Leveling Up My Business: Key Takeaways from Farmers State Bank’s “From the Ground Up” Series

I’m excited to share a major achievement: I recently completed the “From the Ground Up – A Small Business Series” offered by Farmers State Bank (FSB). Having been in business (in various forms) for about 15 years, you might think I’ve seen it all, but this weekly business class was a valuable reminder that continuous learning is essential for growth. The series covered a huge range of topics, including time management, advertising, bookkeeping, and insurance, allowing me to take a necessary step back and truly work on my business at a higher level.

Best of all? The series was free to business owners a huge thank you to FSB for offering such a beneficial, community-focused program.

Here are the three biggest, most immediate takeaways that I’ve already implemented or are prioritizing for my business.

1. Re-evaluating Risk and Insurance Coverage

The session on business insurance was an eye-opener. While I have General Liability insurance, the discussion prompted me to look beyond the basic coverage. I had a great follow-up conversation with a retired insurance professional I knew through SCORE, and they reinforced the need to dive deeper.

My immediate next steps include:

* Investigating various other insurance options tailored to my specific business risks.

* Analyzing deductible rates to find the optimal balance between cost and coverage.

* Looking into Workman’s Comp for myself as a self-employed individual—a crucial area I hadn't fully explored before.

Risk management is a fundamental pillar of a healthy business, and thanks to this series, I am refining my policies to ensure long-term stability.

2. Marketing Strategy and Geo-Specific SEO

One of the most actionable sections of the class was on marketing and growth. I immediately went to work on improving my website’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to ensure I’m effectively reaching clients in my core service area.

My new strategy focuses on making it crystal clear where I serve and who I serve:

* Dedicated Market Pages: I traded one general page for three new, highly-targeted pages dedicated to my three core markets: Hiawatha, Cedar Rapids, and Marion. These pages will contain specific information designed to help me rank higher when potential clients in those cities search for my services.

* Comprehensive Service Area Listing: To ensure I capture the entire region, I added targeted text to my website’s footer stating that I am serving all of Linn County. I included every town in the county, from Alburnett to Walker, Iowa. This simple but powerful update will help my business appear in search results when people type in ‘near me’ or search from any of these surrounding towns.

This new structure is going to be instrumental in driving organic traffic and growth.

3. Upping My Accounting and Bookkeeping Game

Even with 15 years of experience, there’s always room to refine your financial processes. The class helped me solidify and improve my bookkeeping habits. This year, I’ve been diligently tracking every business metric, and the class reinforced the best practices for doing so.

Specifically, I've developed a robust Excel sheet that I use to document everything from miles driven and hours worked to specific client details, services rendered, and charges. By fully engaging with the more in-depth coverage of bookkeeping principles in the series, I feel more confident than ever that my accounting is accurate, efficient, and ready for tax season.

Looking Ahead

Overall, this was a tremendous learning experience. Beyond the invaluable business insights, I also enjoyed the chance to meet new people and network with other local business owners—and yes, the free weekly meal was a nice perk!

I really appreciated that Farmers State Bank offered this series, and I sincerely hope they continue to offer the “From the Ground Up” program in the future for other business owners like me. If you’re a local business owner looking for a high-value, low-cost way to sharpen your business skills, keep an eye out for this program!