Start your business here.

Your dream begins with BLAEDC

If you’re planning to start a business in the Brainerd Lakes Area, you’ve come to the right place! BLAEDC will help you identify the necessary steps and share the critical resources that will help you succeed. Below is a list of community resources that will get you started.

Individualized business counseling.

The North Central Small Business Development Center (SBDC) hosted by Central Lakes College in Brainerd provides training and no-cost technical assistance to entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the region. The SBDC assists businesses with a range of topics including: start-up considerations; business plan development; business start-up / purchase feasibility; access to capital and loan packaging; financial review, assessment and management; general marketing and research; marketing plan assessment and development; strategic planning; and exit and succession planning. Complete a SBDC application to access these services.

BLAEDC is a satellite site for the North Central SBDC and assists with Crow Wing County businesses.

Training Opportunities.

The North Central SBDC in Brainerd is one of nine SBDCs throughout the state of Minnesota and regularly offers training opportunities. Click here to find upcoming trainings offered through the SBDC network, and see here for more information about Small Business Development Centers.

Business planning tools.

Are you looking for: Business Plans, Accounting, Insurance, Taxes and more, to help you start your business? From the Minnesota Employment and Economic Development (DEED) website they offer a guide to Starting a Business in Minnesota- Starting a Business.

Other entrepreneur and small business resources:

Women’s Business Alliance

The Women’s Business Alliance (WBA) provides women business owners with services to grow, finance or start a business. The Entrepreneur Fund hosts two of the three Women’s Business Centers (WBCs) in the state of Minnesota and has both the WBA Central Region (including Crow Wing County) and the WBA North Region (including Cass and Aitkin counties). See here for more information. WBCs, like the SBDC, are Resource Partners of the United States Small Business Administration. See here for more information about WBCs on the SBA website.

SCORE

The Brainerd Lakes Branch of SCORE offers free small business and entrepreneur mentoring, resources, events, webinars, and more. Click here for free trainings and webinars.