Brett Trout , Law Offices of Brett Trout and Adam Steen , 25 Connections spoke about Character in Business and how to not be an @$$hole for part 5 of our WhatNow? Series.  Brett gave the group solid advice about developing their own moral “code” by watching others. He pointed out that just because something is “legal” does not necessarily make it ethical and that each person will have to decide for him/herself what is right. He also reminded us that ethical people struggle early on because ethical decisions often don’t yeild positive results quickly. Brett encouraged us by sharing that in 5 years the tables will turn and those that have behaved ethically will have a much better overall position. Adam Steen discussed how in his unique business model relies on trust to work, and that ethically his entire business is gray area because there are few if any precedents. He talked about several specific ethical decisions that he has been faced with and how he’s handled them.

Adam and Brett related their ethical decisions to how quickly with recent technologies unethical people are “outed” as opposed to how long it used to take with traditional means of communication.

Don’t miss our final installment of WhatNow? Friday April 3rd , our topic is Marketing: How to get Creative in a Tight Economy. Our speakers Mike Ferrari, SmartyPig.com and Mike Wagner, White Rabbit Group.

What Now? a six-part entrepreneur survival guide is a six-part educational series for recent entrepreneurs, layoff casualties looking for a networking edge, and anyone who thinking about ditching “The Man” and starting their own business. For each conversation, we’ve paired up two really smart people from here in Des Moines to share their personal experiences. Highs, lows – everything. What Now? a six-part entrepreneur survival guide is brought to you by Lava Row and 48Web and hosted at Impromptu Studio. All proceeds will from the series will go towards keeping Impromptu Studio a low cost option for entrepreneurs and a hub for the technology community in Des Moines. Ten tickets for each part will go up for grabs the week before the respective part via a random Twitter announcement from @nathantwright or @abrudtkuhl. Make sure you follow them to catch the announcement!

Note: Lunch will be provided. Network and eat from 11:30-12pm. Speakers start their conversations at 12pm and go until 1pm.

Making the Jump: Mistakes and Hurdles

Friday, January 30 – 11:30am-1pm

Join Liza Kindred (Lullabot) and Brian Hemesath (Diligent IS, Catchwind) as they discuss common pitfalls and mistakes made when forming a business, and how to overcome various logistical and emotional obstacles.

Networking: Get out there!

Friday, February 13 - 11:30am-1pm

Andy Drish (Principal Financial Group) and Justin Brady (Test of Time Design) will share various methods of getting out there and networking yourself socially and digitally – whether you’re looking to start your own biz right now or a few years down the road.

Avoiding the Day-to-Day: Staying Inspired & Motivated

Friday, February 27 - 11:30am-1pm

Ron Wagner (comic book & storyboard artist) and Teri TeBockhorst (serial entrepreneur & former owner of East Village Books) join forces to talk about the emotional side of being in business for yourself: how to stay motivated, how to avoid depression, and how to constantly reinvent yourself.

Running Cheap & Lean: Bootstrapping 101

Friday, March 6 - 11:30am-1pm

Jason Walsmith (The Nadas, Authentic Records) and Doug Mitchell (CreateWOWmedia) Gabriel Glynn (Asset Protection Specialists) share success stories (and horror stories) of how they bootstrapped their respective businesses.

Character: Don’t be an @$$hole

Friday, March 20 - 11:30am-1pm

Brett Trout (Law Offices of Brett Trout) and Adam Steen (25 Connections) talk about the importance of character in business relationships, and how it can affect your reputation, referral network and bottom line.

Marketing: How to get creative in a tight economy

Friday, April 3 - 11:30am-1pm

Mike Ferrari (SmartyPig.com) and Mike Wagner (White Rabbit Group) share various ways in which they’ve creatively (and inexpensively) marketed their businesses in a tight economy.