When Erin Aarestad learned how to make a balloon centerpiece on YouTube, she didn’t realize it would grow into her new business. As she likes to say, “It literally blew up.”
With encouragement and assistance from Elevate HennepinSM advisors, she made the leap to building the Brooklyn Park-based business Balloon Fancy into a full-time profession. Now she’s shopping for a brick-and-mortar location.
She first learned about Elevate Hennepin from Hennepin County Business Navigator Tashie George at a Brooklyn Park business owner forum.
She worked with three professional consultants to build a robust business strategy, enhance her accounting infrastructure, and examine some tricky legal questions. All that advising came at no cost thanks to support from Hennepin County.
Her message to fellow entrepreneurs: Don’t hesitate to tap into the Elevate HennepinSM business support hub.
“To be connected with people who have the answers is incredible,” said Aarestad.
Read Erin’s full story or get started yourself at ElevateHennepin.org.
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The Hennepin County Library is an incredible and free resource for growing your business.
One of many services offered through the library’s business support programming is computer-skill training, including 1:1 training, digital literacy workshops, a walk-in computer lab, and skilled tutors.
This service can help you accomplish important business functions like building a quality accounting spreadsheet, surveying your customers, or becoming more efficient with email best practices.
Explore computer skills events or sign up for training here.
Elevate Hennepin Construction: Working Capital Cohort training
This is a finance-focused training for construction businesses to prepare for financing and bonding. This session is part of Hennepin County’s Elevate Hennepin Construction work to empower growing construction businesses with improved access to working capital resources and financial training.
Training session
March 9, 5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Learn more and register
Website basics for artists
Get a big-picture view of the components of your artist website, find clarity on whether you need a website for your artistic practice, and learn the basics of creating a website. This online presentation is hosted by Elevate HennepinSM advisor Springboard for the Arts and is hosted by the Hennepin County Library.
Online presentation
March 11, 1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Learn more and register
Social media marketing for small businesses
Learn about social media tools, platform best practices and how to best connect with your customers from Elevate HennepinSM advisor MB Mentors.
Online presentation
March 14, 10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Learn more and register
Creating a month's worth of content in an hour
This workshop from SCORE is designed to teach you the skills and strategies to produce high-quality, engaging content that resonates with your audience. Step-by-step, you'll learn how to streamline your content creation process, develop a content calendar, and repurpose your content to maximize its impact.
Online presentation
March 14, 10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Learn more and register
Elevate HennepinSM information session
Connect with Hennepin County Business Navigator Tashie George and learn how Elevate HennepinSM can empower your business to grow and evolve in 2023. Learn how to access no-cost one-on-one advising, events, and the region's business-support resources through Elevate HennepinSM.
Virtual information session
March 28, 2 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Learn more and register
Save the date: 2023 construction networking event
Construction businesses, join the annual Hennepin Construction Networking Event. This fourth-annual meeting is intended to promote the connection and inclusion of small, minority and women-owned businesses between general contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers to learn about opportunities and resources.
Questions? email Felicia Clomon, Small Business Relationship Manager for Purchasing and Contract Services at Hennepin County.
In person event
1256 Penn Avenue North in Minneapolis
April 5, 3 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Don’t forget to bookmark the ElevateHennepin.org events page to find great upcoming events to propel your business forward.
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