All Articles
Jul 11, 2022
Financial statements are some of the most critical aspects of running a successful business, yet they often leave business owners feeling confused and overwhelmed. At our last ACTIVATE Women session, we kicked off our 3-part series on financial statements by hearing from Rhonda Elkin, Kait Nichols, and Chontay Clements with Schmitz-Holmstrom, CPA about the income statement…
Jul 5, 2022
Achieving financial freedom can be done in a variety of ways – strict budgeting, eliminating unnecessary costs, and increasing efficiencies, just to name a few. We’re here to tell you about our personal favorite, the SBA 504 Debt Refinancing program, and how it can give you the cash flow need you to succeed….
Jun 16, 2022
Inflation. Price increases. Rising interest rates. These topics seem to be on everyone’s minds today… especially as small business owners continue to navigate the current economic conditions and stabilize or grow their business. Here is a quick look at what the SBA 504 program looks like in a rising rate environment and how the program can benefit small businesses during this time…
May 27, 2022
The world of digital marketing is constantly evolving, making it a challenging and overwhelming task for many business owners. To be effective, digital marketing requires knowledge of both the places and ways your target audience likes to be interacted with, as well as the ability to measure its effectiveness…and it can feel like a full time job. At our last ACTIVATE Women session, Tiffanie Honeyma shared what you need to know about marketing online and how you can do it efficiently and effectively…
May 9, 2022
Dakota Business Lending has been joining small businesses on their journey to success for 40 years…but these four decades have also been a journey of their own. The organization that began providing financing solutions in 1982 has quickly evolved into a large, multi-state organization with seven financing programs, several strong partnerships with entities across the state, an additional brand of its own (ACTIVATE), and a record-breaking loan volume…
Apr 19, 2022
So, you’ve decided to start your own business and have no idea where to start. Don’t worry – you aren’t the only person that feels that way, and you definitely won’t be alone in the journey you have decided to take. First, congratulations! Making this decision takes a lot of thought and consideration of many personal and professional factors, as well as short-term and long-term planning. Now, it’s time to get to work…
Mar 29, 2022
We have noticed that not only do these Mom and Pop Shops bring many benefits to the cities and communities they serve, but they have gained critical experience and knowledge along the way. We’re here to share some of their most valuable insights for small business owners – from the mouths of “Mom and Pop” themselves!
Mar 14, 2022
It is very common for small business to, at some point, need assistance with formalizing business plans, forecasting, analyzing business financials, and other business ownership details. Fortunately, there are many
FREE resources available to help put those pieces together for you. Here are four entrepreneurial development resources…
Mar 14, 2022
If you’re a small business owner, you’ve probably heard of the SBA 504 loan program. But what exactly does this loan program entail, how can it be used, and what advantages does it offer for current and aspiring entrepreneurs? We’re here to give you the 411 on the 504 and all that it can do to help small business owners throughout their business journey…
Mar 14, 2022
In the past few years especially, small business owners have been facing challenges like never before. But even in the midst of these hardships, these inspiring entrepreneurs have proven to be relentless in their pursuit of small business success. These are their stories…
