The room that started it

February Operator Notes

Hi everyone,

Thanks for being part of OWN Indiana. We are building an operator-first network for people building, running, and acquiring small and medium-sized businesses across Indiana.

Small rooms. Real operators. Practical conversations.

Last month we hosted the first official OWN Indiana kickoff happy hour at the Carmel American Legion, and we’re grateful for everyone who came out.

We had about 50 people in the room. The conversations were exactly what we hoped for: practical, direct, and grounded in the day-to-day realities of running a business.

Huge thank you to the team at American Legion Post 155 for hosting us. The setting fit what OWN Indiana is about: simple venue, straightforward conversations, and a room built around people doing the work.

The feedback we heard all night was consistent. This kind of operator-first community has been missing in Indiana.

If you have ideas for shop visits, roundtable topics, or cities we should be in next, reply to this email or reach out anytime at [email protected].

Our next OWN Indiana happy hour meetup is Thursday, February‌ 26, 4:‌30‌ PM to 7:‌30‌ PM, at an American Legion Post 470 in Fishers, Indiana. Full location details are on the registration page.

Private registration link: Click Here

We’re sharing this link with our subscriber list and asking that it’s used on the honor system. These early meetups are meant for our core community: owner-operators, founder-owners, new business founders, people actively buying a business they plan to operate, and investor-operators and long-term equity partners who support operators.

We are also glad to have a small number of people who work in community support organizations that serve small businesses and entrepreneurship in Indiana.

We’ll keep rotating locations around Central Indiana and expand across the state later this year.

We’ve also heard from lenders, brokers, attorneys, advisors, and other service providers who support business ownership in Indiana. We value the broader ecosystem and want to make sure there’s a clear way to bring everyone together without changing the tone of the operator-first room.

That’s why we’re planning 3 to 4 Industry Nights per year that are open to the full ecosystem. These will be designed for buyers, sellers, operators, and ecosystem partners to connect in the same room.

Outside of those Industry Nights, most OWN Indiana meetups will remain curated and operator-first, so we can keep building a strong, high-quality community for business owners and operators over the long run.

Indiana SBDC INTAP is open now

(Deadline: Wednesday February‌ 18th, 4:‌59PM EST)

Indiana SBDC’s Indiana Technical Assistance Program (INTAP) is now open for the 2026 cycle. Applications opened in mid-January and must be submitted by February‌ 18 at 4:‌59‌ PM EST. INTAP helps growth-minded businesses complete improvement projects with support delivered through an Indiana-based vendor.

If you have a 2026 project you keep pushing down the road (systems, go-to-market, operational improvements), this is one to look at sooner rather than later. Learn more

IEDC SSBCI & the Legend Fund (operating capital)

Indiana’s State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), administered by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), provides access to operating capital through participating lenders, including the Legend Fund. It is designed to support small business acquisitions, ownership transitions, and growth financing when traditional lending alone may not be sufficient.

If you need help funding an acquisition or securing working capital for growth, hiring, or inventory, this is a resource to explore early with your lender or advisor. Learn more

100% Bonus Depreciation Guidance From IRS

The IRS published guidance in January via Notice 2026-11 related to the additional first-year depreciation deduction and permanent 100% bonus depreciation rules (as described in the IRS newsroom release and the notice PDF). If you plan meaningful equipment or qualifying property purchases this year, it’s worth a quick check-in with your CPA. Learn more

If you reply to this email with any of the following, it helps us build the calendar and keep the rooms high quality:

Reply to this email or reach out anytime at [email protected].

We look forward to seeing you later this month in-person!