Business & Industry

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Cherokee County is an active center of retail, manufacturing and processing. The quality of life and productive workforce have been the driving force for the location of several major companies.

Interested in starting a new business?

Here is where you will find the information you will need to begin your venture into starting your own business.

Contents:  First Steps, Business License Information, Tax Information, Form of Ownership, Employees

Where to Find Information

First Steps in Starting a Business
The first step in starting any business in Iowa is to contact the Business License Information Center. The center is your link between business and regulatory agencies in state government. Next contact your City Clerk or Country Auditor for information on local requirements (local ordinance or zoning information), and third arrange for legal counsel and accounting services.

Information the Business License Information Center Provides
The Business License Information Center contains a computerized list of hundreds of different kinds of business licenses, permits and regulations. When you call the center for assistance, an information kit is designed to meet you specific needs, such as required licenses, a summary of each license, special requirements for obtaining the license, fees and processing times as well as agency names and phone numbers.

Want information to help your existing business? The Business License Information Center can offer quick and accurate answers in:
 - Licenses and Permits
 - Taxes
 - Regulations
 - Unemployment Insurance
 - Workers' Compensation
 - Local Requirements
 - Marketing and Management Assistance
 - Financial Alternatives
 - Trade Name Regulations
 - Special Programs for Targeted Small Businesses

The assistance you get from the Business License Information Center is free. Call toll free, Monday through Friday, 8am to 4:30 pm: (800) 532-1216. In Des Moines or outside Iowa. (515) 281-8310 or (515) 281-8324.

Tax Information
Iowa Department of Revenue & Finance, (515) 281-3114
    Sales & Use Tax Permits
    State Income Tax Information
    Certificates of Exemptions for Manufacturers & Wholesalers

Form of Ownership
Secretary of State -- Incorporation, Corporations, Limited Partnerships,
    State Trademarks - (515) 281-5204
    County Recorder -- Sole Proprietership and Simple Partnership

Employees
Iowa Workforce Development >>
Internal Revenue Service, (800) 424-1040
    Employer's Identification Number
    Federal Income Tax & Social Security Information
    Department of Employment Services, (515) 281-5387
    Division of Labor -- OSHA Consolation & Information on Labor Laws,
                               (515) 281-3445
    Division of Job Service -- Unemployment Insurance, (515) 281-8200
                   (Unemployment insurance liability starts at the point where
                   there is one or more persons on a payroll in each of twenty
                   weeks in a calendar year or if they have a $1,500.00 payroll
                   in a quarter of a calendar year.)
    Worker's Compensation Commissioner -- Worker's Compensation                    Regulatory Information (515) 281-5934    (Worker's                    compensation insurance is secured through your own                    insurance agent.)

Agriculture

Cherokee County sits in the midst of the richest farmland in North America. A highly productive Ag sector is the foundation of the diversified economy in the area.
The row crops of corn and soybeans are the primary commodities grown with more than 268,000 bushels harvested each year.
The area is a leader in the production of livestock. Pork production leads with state-of-the-art facilities and modern management and breeding practices. Over 200,000 hogs are marketed each year. The cow/calf and beef cow population is nearly 60,000 head.

Pioneer Hi-Bred International

Cherokee County's economic development goals are to continue diversification and growth of the local economy through business expansion and recruitment. For more information click here.