IMPACT BY NETWORK

Michigan

Client Success Story: Megan Zielke, Vintage in the Zoo

As Vintage in the Zoo grew, so did the partners' need to scale bookkeeping and the back end of the business. A formal introduction to the MI-SBDC, through Western Michigan University, resulted in weekly one-on-one consulting meetings to help define their vision, identify market growth, establish revenue projections, analyze year over year sales growth and make plans to take the business to the next level – all during the pandemic.

Client Success Story: Megan Zielke, Vintage in the Zoo

As Vintage in the Zoo grew, so did the partners' need to scale bookkeeping and the back end of the business. A formal introduction to the MI-SBDC, through Western Michigan University, resulted in weekly one-on-one consulting meetings to help define their vision, identify market growth, establish revenue projections, analyze year over year sales growth and make plans to take the business to the next level – all during the pandemic.

Client Success Story: Megan Zielke, Vintage in the Zoo

As Vintage in the Zoo grew, so did the partners' need to scale bookkeeping and the back end of the business. A formal introduction to the MI-SBDC, through Western Michigan University, resulted in weekly one-on-one consulting meetings to help define their vision, identify market growth, establish revenue projections, analyze year over year sales growth and make plans to take the business to the next level – all during the pandemic.

Client Success Story: Megan Zielke, Vintage in the Zoo

As Vintage in the Zoo grew, so did the partners' need to scale bookkeeping and the back end of the business. A formal introduction to the MI-SBDC, through Western Michigan University, resulted in weekly one-on-one consulting meetings to help define their vision, identify market growth, establish revenue projections, analyze year over year sales growth and make plans to take the business to the next level – all during the pandemic.

Minnesota

Lakota woman taps Indigenous healing remedies to launch Mankato business

Megan Schnitker learned from a young age that she could turn to nature’s medicine to ease many of the aches and pains she experienced while growing up on a farm in South Dakota.

“My uncle Neil started teaching me about healing plants when we were pretty little because as soon as the sun comes up, you go outside and play or you help do chores all day,” said Schnitker. “And you know, cuts, scrapes, burns, and bug bites, all happen because it's the farm.” 

As her interest in the healing properties of plants grew, Schnitker realized she wanted to share her knowledge with others. In 2018, with help from the SBDC, she launched Lakota Made – a retail store in Old Town Mankato. She has also begun teaching her 8-year old daughter about the healing plants.

Lakota woman taps Indigenous healing remedies to launch Mankato business

Megan Schnitker learned from a young age that she could turn to nature’s medicine to ease many of the aches and pains she experienced while growing up on a farm in South Dakota.

“My uncle Neil started teaching me about healing plants when we were pretty little because as soon as the sun comes up, you go outside and play or you help do chores all day,” said Schnitker. “And you know, cuts, scrapes, burns, and bug bites, all happen because it's the farm.” 

As her interest in the healing properties of plants grew, Schnitker realized she wanted to share her knowledge with others. In 2018, with help from the SBDC, she launched Lakota Made – a retail store in Old Town Mankato. She has also begun teaching her 8-year old daughter about the healing plants.

Lakota woman taps Indigenous healing remedies to launch Mankato business

Megan Schnitker learned from a young age that she could turn to nature’s medicine to ease many of the aches and pains she experienced while growing up on a farm in South Dakota.

“My uncle Neil started teaching me about healing plants when we were pretty little because as soon as the sun comes up, you go outside and play or you help do chores all day,” said Schnitker. “And you know, cuts, scrapes, burns, and bug bites, all happen because it's the farm.” 

As her interest in the healing properties of plants grew, Schnitker realized she wanted to share her knowledge with others. In 2018, with help from the SBDC, she launched Lakota Made – a retail store in Old Town Mankato. She has also begun teaching her 8-year old daughter about the healing plants.

Lakota woman taps Indigenous healing remedies to launch Mankato business

Megan Schnitker learned from a young age that she could turn to nature’s medicine to ease many of the aches and pains she experienced while growing up on a farm in South Dakota.

“My uncle Neil started teaching me about healing plants when we were pretty little because as soon as the sun comes up, you go outside and play or you help do chores all day,” said Schnitker. “And you know, cuts, scrapes, burns, and bug bites, all happen because it's the farm.” 

As her interest in the healing properties of plants grew, Schnitker realized she wanted to share her knowledge with others. In 2018, with help from the SBDC, she launched Lakota Made – a retail store in Old Town Mankato. She has also begun teaching her 8-year old daughter about the healing plants.

Mississippi

Lisa Cochran Wins SBA Womens Business Champion

Mississippi SBDC client Lisa Cochran won the SBA Women's Business Champion Award in 2022. The owner of two busy salons in south Mississippi, recently sold one to concentrate on the non-profit she founded, Dwell, that helps women navigate reentry into life from a domestic abuse situation and women in recovery from addiction. “Advice I could give to any owners is you need to have philanthropy as part of your business,” Cochran said. “This generation works for money but also works for time off and a purpose. Our employees know we are about serving women, lifting people up. They want to be involved in the bigger purpose.”

Lisa Cochran Wins SBA Womens Business Champion

Mississippi SBDC client Lisa Cochran won the SBA Women's Business Champion Award in 2022. The owner of two busy salons in south Mississippi, recently sold one to concentrate on the non-profit she founded, Dwell, that helps women navigate reentry into life from a domestic abuse situation and women in recovery from addiction. “Advice I could give to any owners is you need to have philanthropy as part of your business,” Cochran said. “This generation works for money but also works for time off and a purpose. Our employees know we are about serving women, lifting people up. They want to be involved in the bigger purpose.”

Lisa Cochran Wins SBA Womens Business Champion

Mississippi SBDC client Lisa Cochran won the SBA Women's Business Champion Award in 2022. The owner of two busy salons in south Mississippi, recently sold one to concentrate on the non-profit she founded, Dwell, that helps women navigate reentry into life from a domestic abuse situation and women in recovery from addiction. “Advice I could give to any owners is you need to have philanthropy as part of your business,” Cochran said. “This generation works for money but also works for time off and a purpose. Our employees know we are about serving women, lifting people up. They want to be involved in the bigger purpose.”

Lisa Cochran Wins SBA Womens Business Champion

Mississippi SBDC client Lisa Cochran won the SBA Women's Business Champion Award in 2022. The owner of two busy salons in south Mississippi, recently sold one to concentrate on the non-profit she founded, Dwell, that helps women navigate reentry into life from a domestic abuse situation and women in recovery from addiction. “Advice I could give to any owners is you need to have philanthropy as part of your business,” Cochran said. “This generation works for money but also works for time off and a purpose. Our employees know we are about serving women, lifting people up. They want to be involved in the bigger purpose.”

Missouri

Serving children with differing abilities, Unearth Potential, Joplin, MO

When behavior analysts, Anita and Erin, learned of the impending closure of the clinic they worked at, they worried about the families that would be left without services for their children with differing abilities. They had the experience but didn't know how to make a business happen. With help from the Missouri SBDC at MSSU they started a business to help not only those displaced by the closure but are now growing to serve more families. Read more https://bit.ly/unearthpotentialjomo

Serving children with differing abilities, Unearth Potential, Joplin, MO

When behavior analysts, Anita and Erin, learned of the impending closure of the clinic they worked at, they worried about the families that would be left without services for their children with differing abilities. They had the experience but didn't know how to make a business happen. With help from the Missouri SBDC at MSSU they started a business to help not only those displaced by the closure but are now growing to serve more families. Read more https://bit.ly/unearthpotentialjomo

Serving children with differing abilities, Unearth Potential, Joplin, MO

When behavior analysts, Anita and Erin, learned of the impending closure of the clinic they worked at, they worried about the families that would be left without services for their children with differing abilities. They had the experience but didn't know how to make a business happen. With help from the Missouri SBDC at MSSU they started a business to help not only those displaced by the closure but are now growing to serve more families. Read more https://bit.ly/unearthpotentialjomo

Serving children with differing abilities, Unearth Potential, Joplin, MO

When behavior analysts, Anita and Erin, learned of the impending closure of the clinic they worked at, they worried about the families that would be left without services for their children with differing abilities. They had the experience but didn't know how to make a business happen. With help from the Missouri SBDC at MSSU they started a business to help not only those displaced by the closure but are now growing to serve more families. Read more https://bit.ly/unearthpotentialjomo

Montana

I needed a mentor to work with me on something specific to get into my new place. Jeff went above and beyond to help me secure financing for a new location for my business, which was the communication of trust and faith in me, my idea, and my vision.

Owner of Green Flag PC

I needed a mentor to work with me on something specific to get into my new place. Jeff went above and beyond to help me secure financing for a new location for my business, which was the communication of trust and faith in me, my idea, and my vision.

Owner of Green Flag PC

I needed a mentor to work with me on something specific to get into my new place. Jeff went above and beyond to help me secure financing for a new location for my business, which was the communication of trust and faith in me, my idea, and my vision.

Owner of Green Flag PC

I needed a mentor to work with me on something specific to get into my new place. Jeff went above and beyond to help me secure financing for a new location for my business, which was the communication of trust and faith in me, my idea, and my vision.

Owner of Green Flag PC