County highlights free business support programs for entrepreneurs
Hennepin County officials showcased their small business support initiatives at a November 19 meeting, featuring success stories from local entrepreneurs who credit county programs with helping them grow their companies without expensive consulting fees.
Small businesses are the backbone of Hennepin County's economy, making up 96% of all businesses in the region, according to Patricia Fitzgerald, the county's Economic Development Director. At the meeting, county leaders presented the Elevate Hennepin program, which offers free expert consulting, access to capital, and cohort-based learning to help entrepreneurs succeed.
Two business owners shared how the county's support transformed their companies. Rajes Svaraj, founder of Pizza Karma in Minneapolis, said the program "bridges that gap" by connecting entrepreneurs with expertise needed to "make the right decision the first time." Jackie Lee, CEO of Silva Way, was even more emphatic, saying she initially doubted the free program but found it "offered more than those paid services ever offered."
Fitzgerald explained the county's approach: "We provide entrepreneurs with tools they need to succeed, including expert consulting at no cost and access to capital." The county also highlighted Small Business Saturday and the CEO Next program as part of its broader economic development strategy.
A county commissioner framed the free programs as an investment in the community, noting that supporting small business owners means "building a real livelihood for your workforce and really building a community asset." The county's commitment reflects recognition that small businesses create jobs and strengthen neighborhoods throughout Hennepin County, from Minneapolis to St. Louis Park and beyond.
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Notable Quotes (5)
Small businesses with fewer than 100 employees make up 96% of businesses in Henipin County.
The value proposition of Elevate Henipin is simple. We provide entrepreneurs with tools they need to succeed, including expert consulting at no cost and access to capital.
The elevate Hannipin I believe it just bridges that gap right. So it connects you with all kinds of knowledge the expertise... to make the right decision the first time.
I could not have been more wrong. The program that was all-encompassing between the speakers and the cohorts was so incredibly well-thought out and and well built that it offered more than those paid services ever offered.
a nocost program for you is really an investment from our perspective because you all are taking the risks of uh you know building a real livelihood for your workforce and really building a community asset that that can far kind of exceed any single person's vision or imagination.
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Impact of County Programs on Local Entrepreneurs
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