Fox Auction Co. chosen for Small Business of the Month Award

AMES, Iowa – America’s SBDC Iowa (SBDC) is pleased to announce that Fox Auction Co, of Mason City, is the winner of the organization’s statewide December Small Business of the Month Award.

Frank Fox founded Fox Auctions in 2004. He grew up on a farm and was familiar with the world of auctions and farm sales, the excitement of bidding, the camaraderie, the thrill of the win, the captivating power of the auctioneer. While working at a civil engineering firm, he decided to go to auctioneering school and discover if he could forge a new career path. Frank said, “I wanted to make a business of it. Not just punch a clock for someone else, but be in charge of managing my own time and profit.”

In order to get their business off on the right foot, Frank and Julie enrolled in FastTrac (the predecessor to the Pappajohn Center & SBDC’s 8 week entrepreneurship training program Launch & Grow). “It really helped us realize how much value there is to every hour when you’re an entrepreneur, and how important it is to have a business plan to focus you and make the most out of your time. With the business plan, you know where you want to go and you can keep checking your milestones to make sure you’re staying on track,” Julie said.

Frank and Julie have continued their relationship with the NIACC Pappajohn Center & SBDC, working with Ted Bair (former North Iowa SBDC Regional Director) and later Brook Boehmler, current Regional Director. “Working with the Pappajohn Center & SBDC has been invaluable. They asked us tough questions and made us think about the future,” Julie said. They have utilized the Pappajohn Center & SBDC for additional training and expertise, and connections to expert mentors for the managerial expertise necessary for a business in the growth phase.

Fox Auctions provides a variety of services: land auctions, farm equipment sales, hay sales twice per month, farm retirement sales, estates, real estate, business liquidations, and commercial equipment. Frank and Julie pride themselves on providing a full range of auction services, catering to each client’s specific needs. Fox Auctions also regularly holds benefit auctions for local organizations (e.g. The Friendly Garden Plant Club of Clear Lake, 4H), non-profits (Ducks Unlimited, Salvation Army), and individuals in need.

Frank and Julie had a few final words of advice to entrepreneurs, “Work through the process, and keep moving forward through the mistakes or failures, because you will make them. Find your cheerleaders and keep them close. It’s amazing how many people want to help you when they see who you are and what you represent – not just friends and family, but also your bankers and mentors, your community.”

America’s SBDC Iowa is an outreach program of Iowa State University’s Ivy College of Business and the Office of Economic Development and Industry Relations. Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, ethnicity, religion, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. Veteran. Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies may be directed to the Office of Equal Opportunity, 3410 Beardshear Hall, 515 Morrill Road, Ames, Iowa 50011, Tel. 515-294-7612, Hotline 515-294-1222, email eooffice@iastate.edu.

Funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, America’s SBDC Iowa has 15 regional assistance centers located strategically across the state. Since program inception in 1981, the SBDC has helped Iowa businesses and entrepreneurs through no fee, confidential, customized, professional business counseling and practical, affordable training workshops.

For more information on America’s SBDC Iowa programs or services, call (515) 294-2030 or visit www.iowasbdc.org, https://www.facebook.com/AmericasSBDCIowa, or @IowaSBDC on Instagram and Twitter.

Press Contacts:
Brianna Hall, America’s SBDC Iowa, 515-294-2030, bschwind@iastate.edu
Brook Boehmler, NIACC SBDC, 641-422-4342, brook.boehmler@niacc.edu