Iowa Teams Up With Google To Help Small Businesses

As part of an ongoing effort to promote and encourage entrepreneurship in Iowa, Secretary of State Paul Pate announced a new partnership with Google to help small businesses get off the ground, grow their online presence and achieve success. New businesses in Iowa can take advantage of Google’s Let’s Put Our Cities on the Map program after they file with the Secretary of State’s Office. Existing businesses can utilize the resources to enhance their digital footprint.

The partnership launched this week in the Secretary of State’s booth at the Iowa State Fair, and business owners can visit the booth in the Varied Industries Building throughout the Fair to get started.

As the first stop for businesses in the state, the Secretary of State wants potential new business owners to know there has never been a better time to start a business in Iowa.

“My office is the business portal for Iowa,” Secretary Pate said. “Our goal is to work at the speed of business, not the speed of government, and we want small businesses to succeed. Last year we conducted a record number of new business filings in the state, surpassing the 20,000 mark. This partnership with Google will help these businesses get online and reach more customers. It will be a great asset for our state and our economy.”

The program helps businesses get found on Google Search and Maps, secure domain names, build websites (with free webhosting for one year) and more. Secretary Pate’s office is now listed as an official partner of Google’s program. Businesses can find a link to small business resources on the Secretary of State’s website or click HERE for more details.

“Four out of five consumers use search engines to find local information, yet only 37 percent of businesses have claimed their listing on a search engine." - Whitney Cox, Small Business Outreach at Google

Cox continued, “Small businesses are the economic engine of local communities in Iowa. When they succeed, our communities do as well.”

Throughout the Fair, representatives from America’s Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) will be on hand to help business owners learn how to use the online resources at the Secretary of State’s booth.

“This partnership is a great opportunity to show the strong collaboration within our state to bring small businesses the very best assistance to help them grow and thrive,” said Lisa Shimkat, Iowa State Director of America’s SBDC.