ND Small Business Development Centers

By: Nicole Evans, Grand Forks Center Director Hiring your first employee can be exciting but also nerve-racking. There are many questions that surface when you are ready to hire your first employee(s). These questions can bring about many layers. The first question that is usually asked is: Where do I begin? You should already be […]

Happy Stakeholders Month! In honor of this ND SBDC Stakeholders Month, we wanted to share our new strategic plan for the 2023-25 timeframe. For some background on how this was developed, let’s rewind. As you may know, the ND SBDC is an Accredited Member of the ASBDC. This accreditation process is rigorous, and we are […]

By: KayCee Lindsey, Williston Business Advisor By connecting a user to a transaction, Blockchain can play a larger role in identifying risks and fraud. Blockchain is similar to an audit trail but uses technology instead of physical paper as documentation. Therefore, individuals within the finance department need a solid basis and understanding of technology and […]

Happy April to you all! We hope that spring is coming soon to a city near you! This is a fun one for you! We are HOPPING (pun not intended, but it is fitting) on the ChatGPT bandwagon this month, bringing you newsletter content below not written by a person! We have been closely following […]

By: Chris Erwin, Fargo Business Advisor Over the last five years, point-of-sale technology has rapidly advanced. What once was a quarterly visit from multiple merchant companies trying to underbid each other’s rates has evolved into feature-rich integrated software solutions tied to your bank account. Companies like Stripe and Square offer a plethora of services to […]

Do you shop online? I’m guessing that answer is yes (even though you might not want to admit just how often or how much you spend). You’re not alone, the post-pandemic reality is that most consumers have taken full advantage of online offerings for a number of reasons. As we all focus on where we […]

By: Ashley Louw, Devils Lake Business Advisor “A business plan is a document that defines in detail a company’s objectives and how it will achieve them,” according to the Business Plan: What It Is, What’s Included, and How To Write One article in Investopedia. There is no wrong way to write a business plan. The […]

By: Mary Beth Votava, Minot Center Director Starting a business can be straightforward or more complex, depending on the size and nature of the business. Entrepreneurs opening a brick and mortar businesses have more steps to work through to get open. Securing a location, negotiating contracts, hiring employees, and obtaining financing takes time and energy. […]

It is that time of year! We are excited to share with you our “hot off the press” 2022 Annual Report! We have stayed true to the format from last year, including a letter from State Director Tiffany Ford, impacts and demographics information for the network as a whole, as well as for each center, short […]

Happy New Year, and welcome back (if you had a chance to get away for the holidays)! In 2022, we enjoyed sharing with you some of our network’s specialized and niche areas of expertise. To kick off this new year, we would like to refresh your memory on some of the core competencies and standard […]