New Initiative Aims to Bolster State’s Small Businesses

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- St. Cloud was the launching point for a new program to support small businesses across the state of Minnesota. Commissioner Matt Varilek from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) was in town as part of the kick-off for the "Choose Minnesota" initiative. Varilek met with several small business owners, the St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce, and Greater St. Cloud to hear their thoughts on the challenges small businesses face.

Varilek says one thing everyone can control in tough economic times is their shopping behavior:

"Here in Minnesota, given that we have had a unique set of challenges on top of all the national ones, that's where were trying to take the shop local, stand together thing that was really focused in the wintertime and remind everybody it's an ongoing need to do the shop local. And then, if we can also get additional financial resources in the form of those forgivable loans, or if we get additional resources related to workforce development, we'll put all those things to work."

He says the "Choose Minnesota" initiative is the consumer piece to the overall puzzle of how to support small businesses:

"DEED supports the small business development center network, where entrepreneurs can go and get assistance with figuring out the business projections and so forth. We work closely with our Workforce Centers, Career Solutions, with our higher ed, etc on the training issues and just general workforce development."

87% of the St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce members are considered small businesses

St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce President Julie Lunning says they are seeing a record number of small businesses closing because of recent issues:

"It's a critical time right now for small business. They have a lot of different issues that are hitting them at a lot of different angles, that are making it difficult to run a successful business. The economy, workforce, state mandates that are coming down the pipe are affecting everybody."

Small business owners in attendance, like Mateo Mackbee of Joetown Smashburger says things like tax relief, grants, or low-interest loans would go a long way to helping small businesses stay afloat. Varilek will hold other small business round table sessions in Rochester, Duluth, and Bemidji in the coming weeks.

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