THURSDAY, SEPT. 14, 2017  |  IN THIS ISSUE
 
LED-accented accessories shown at the Fashion 500 show. CREDIT Erin Crawford
A new competition in Iowa City aims to explore the intersection of technology and fashion with a little help from the creatives in Iowa's Creative Corridor.
 
Designer Andre Wright, creator of clothing label Born Leaders United, and James Wetzel, a particle physicist at the University of Iowa and founder of Ob Design Group, are partnering with Mark Ginsberg of M.C. Ginsberg to develop a new competitive concept called the Fashion Lab, wherein two teams will have six weeks to develop a new wearable tech product.
 
Mr. Wright and Mr. Wetzel will each lead a team of creative professionals, who will pick their own work schedules and team structure. During the day, Mr. Ginsberg will provide workspace and train people to use the nearly $400,000 in welding, casting and fabrication equipment found in the second floor of his downtown shop. Team members working after hours will also have access to the new MERGE space on the Pedestrian Mall.
 
The intense creation exercise will all lead up to an Oct. 31 unveiling at the Halloween Runway Fashion Show, to be held in downtown Iowa City.
 
The concept evolved out of separate collaborations among the trio. The first was between Mr. Ginsberg and Mr. Wetzel, and involved the building of small sculptural pieces capable of detecting muons, a type of subatomic particle. As muons passed through the sculpture, an LED would light up.
 
Mr. Wetzel and Mr. Wright connected earlier this year to create glowing LED jackets and accessories that "people were freaking out about" at June's Downtown Block Party in Iowa City. That led to discussions about what they could do next, and how they could leverage M.C. Ginsberg's extensive fabrication space.
 
Read the full, members-first story in this week's print and digital editions of the CBJ.
Para2Tradehome marching north to Lindale

 
Tradehome Shoes will open its newest Corridor home in Lindale Mall next month.
 
The store, expected to open Oct. 5 or 6, will feature premium brand footwear with personal service in fit, style and features, the company said in a press release.
 
Headquartered in Cottage Grove, Minnesota, Tradehome Shoes is a 100-percent employee-owned footwear retailer and one of the larger ESOPs in Minnesota. Established in 1921, Tradehome Shoes has grown to more than 100 retail stores in 21 states, employing nearly 900.
 
A building permit was issued Aug. 1 for a $65,000 remodel inside the mall to divide an existing space into two spaces. It indicates 2,121 square feet of space being converted for a new merchant, Tradehome Shoes. Work will include a new storefront, restroom, light fixtures, shelving, displays and hardwood floors.
 
The new store is Tradehome's second in the Corridor, with the other located at Coral Ridge Mall.
Para3Main Street restaurants to celebrate Iowa Restaurant Week
 
A pour at Lion Bridge Brewing Co. in Cedar Rapids' Czech Village. CREDIT Iowa Tourism Office 
Three Main Street Iowa communities in the Corridor will celebrate Main Street Iowa Restaurant Week beginning this weekend with a variety of special offers and menus.
 
More than a dozen restaurants in Cedar Rapids' Czech Village - New Bohemia Main Street District, Mount Vernon and West Branch will participate in the statewide promotion, intended to encourage Iowans to visit and patronize locally owned establishments.
 
"People crave authentic dining experiences when they travel; they want to eat where the locals frequent," Shawna Lode, manager of the Iowa Tourism Office, said in a press release. "Main Street Iowa Restaurant Week is a terrific opportunity for Iowans to explore locally owned restaurants in their own backyards and for visitors to enjoy our wealth of undiscovered restaurants."
 
Cedar Rapids will also serve as host to three special events during the 10-day event, including Brewnost at the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library. Both Mount Vernon and West Branch will offer community-wide "passports" rewarding diners for visiting local restaurants.
 
Visit traveliowa.com for details and listings of participating restaurants. Diners are also encouraged to share their experiences using #MSIRestaurantWeek on Instagram and Twitter.
pitchSmall business owners ready to invest: NFIB

The percentage of small business owners planning to make capital expenditures in the next three to six months reached its highest level since 2006, according to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Index of Small Business Optimism, released this week.

The NFIB Index rose 0.1 points to 105.3. Five of the components increased, while five declined. The lofty reading keeps intact a string of historically high performances extending back to last November.

"This is a sign of economic health that we've been expecting based on the soaring optimism that began last year," NFIB President and CEO Juanita Duggan said in a press release. "Higher optimism resulted first in higher employment activity, and now we're seeing more small business owners making capital investments."

Sixty percent of survey respondents reported making capital outlays over the past three months, and 32 percent are planning outlays in the next three to six months. Plans to make capital outlays were most common among professional services firms (46 percent), followed by manufacturing (38), wholesale trades (36), agriculture (33) and construction (33).

According to NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg, the August figures for capital outlays are typical of a growing economy.

"Small firms are now making long-term investments in new machines, equipment, facilities and technology," he said. "That's a real sign of strength, and it will be interesting to see if the August result becomes a trend."
Para5Consulting: Dialoguing about business plans

 
In this week's consulting spotlight, CBJ columnist Jean Kruse offers some advice for entrepreneurs writing their business plan:  
 
Business plans were mostly used in the beginning by dot.com companies and they were submitted primarily to venture capitalists. Lending institutions necessarily have always required documentation that a potential borrower would be able to repay the loan; the packet of information, for example, that the Small Business Administration (SBA) still requires when they guarantee a loan.
 
In the 1980s and 1990s, this packet of information became popularly described as a business plan. With the explosion of computer and software capabilities, proforma business plans could be spewed out which made each of these lengthy plans look professional and persuasive. Lending officers, however, are not fooled and they do not have time to read 30-40 pages of mostly an exaggeration of the prodigious qualities of the product or service promoted in those pages.
 
Having said all of that, I encourage you to write your long business plan. The purpose in writing a business plan is not to borrow money, but to think through every aspect of a business before you get to the point of how to finance the business. Businesses fail because critical issues were not fully thought out or, even worse, were not even considered because the entrepreneur did not prepare a business plan in the first place. Here are some common mistakes that entrepreneurs make when they prepare their business plan.
 
Read the full column at corridorbusiness.com.
aroundtheweb From around the web: 
  • UNI's Dream Big, Grow Here contest is now accepting applications from startups and entrepreneurs around the state, the Sioux City Journal reports.
  • Forbes explains how small businesses can attract web traffic with valuable content.
  • Inc.com explores "Amazon's war" on small grocery businesses.
Small but mighty

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Stocks Corridor Stocks  
 
NAME SYM PRICE CHG %CHG
AEGON AEG 5.72 -0.08 -1.38%
Alliant Energy LNT 42.91 0.46 1.08%
Deere & Company DE 118.43 1.06 0.90%
Dow Jones ^DJI 22,203.48 45.30 0.20%
General Mills GIS 55.04 -0.25 -0.45%
GoDaddy Inc. GDDY 43.77 -0.17 -0.39%
Great Western Bank GWB 36.05 -0.34 -0.93%
Heartland Express HTLD 22.34 -0.22 -0.98%
KemPharm KMPH 3.35 0.05 1.52%
Marsh & McLennan MMC 81.20 -0.55 -0.67%
MidWestOne MOFG 33.29 -0.59 -1.74%
Pearson PSO 7.78 0.05 0.58%
Pepsico PEP 114.16 -0.29 -0.25%
Principal Financial PFG 61.99 -0.26 -0.42%
QCR Holdings QCRH 42.75 -0.20 -0.47%
Rockwell Collins COL 131.36 0.15 0.11%
S&P 500 ^GSPC 2,495.62 -2.75 -0.11%
Tanger Factory SKT 24.95 0.55 2.25%
Procter & Gamble PG 93.59 0.04 0.04%
United Fire Group UFCS 41.52 0.06 0.14%
U.S. Bank USB 51.65 -0.39 -0.75%
Wells Fargo WFC 51.31 -0.15 -0.29%
West Bank WTBA 21.80 -0.15 -0.68%
Whirlpool WHR 175.11 -0.78 -0.44%
Short-Term Event Planner
     
Sept. 19
Communication Workshop , by Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, 8-9:15 a.m., Economic Alliance, 501 First St. SE, Cedar Rapids. This program will look at real world examples on how core values will determine your transparency standards, why employees expect to know more but often fail at communicating well themselves, and why company meetings are still a big deal. Free. Register at bit.ly/2hlD9B7.
 
Discover Your Unconscious Biases , by ICAD Group and Kirkwood Community College, 8-10 a.m., MERGE, 136 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City. With diverse populations and multi-generations in the workplace and marketplace, it is essential to be cognizant of one's unconscious bias. Unconscious bias, if left unchecked, can lead to automatic tendencies that can have lasting negative impact on workplace culture, developing high performance teams, business growth, talent attraction/retention, etc. Cost: $25. To register, contact Kirkwood at (319) 398-1022.
 
Iowa City Roundtable , by Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce, noon-1 p.m., Share Wine Lounge & Bistro, 210 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City. Roundtables are social lunches over the noon hour. All are invited to network, keep up-to-date with chamber and community events and frequent a member restaurant or business. Free for members. Call the chamber (319) 337-9637 if interested and not a member.
 
Innovation EXPO , by the Entrepreneurial Development Center, 1-7 p.m., Coralville Marriott, 300 E. Ninth St., Coralville. Innovation EXPO 2017 is a coordination of three statewide events designed to enable connections between resources and entrepreneurs. It will culminate in a convention-like setting for recognizing the area's entrepreneurial companies and individuals. For more information and to register, visit bit.ly/2rtg2Yk .
Headlines from CBS2/FOX 28 
These news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28
Chris Soules is in court today in Independence ahead of his January trial. The 35-year-old former "Bachelor" star is accused of leaving the scene of a fatal accident after driving his truck into a tractor on April 24. 66-year-old Kenneth Moser died as a result after his tractor rolled into a ditch. Thursday's hearing deals with a motion for a bill of particulars. The defense is asking the state to provide specific details about the evidence in order to prepare for the trial. It was scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m. Mr. Soules made an initial 911 call, but left the scene as an ambulance and law enforcement arrived. He was found at his home about five hours after the crash. His defense argues that by calling 911 and initially staying on scene, Mr. Soules did everything required by law. His trial is set to start Jan. 18, and is expected to last four to five days. If convicted, Mr. Soules could spend up to five years in prison. He has pleaded not guilty. 
 
T hese news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28 
CBS2 Chief Meteorologist Terry Swails' Weather First Forecast

Summer is making a comeback with the warmest temperatures in over a month and a half. There will be plenty of sunshine and humidity won't be terribly high through the end of the week and into the weekend. Today temperatures will climb into the mid- to upper 80s. It will be even warmer tomorrow with high temperatures near 90. Temperatures will stay warm on Saturday with highs in the upper 80s and a few clouds will move in throughout the day.  A cold front will be approaching the area Saturday evening and will lead to the chance for scattered showers and thunderstorms into the night. Rainfall totals will likely be on the light side, but it will be the first accumulation in over three weeks.