"It's a nightmare," Sojka said. So far, the product is registered in 45 of the 50 states, classified as "a minimum risk pesticide."

Then three years ago, the federal government changed requirements so Bug Soother had to be reformulated.

Sojka hasn't been shy about reaching out for help.

She praises staff at the Center for Industrial Research and Services, or CIRAS, based at Iowa State University, Ames, and the nonprofit Entrepreneurial Development Center, or EDC, in Cedar Rapids, for help in connecting the company with resources, providing guidance and acting as a sounding board.

With EDC, "if you're struggling with a big company, you can send them the paperwork and they will say, 'No don't do this,' or 'Send this to your lawyer' or 'I recommend you do this,'" she said.

CIRAS stressed to "always look where your restrictions are, your bottlenecks, and work on those problems as they come up."

Knowing that one needs help and willingness to seek it out is one of the qualities that sets Simply Soothing apart from some other businesses, Curt Nelson, EDC president, said.

"They are a team that's willing to take outsiders' advice," he said. Some beginning businesses "think they know everything," he said.