Secretary of State Paul Pate held meeting in Council Bluffs

“Small businesses make up 98% or (more) of all the jobs and businesses we are creating in the state,” Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate said in a visit to Council Bluffs this week. “So helping them is our mission.”

Pate held a small business roundtable at Iowa Western Community College on Wednesday, receiving feedback from small businesses and offering help and advice from his office to make them succeed and grow.

One way his office is helping is new technology that enhances the speed and efficiency of the filing process for getting small businesses started.

“Our technology was dismal,” Pate said when he started his position.

The Legislature agreed and funded upgraded equipment.

“That gave us a great opportunity to catch up. Our new website is easy to navigate and its free. Businesses don’t want to wait around,” he said. “That’s where government should be.”

His office has also started a call center to answer business-related issues. It’s available at all hours, even midnight on Saturdays, Pate said.

“These are not cost prohibitive,” he said. “We want to build on those things.”

His office started the Iowa Businesses Against Trafficking initiative, which has been nationally recognized.

It’s an initiative focused on raising awareness about human trafficking within the state, according to Pate.

“It’s here and everywhere,” Pate said.

The initiative has reached nearly 1,000 businesses and more than 300,000 employees across Iowa, he said, putting a spotlight on trafficking.

“One, learn about it and, two, do something about it,” Pate told the gathering.

A record number of new businesses have started in Iowa, Pate said.

“That means Iowans have more confidence,” he said.

Partnerships to help develop businesses are also important, Pate encouraged the audience, mentioning the local chamber, the community college and business peers for sharing notes, among others.

“You know your song; share it will more people,” he said.

Businesses need to focus on their strengths, he added.

“You have to be honest on who you are. That has to be your driving force,” Pate said. “I would rather have a few tools that work well than 100 tools that aren’t getting it done.”

He added that an expert in grant writing is important when seeking government funds.

On the need for workforce training, Pate noted the ever-growing number of high school students taking credit hours at community colleges like Iowa Western.

State Rep. Brent Siegrist, a former president of Iowa Western’s board of directors, added: “We have more dual enrollment than any other state.”

There’s a need for affordable housing in Council Bluffs, said Mayor Matt Walsh.

“We currently have less than 1% vacancy in rental properties and probably 1% availability in owner-occupied housing,” he said.

The city is making multiple efforts to address that, he added.

“We purchased about 100 acres for affordable housing,” Walsh said. “We put in infrastructure and developed lots for sale for builders.”

However, the increase in mortgage rates from 3% a few years ago to closer to 7% now has created a barrier for some to buy a new home.

“I don’t know if affordable housing is affordable anymore, it has moved up to $325,000, and that’s the threshold for affordable housing here,” Walsh said.

Following the meeting, Pate was impressed with the positive small business environment in southwest Iowa.

“You have a great community college and you need that so that your workers have the training and background,” Pate said. “You have good infrastructure, good highways and roads to bring products and customers to you. You have all the makings for a very good opportunity. But, the bottom line to all Iowans – buy local, buy local, buy local.”