Ottos are recognized as October Entrepreneurs of the Month

To The Press

A Charles City couple has been recognized as the NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center and North Iowa Area SBDC entrepreneurs of the month for October.

Jeff and Lori Otto, owners of Otto’s Oasis, know the importance of resilience and building a strong team, according to a statement from the North Iowa Area Community College.

“Otto’s Oasis is a destination shopping experience with four pillars: garden center, retail and gift shop, floral and landscaping,” the statement said.

Jeff and Lori founded Otto’s Oasis in 2007 when they purchased the business from the previous owner. Jeff had previously worked at the business before striking out on his own, living and working in Illinois for several years.

When the opportunity arose to purchase the business, Jeff and Lori returned to Charles City and began growing the business, learning from their experiences and assembling a team of experts to work with them.

“As a business owner, you don’t have to do it alone. It was hard to let go of some of that work at first, but we’re stronger for it,” said Lori Otto.

In 2012 they opened a second retail and floral location in downtown Mason City, but after six years they found that expansion wasn’t the right fit and made the difficult decision to close that store.

“The excitement of starting a new location kept us going for a while, but it was a wise decision to get out and re-examine what we wanted and what we were doing,” Lori Otto said.

On the advice of their bank, First Security of Charles City, Jeff and Lori connected with Brook Boehmler, regional director of the North Iowa Area SBDC, to evaluate their next move.

Jeff and Lori worked with Boehmler to see a broader view of the business and plan next steps.

“Brook’s biggest advice was to use the expert resources we already had,” Lori notes. “We were working with Eric Levenhagen of ProWise Tax & Accounting and not taking advantage of everything he could do for us.”

Levenhagen helped the Ottos overhaul their financials and cash flow, tighten up the accounting with a real-time system and establish regular monthly meetings.

“It was still hard sometimes to take advice, but we did it,” Lori Otto said. “And once we got through the hard times, it’s now a routine.”

Jeff and Lori have re-focused to capitalize on their strengths. Jeff’s reputation as a landscaper continues to generate high-demand for their services.

Lori had noticed that landscaping and garden center customers often didn’t know as much about their retail and gift shop, so she started amplifying their digital marketing through social media.

Social media buzz generated immediate results, and led to a number of partnerships with local influencers and small business owners.

The Otto’s Oasis greenhouse began hosting events like a Valentine’s Day dinner and a local boutique’s runway show. Jeff and Lori have also continued to invest in their employees, many of whom they’ve been working with for years.

Their floral designers are encouraged to keep learning and growing, taking classes and giving classes on floral arranging.

Jeff likes to say, “We have roots here.” The local connections and partnerships have helped shape Otto’s Oasis continued growth and success.

What’s next for Otto’s Oasis? Their signature events are still on for this fall – the Home for the Holidays Open House on Nov. 7-8, and the Poinsettia Open House Nov. 27, 28, and 29.

But the COVID-19 pandemic has affected Otto’s Oasis, as it has everyone. When the gift shop had to close due to statewide public health mandates, Lori was inspired to start working on an online store and utilize today’s technology in order to be ready for the next challenge.

The NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center is the expert in rural business innovation and success, partnering with North Iowa’s Small Business Development Center to provide tools, support, and resources to Iowa’s entrepreneurs. Contact the NIACC Pappajohn Center at 641-422-4111 or pappajohn@niacc.edu.