What are conditions like on the East Range for your business? What challenges do you face with your operations, and what resources or other forms of assistance could help you thrive? To answer questions like these, gather feedback from our community, and gauge the general business climate in our area, Northspan will be conducting a round of business visits on behalf of ERJPB this spring and into early summer.
This third business retention and expansion series follows similar efforts which took place in 2020 and 2023. Those previous rounds helped inform ERJPB programming, and led to regional economic development initiatives, like the creation of a pandemic relief fund. More recently, the launch of a new loan fund for businesses in the region, the East Range Participation Loan Program, was also informed by input from past business visits.
For this series, the focus will once again be on business expansion and retention. What does your business need in order to continue to succeed in our region? What could help you take your operations to the next level, and what can the broader economic development community do to help make that happen? These are the types of topics we’ll cover during this round of business visits.
During the in-person meetings, Northspan’s consultants will connect with area business owners and operators to learn about their current realities. We’ll also connect participants with resources we’re aware of, like the new business loan fund. The results will be anonymous and we’ll report them in aggregate to help shape future programming for ERJPB. We’ll also share our findings with the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce to give economic development groups a more detailed understanding of business trends affecting the northeast region.
We’ll be reaching out to businesses to schedule the visits. If your business would like to participate, contact Northspan’s Shaun Hainey, who is leading the effort, at shainey@northspan.org or (218) 481-7737.
