Guest column's stories

roby smith

It’s time to LIFT Iowa small businesses and make communities stronger

As a small business owner, I know what it feels like to face a project and wonder, “How am I going to pay for this?” More importantly, “How am I going to do it with sky-high interest rates?” The first…

Regular check-ups protect your brand health 

For many organizations, the most valuable asset is their brand.  A brand typically makes a…

Are you frustrated with posting resumes with no responses?

Many career searchers immediately look at job boards when looking for a new job. Unknowingly,…

Community hospitals ensure affordable, accessible health care

Mercy Iowa City Hospital filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in federal bankruptcy court in August.…

Saving a beloved hospital

I was waiting in the emergency room at Mercy Iowa City, killing time by working…

Mercy Iowa City hospital, pictured Aug. 9, 2023. CREDIT ALEXANDRA OLSEN

AI in Iowa: Everything is going to be all right

A front-row seat to the evolution of Iowa’s technology landscape has certainly been a career…

Basic skills for starting a business

Numbers are everywhere when you get into building a business. Some of those numbers are…

Inflection points in the Iowa business lifecycle

Iowa is a great place to start and grow your business — Forbes named Des…

ABCs of privacy in market research

Staying on top of privacy issues is not an easy task for any organization. Financial…

Intermediary grants increase focus on building work-based learning

At its heart, work-based learning involves presenting Iowa youths with valuable information about the occupational…

How school bonds can affect our community’s economic development

I’m switching hats with this month’s column, from marketing to community and economic development —…

Marketing has evolved from 4 Ps to 7 Ps

Whether you are a small business owner or an executive for a Fortune 500 company,…

Entrepreneurship is hard work

Many entrepreneurs believe that the biggest obstacle to their success is funding. It’s not. It’s…

Is your business hiring hourly workers?

Are you having a difficult time recruiting hourly workers? There is good news for you.…

Business innovation for good — planet & people

Plastic, single use water bottles. If you think about it, you see them almost everywhere…

Take the party from third to first

As the leader of a digital marketing and web agency, I’m used to being asked…