- Help you think about the best business structure for your business
- Work with you to put your business plan in order
- Help you identify your potential for growth
- Review your future cash requirements
- Help identify resources to support your growth
- Assist you in preparing loan applications that meet the requirements of your lender
- Regularly schedule FREE “Introduction to Business” classes (usually the last Thursday of the month) where you can obtain the tools you need to start organizing your business and meet one-on-one with counselors relative to your business needs
- Hold annual, 12-week, NxLeveL Entrepreneurial Business Management courses for experienced business persons who are ready to complete both an in-depth analysis of their businesses and a full-business and marketing plan that will guide their company's future growth
- Sponsor other training programs, seminars, mentors and speakers to help businesses increase their management skills, learn about industry-specific state and federal regulations that may affect their business or to educate businesses about other program opportunities that may benefit them
- Help businesses access other resources to assist them in conducting feasibility or marketing studies, reviewing and updating manufacturing systems, accessing university research and commercialization efforts, and accessing other business-specific state and federal programs
- Selectively reach out to and assist companies considering relocation to the area which will provide additional jobs and services appropriate to the area's environment and economy
To assist with funding and capitalization, we
- Manage a community revolving loan fund for businesses having potential to create new jobs, especially for lower income persons
- Help companies access lower-interest rate loan funds as they may be available through the State Department of Commerce or other agencies (usually based on job creation and living-wage pay scales)
- Help companies access workforce training grants to help increase skill levels and create higher wage opportunities for lower-skilled employees or to meet challenges of changing technologies within the workplace
- Partner with banks (your lender of choice) to help you meet your needs for capital
- Help local lenders structure financial resources appropriate to a client company or individual using state and federal loan and loan guarantee programs available through the Montana Board of Investments, the US Small Business Administration, US Department of Agriculture and others
- Provide low-interest loans to help downtown retail businesses increase traffic by renovating store fronts (Up to $10,000 for five years at 5%)
To help those businesses or individuals that want to either develop a cooperative form of business or, perhaps, work with other like businesses to form a structure through which they cooperatively market their products, our Cooperative Development Center specializes in cooperative business formation. Through this regional center serving all of western Montana we:
- Assist individuals in determining if the cooperative structure is appropriate for the business activity they want to pursue
- Assist in accessing legal and financial support relative to the cooperative business structure
- Assist in completing feasibility studies, business plans and other activities specifically related to cooperative business models
Recognizing our agricultural roots and the need to assist farmers/ranchers in developing alternative products that can return a higher profit to the producer and to preserve that major contributor to our economy, we have developed capacity to assist in expanding value-added opportunities and specialty foods businesses through our
At the Food Enterprise Center, we can assist food-related businesses research and access raw materials and packaging; jump regulatory hurdles related to packaging, labeling and processing and help with advice on developing and marketing specialty food products. In addition, we operate the Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Center, a 10,000 sq.ft., shared-use commercial kitchen and food processing business incubator providing the following resources:
- Shared office space and business development services to help you move your food-business forward
- Commercial small-scale processing potential, either on a rent-to-use or co-packing basis that can produce enough product to enable you to establish a presence in the market place before investing capital in a full-scale production facility.
- 2,500 sq.ft. Commercial kitchen with food and meat prep areas; braising and steam jacketed kettles; baking/roasting room with proofer, dough machines and convection ovens; and variety of food processing and prep accessories and equipment
- 5,000 sq.ft. food processing area including equipment for juicing, flash pasteurization, dehydration and gluten-free flour milling
- Packing utilizing dry-pack auger/filler, tea (or other herb)-bagger
- Packaging area with vacuum pack, bottling, shrink-pack
- USDA-inspected meat room with added smoker, grinder, slicer, vacuum tumbler, patty-maker
- Cooler and freezer space
- Temporary dry storage areas
- Small scale food processing/development laboratory with testing equipment and separate food prep and oven area
Specialty food producers can join our Mission Mountain Marketing Association, providing them access to our e-commerce website that showcases products made at the Food Enterprise Center and with other services such as bar codes and participation at trade shows.
The Agriculture Innovation Program provides assistance and expertise directly to producers that want to start or participate in a business that develops marketing alternatives for their production through innovative practices that increase value or the development of manufactured or processed products. Through the program, we
- Assist producers in identifying opportunities through current production
- Assist in determining the best business structure for the venture
- Assist in sourcing and completing feasibility and market studies
- Assist in completing business plans
- Assist in obtaining grant funds, where available, specifically directed to the development of value-added enterprises
- Assist in accessing resources for product development and initial production (through the Food Enterprise Center)
For further information on any or all of the programs available through the Business Development Center, visit our contact page.
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