This is part of week long series called "Covering Iowa Startups" profiling the five people who regularly write about startups in our community. Next up: Marco Santana of the Des Moines Register.
Des Moines Business Record — Kyle Oppenhuizen
The Business Record writes primarily for C-level executives (and those who wish to become C-level executives) in the Central Iowa area. It’s primarily a print publication that comes out weekly and their stories are also available online. The offer the “Business Record Daily” email each morning and afternoon with more timely news about the business community.
Why it’s important
The audience the Business Record targets are exactly the audience your startup probably wants to be in front of — the successful, high net worth individuals who are leading the current generation of stalwart businesses in Central Iowa. They could buy from, acquire, invest in or mentor your startup. More importantly, everyone’s goal is for your idea to be successful enough to join that class of companies so you’d better get to know them.
Also, because they’re a weekly print publication the Business Record tends to sit on desks and in breakrooms and get passed around for up to seven days all across the metro. Their stories have a longer life than modern online press which lasts a day or two at the most.
The reporter
Kyle Oppenhuizen is the reporter who most often covers startups at the Business Record (he splits his time between economic development, technology, transportation, human resources and marketing beats). When you pitch Kyle be sure and include how your startup will interact, benefit, disrupt, etc. the established business community as that will be more likely to catch his interest and attention.
“It has been interesting over the past three years to watch the Central Iowa startup scene grow. As a business community, we are really good at recognizing a need in the community and fulfilling it. The growth of our startup scene is no different. A number of dedicated people and organizations identified a need to help cultivate an entrepreneurial environment in the region. As a result, our startup scene seems to be one of the components that makes Central Iowa an attractive place to live and work.”
"A great way to get your company profiled in the Business Record is to provide an expert voice, whether it be on a technology issue in general, the Central Iowa startup scene or a subject relating to your industry field," Kyle told me today via email. He also noted that he looks at the startup scene as a "driver of economic development" which overlaps his other reporting beats.
Geoff Wood has been helping tell the story of the Iowa startup community since 2009. In addition to writing here daily, he hosts a weekly podcast, speaks at conferences and organizes several events in the community.
Photo Credit: Header photo from startupstockphotos.com. Logo and Kyle's headshot from Twitter.