Small Business Week: Benton County Supports Its Businesses

For more than 50 years, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has celebrated National Small Business Week which recognizes the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners. This year’s virtual summit, taking place May 1–7, 2022, will focus on the theme, “Building a Better America Through Entrepreneurship.” The virtual summit is free with registration and will share tools and information that entrepreneurs need to further power our economic growth, strengthen our supply chains, and deliver the products and services Americans depend on every day. Small businesses will be acknowledged from across the country for their resilience, ingenuity, and creativity.

Benton Economic Partnership (BEP) has recently produced videos highlighting how the hard-working and innovative small business owners of Benton County, Minnesota, contribute to the vibrancy and character of our communities while employing many of our local residents. It's these locally-owned businesses that help to define our community and what it's like to live here.  Small Business Week provides an opportunity to focus our support and acknowledge successes.

While we appreciate how business owners shape our economy, they are quick to point out how great it is to do business in Benton County. In the video, “Welcome to Benton County, MN,” John Herges, Falcon National Bank CEO, discusses how BEP is organized to help small- to medium-sized businesses succeed. Check out the video to hear his testimonial as well as others, and to learn more about how BEP supported local businesses during the pandemic and beyond. 

In “Benton County Small Businesses,” service-oriented businesses are highlighted. The growth of the service sector has long been considered an indicator of economic progress, and that sector is going strong in Benton County. As of 2021, there were 219 service trade businesses in Benton County employing 2,251. Throughout the video, a consistent thread emerges detailing how admirable the people of Benton County are both as workers and customers.

In the video, Dena Hagberg of Jimmy’s Pour House describes how not only is Benton County an affordable place to live, work, and build a business, it is a very welcoming place, too. Check out the video to hear Hagberg’s story as well as others, and to see what BEP does to ensure economic growth and opportunity for service businesses.

Businesses, residents, and employees flourish in Benton County. There is a nice mix of rural and urban land with easy access to major highways and a regional airport. Our people are hard-working, loyal, and reliable. Nearby colleges and universities fill the workforce pipeline in our region where healthcare, service trade, education, manufacturing, and construction are leading sectors. During Small Business Week, and throughout the year, take the time to visit Benton County businesses as well as check out what the virtual summit has to offer.

Review Benton County’s community profile here.

Benton Economic Partnership is Ready to Assist

BEP works tirelessly to support entrepreneurs, small businesses, and local industries. BEP focuses on business retention and expansion, leads workforce development, and assists with marketing and promotion to ensure the local community can achieve the highest quality of life possible. Reach out to BEP at (320) 968-6197 or bentoneconomicpartnership@gmail.com to see how we can help today! 

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