Need assistance finding financing for your business? Need new ideas to stimulate growth? Then look no further than the Entrepreneur Fund, a Duluth-based organization that is starting a program in Cook County aimed at assisting business owners called enfuse: cook county.
“This is a new program,” said Shawn Wellnitz, president and CEO of the Entrepreneur Fund. “This is the first time we have focused on a community and not on individual businesses.”
“Two individuals (who wish to remain anonymous) from Cook County realized the need to assist business owners or entrepreneurs that might not qualify for traditional bank loans but still had viable businesses or good ideas. They contacted me and asked if we could help and they donated enough money for the first year of the program,” said Wellnitz.
The Entrepreneur Fund has been in existence for 20 years and serves 11 counties in Northern Minnesota and Northern Wisconsin. enfuse: cook county is designed to connect entrepreneurs and business owners with the help they need to grow their operations. That help includes strategic support, business workshops and access to low-interest financing aimed at growing businesses by 25 percent over three years.
“This is a great investment back into the Cook County business community, helping spur economic growth and make a meaningful, long-term difference in the area,” said Wellnitz. “Participants have access to strategic support, financing and workshops that cover different aspects of business; it’s truly a unique and valuable program.
“We are here for new businesses or businesses looking to turn around. We will get down in the trenches with them and help them steer their businesses in a new direction,” he said.
Local businessman Steve Surbaugh has been a client of the Entrepreneur Fund and is now helping to assist with the start up in Cook County.
“They found that you can’t just give someone money and expect success or just give them education and expect success. You have to marry the two and work with a business owner to help them grow. The goal is for a business owner to increase their wealth and increase pay to employees,” Surbaugh said.
Pat Campanaro, University of Minnesota Small Business Development Center representative, working with the Cook County/Grand Marais EDA will also assist with the program.
“Pat will be a key part of this,” said Surbaugh. “Her expertise in financing and lending will be invaluable to the program.”
Business owners will learn how to reach new markets, increase revenues and adapt to seasonal changes and downturns in the economy. enfuse: cook county is funded by local contributions and funds from the Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation.
Workshops will be held quarterly on Wednesdays. The first one will be held at Cook County Higher Education on March 18 from 9 a.m. to noon and will focus on social media. The first session will be free. After that there will be a small charge of $10 to $15 per workshop, said Surbaugh.
With limited participation, interested business owners shouldn’t waste any time registering and contact Steve Surbaugh at (218) 370- 9757.
To learn more about the program, visit www.EntrepreneurFund.org/enfuse.
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