(URBANDALE, Iowa) - "We've Got the Power", the Iowa Communications Alliance (the Alliance) 2^nd Annual Meeting and Expo, is scheduled for March 3-5, 2015 at Veterans Memorial Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center in downtown Des Moines.

The Annual Meeting and Expo will feature more than 110 strategic partners who provide products, services and expertise to Iowa's 130 rural communications companies.  Nearly 1,000 communications industry professionals from across the region will attend the event.  Participants will learn about current trends in the communications industry ranging from regulatory and legislative issues to emerging technologies, consumer preferences and effective marketing and training techniques.

In addition to a number of expert speakers on a variety of communications industry-related topics, 3-time NFL Pro-Bowler and former Denver Bronco Karl Mecklenburg will address the attendees about the "6 Keys to Success" through his humorous and motivational story-telling style of delivery.

"We are excited to convene this, the second annual gathering of so many communications industry representatives from around our state and across the country.  This event will allow attendees to share best practices, learn about new opportunities, and focus on the ever-changing consumer demands for communications services," said Dave Duncan, chief executive officer of the Alliance. "As Iowans, regardless of zip code, participate and contribute to the global economy our members recognize their responsibility to provide the highest level of connectivity possible to whichever marketplace their customers seek," continued Duncan.

About the Iowa Communications Alliance:

The Alliance was established in 2014 as the voice of Iowa's rural communications industry. Comprised of more than 130 community-based telecommunications providers who offer broadband, telephone and digital television service to rural Iowans; we are the premier leader in education, advocacy and training for our members and we promote economic growth and stability of members and the communities they serve. We believe that all Iowans should have access to affordable and robust broadband connections. 

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack announced today that he will be touring manufacturing plants across Eastern Iowa as part of his Made in the USA Tour. Loebsack will be in Muscatine and Bettendorf on TUESDAY, February 17^th. As part of the tour, Loebsack will meet with management and employees at both large and small manufacturing plants to discuss his recent appointment to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He will also discuss the importance of keeping and creating good paying jobs here at home. Media is invited to attend.

***THE TOUR OF BANDAG HAS BEEN CANCELLED***

Tour Bandag

6501 49^th Street South

Muscatine

1:00pm

Tour Sivyer Steel

225 33rd St.

Bettendorf

3:30pm

The dream of launching a business runs deep in the American psyche, but more often than not those dreams go bust.

Half of new U.S. companies fail in their first five years, according to Gallup. Expand the timeframe out to 10 years and the failure rate reaches 70 percent.

That's not surprising, says Randy H. Nelson, an entrepreneur who has built multi-million dollar companies. The skills it takes to start a business aren't necessarily the same as those it takes to keep that business afloat. What is surprising, though? In the U.S., more businesses are now being shut down (470,000) than are being started (400,000).

"Many entrepreneurs have the gumption to take that dramatic first step of sparking something into creation, but too many lack the perspective to reflect on what's needed for the next step," says Nelson, author of "The Second Decision - The Qualified Entrepreneur" (http://randyhnelson.com/book/).

Also, anyone can declare themselves an entrepreneur. No qualifications are required. Nelson says that's different from the Navy, where he served as a nuclear submarine officer and had to prove his qualifications before advancing.

Because of that lack of proper qualifications, Nelson says entrepreneurs often make five mistakes that threaten to put their businesses at risk.

·  Insistence on autonomy. An Inc. magazine study once said that a trait most entrepreneurs share is their desire for autonomy, which is great starting out, Nelson says. "In the startup phase, the company is all about you," he says. "Your fingerprints are on everything, and there is very little you don't know and aren't directing."

But after the startup phase, the company steams into the growth phase, becoming more complex and more vulnerable to industry and economic trends. At that point, an entrepreneur's insistence on autonomy can hinder the company's ability to respond quickly and intelligently to challenges it faces. "In the growth phase, you simply can't do it all, and it's foolish to keep believing you can," Nelson says.

·  Unwillingness to build structure, cultivate expertise or delegate. Many entrepreneurs will need to surround themselves with a strong executive team - or at least a steady right-hand individual - to ensure the company's success, Nelson says. But too many business owners fail to create the kind of structure that produces good leadership decisions within a managerial team.

"As you grow your company and enlarge it to meet new opportunities, you must also build in accountability," Nelson says. "Systems need to be put into place, and people, too." The entrepreneur needs to know the employees and where their strengths lie to put them to good use, he says.

·  Lack of financial leadership. Entrepreneurs by definition take risk when they make the decision to start their own business. In the area of financial leadership, which includes tracking cash levels and trends, financial covenants, metrics and expenses, entrepreneurs who are not financially literate and active will need the direct support of a financial expert to ensure they receive the advice and input needed in their organization.

The Small Business Administration has estimated that up to 60 percent of businesses owe their demise to a lack of cash. Other sources have this number as high as 90 percent. Nelson says: "When it comes to financial leadership, it is what entrepreneurs don't know that they don't know that will multiply the risk in their business exponentially."

·  Reacting unwisely to boredom. Starting a business proved exhilarating. The day-to-day operation of it may pale in comparison. A bored entrepreneur can create significant troubles for the business, Nelson says. "Things are going to get up-ended in a hurry, because many bored entrepreneurs either start new companies or abruptly make changes in their current companies to keep their own level of excitement high," he says.

"Of course, entrepreneurs are to be celebrated for their guts and desire to innovate. But when a serial entrepreneur habitually and almost obsessively looks for new sandboxes to play in, what happens to the existing company or companies often isn't very good."

·  Failure to engage in self-examination. Entrepreneurs need to be aware of their own strengths and weaknesses, the same things they gauge in their employees.

"You need to set aside your probably abundant self-confidence and take stock of what you know, what you're good at, and what skills you still need to master in your leadership role," Nelson says.

About Randy H. Nelson

Randy H. Nelson is a speaker, a coach, a Qualified Entrepreneur, a former nuclear submarine officer in the U.S. Navy and author of "The Second Decision - The Qualified Entrepreneur" (http://randyhnelson.com/book/). He co-founded and later sold two market-leading, multi-million dollar companies ? Orion International and NSTAR Global Services. His proudest professional achievement was at the Fast 50 awards ceremony in the Raleigh, N.C., area when NSTAR, a 10-year-old company, and Orion, a 22-year-old company, were awarded the rankings No. 8 and No. 9, respectively. Nelson now runs Gold Dolphins, LLC, a coaching and consulting firm to help entrepreneurial leaders and CEOs become Qualified Entrepreneurs and achieve their maximum potential. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Miami University, Ohio, and was awarded the Admiral Sidney W. Souers Distinguished Alumni Award there in 2011.

Exorbitant student loans constitute just one reason why young people eager to experience the world may want to reconsider college, says Ed Basler, a veteran entrepreneur.

There is now $1.2 trillion worth of college debt in the United States and the average borrower will graduate $26,600 in the red, according to The Institute for College Access and Success (TICAS) Project on Student Debt.

"None of this guarantees a job or even that a college grad will be job-ready," says Basler, CEO of E.J. Basler Co., (www.ejbasler.com).

"After four weeks of business school I, the son of a businessman, had realized that the professor had no real-life experience running a business and that I wouldn't learn the practical principles necessary to succeed. But I stuck with business school for two years until I dropped out, and I haven't had any regrets 40 years later. Hands-on experience trumps a degree all the time."

Factor in the fact that necessary business skills evolve faster than the time it takes to earn a degree and the overall lack of preparation for the real world provided by college and the choice to save time and money is a no-brainer, says Basler.

Business owners and hiring managers should see past the college degrees of potential employees, or lack thereof, and focus on the content of an applicant's skills and character, says Basler, who offers, in his own words, the following tips for hiring.

•  Do not accept any bad attitudes. A bad attitude spreads like the flu, and if you don't stop it, it'll make your whole team sick. Good attitudes will spread too, so look to hire people with a positive nature. Is the prospective hire full of complaints about previous employers? Don't be surprised if you become the next target of such whining. No one is indispensable. I have interviewed people who were clearly bright and skilled. Yet, afterward, I felt like telling them not to let the door hit them on the way out. I've never regretted my decision to insist on good attitudes.

•  Hire friends very cautiously. They can become your best employees. Often, however, they are your worst, and they're hard to fire. Hire family members even more cautiously. Let them know the ground rules and expectations up front. And treat them like the rest of your employees. I hear horror stories all the time from business people who are suffering because of family involvement. But it can also work very well - it has worked out well for me.

•  Hire not only for skills but also for potential. Leaders can be made if trained and motivated properly. I've seen many a young person with no previous experience or knowledge of my business learn a trade or skill and prosper and excel. Many times, it's even an advantage to start from the beginning with someone who does not have the baggage of bad habits or practices from a previous employer.

•  Put people in the right positions. Test them for their personality and skill sets. There are many tests - one good one is the Meyers Briggs and the DISC profile. It's hard, sometimes, to understand where people fit, which is why we try to use testing to learn about their particular skills.

"A college degree is a generic qualification and is by no means the ultimate criteria by which you should hire talent," Basler says.

About Ed Basler

Ed Basler is a longtime entrepreneur and CEO of E.J. Basler Co., (www.ejbasler.com), which provides precision-machined parts and solutions to companies worldwide. He is a sought-after motivational speaker and president of Fresh Eyes Coaching, a firm that helps small businesses identify profit opportunities and obstacles. Ed and his wife, Cathi, also founded and ran a nationally recognized not-for-profit youth organization for 15 years. He is the author of "The Meat & Potatoes Guide to Business Survival: A Handbook for Non-MBA's & College Dropouts."