09/03/2026
Please join us, as CEDA's Entrepreneurial Programs Manager Cameron Payne presents The Rural Business Growth Playbook in Grand Rapids, Minnesota on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
Register Here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-rural-business-growth-playbook-tickets-1999714542026?aff=oddtdtcreator
The Rural Business Growth Playbook
Growing a business in rural Minnesota takes more than a good idea. It takes the right help at the right moment. Funding when you need it. A connection you didn't know existed. A tool that turns a vague plan into a real one. The problem isn't that the resources aren't out there. They are. Grants, programs, funding, organizations built to help you scale. The problem is that nobody hands you a map. This workshop is the map.
You'll walk through the small business ecosystem across Northern Minnesota and meet the people and programs already positioned to help. Business owners will learn how to spot the support they need and connect with the right provider before a problem becomes a crisis. City staff, EDA teams, and community leaders will learn how to get the businesses in their towns plugged into resources they're leaving on the table.
Then you leave with something to use. The toolkit includes a one-page business planning guide, design thinking tools, a list of resource providers, and more for the behind-the-scenes work that keeps a business moving. Whether you own the business or you're the one trying to help it grow, you'll leave knowing who can help, what they can do, and how to turn those connections into something real.