Bemidji Area Entrepreneurs Discuss Rural Business Growth

Entrepreneurial leaders from the Bemidji area and beyond met with members of Launch Minnesota to hold a roundtable discussion on what initiatives are currently working for up-and-coming local businesses. The roundtable took place at the Mayflower Building on Tuesday.

With a reported 40% uptick in businesses this year in the state, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is currently looking at new and existing ways to continually cultivate innovation.

A topic of discussion among the panelists was how the rural location of their businesses, which are primarily in the Bemidji area, do not place limitations on their customer base. By creating a hub of economic activity in Bemidji, business growth is encouraged, but those at DEED are now looking at how they can help continue this expansion.

Local business owners in attendance at the roundtable discusses current challenges they face in rural communities and how networking can be an asset for start-ups and scale-ups.