Do you have a cool business idea?
We’ll help you warm it up.
We welcome entrepreneurs with open arms. Do you have a cool idea? Are you an innovator? Starting your own business? No worries. We have you covered. You have the opportunity to be supported by a network of organizations that want you to succeed as a small business in North Dakota. Grand Forks is one of the best places to start a business!
Evolve GF / The 701 Coworking Space
The 701 and Evolve provide a unique environment for professionals and entrepreneurs who wish to work in a space that promotes creativity and community. There are opportunities to network, share ideas, and expand your business. It is the host of the weekly 1 Million Cups event, where people share a variety of stories about their business or organization. The coworking space is located in urban downtown Grand Forks.
UND’s Center For Innovation
UND’s Center for Innovation was the first entrepreneur outreach center in the U.S. and today is the leading rural entrepreneur facility in the nation! The Center of Innovation assists innovators, entrepreneurs, and researchers as they launch new ventures, commercialize new technologies, and secure access to capital. As a small business in North Dakota, the Center for Innvation can help you thrive!
Small Business Development Center
The Small Business Development Center has a wide variety of resources for new and developing entrepreneurs. They can help create business plans, do financial analysis, overcome operating challenges and much more. With nine locations across North Dakota and the lead center in Grand Forks, there are plenty of professionals to help you be a part of small business North Dakota!
SCORE
Grand Forks is a great place to start a business, and SCORE can give you all the tools you need for your business to take off. They offer free mentoring services from retired executives, local workshop training and education, and free resources from their resource library. Small business North Dakota wants to help entrepreneurs have the tools and training they need to succeed!
Grand Forks Region Economic Development Corporation
The Grand Forks Region EDC provides companies expanding in the Grand Forks region the expertise needed to support growth plans. EDC developers will help by connecting you with education and technology resources, introducing you to state and local leaders who may offer guidance, and with site selection and financing. Grand Forks Region EDC helps small business North Dakota take off in the Grand Forks Region!
We had Grand Forks pegged as a temporary stop on the way to bigger and better things. The truth is, we found those bigger and better things right here in Grand Forks. Everything from the significant professional opportunity, vibrancy, and family friendly atmosphere led to this decision and we are here to stay!
Photo Credit: Cooler Ambassador Pam Shea
Everything from healthy economic growth, revitalizing our downtown, fantastic educational opportunities, and a family friendly environment make Grand Forks great.
When I was a student, UND afforded me such great community-focused opportunities and a chance to develop personally and professionally. I chose to stay here and help contribute to a culture so others have that same experience.
I moved to Grand Forks 12 years ago, and since my first volunteering opportunity, this place has shown me it’s hunger and excitement to support new and creative ideas. Really, it comes down to the train of thought, “you build the event, and the people will come.
Grand Forks is a fantastic place to live and grow a business. The community is extremely welcoming, and the university atmosphere adds a uniquely charming angle to the city. I especially love that Grand Forks and North Dakota are so very well-known for their thriving Unmanned Aircraft Systems ecosystem.
I moved away from the Grand Forks region after college but was thrilled to return a few years later and never left! This is a great community to live, work, and play. We especially enjoy and take advantage of the miles of biking & running trails, numerous restaurants, and so many lakes nearby for weekend getaways
Grand Forks is a community of opportunity. Education and stable housing are essential building blocks for successful community members. The community provides innovative education and support for affordable housing organizations, such as Habitat for Humanity, allowing all community members the opportunity to achieve their goals individually and for the city.
WORKING TOGETHER TO SHARE WHY GRAND FORKS IS WAY COOLER THAN YOU THINK
