Creative Visions, along with its co-sponsors AT&T and the Iowans for Social and Economic Development will hold an entrepreneurial forum  at 5 p.m. Friday  Creative Visions , 1343 13th St. The event is the first of a two part series to promote business ownership.

Small Business Administration district director Joe Folsom, ISED president Mike Tramontina and a number of small business owners will provide basic information about the resources available to those interested in going into business, as well as the realities and merits of entrepreneurship.

“We believe entrepreneurship can be used as a means to address the unemployment rate, and to close the income gap,” said Creative Visions CEO Ako Abdul-Samad. “Our intention is to foster an environment where the process to becoming a business owner is not as intimidating, overwhelming or confusing as it would be if a person were to go at it alone.”

Creative Visions also will announce a business plan competition as a means to foster interest and provide an incentive to encourage people to pursue business ownership. Resources to draft business plans have been provided by the SBA and ISED. For more information on the competition, please click on the above contest rules tab. Participants will receive a free business start up kit, and three participants will also have the chance to win a one year membership to Black Enterprise Magazine, a premiere business journal.

The second part of the series will feature Patricia Brown-Dixon,  the Small Business Administration Region VII Director and will be held in March. Winners of the Business competition will also be announced.  Both events are free and open to the public.  For more information, please contact Kevin Clark at Kevin.Clark@creativevisionsia.org or at (515) 244-4003.

Creative Visions has completed the first phase of the I Am Green project sponsored by the Iowa Office of Energy Independence, MidAmerican Energy, and the Energy Group and is excited about the next phase of the energy efficiency project.

The I Am Green energy efficiency project will continue to provide practical and low costs ways in which households can reduce their energy use and save money through its websites creativevisionsia.org/green .

 From time to time, Creative Visions will continue to team up with its energy partners to provide workshops and hands on demonstrations to help individuals not only learn about energy efficiency but to effectively use energy saving products. However, I Am Green 2.0, the project’s next phase, will incorporate greater use of web based resources along with utilizying the social media to help spread our message and share pratical energy and costs saving tips.

We encourage you and ask to you encourage others to frequently visit creativevisionsia.org/green for projct updates and  ways in which you can save energy and save money