuhlers@uni.edu.