Helping women succeed in business

By Andrew Weeks

Deidre Hillman has turned her career into one of helping other women succeed in business.

Hillman, state program director of the North Dakota Women’s Business Center in Bismarck, said her work is not always roses but what helps her get up in the mornings is knowing the end result: Helping women with savvy business ideas turn them into successes.

The center helps women throughout the state advance their careers, enhance their leadership skills, and grow their business. It also helps entrepreneurs, those who are seeking to get their business off the ground.

It does this by offering tools and training – whether that is learning how to build a resume or how to network. The benefits for participants: Women walk away with the skills and know-how that increases both their confidence and marketability.

The nonprofit center sits under the umbrella of the CTB, formerly Center for Technology & Business, also located in Bismarck. The NDWBC is funded through grants from the U.S. Small Business

Administration and matching funds from the North Dakota Department of Commerce.

“We were very fortunate to receive some additional funding under the CARES Act, and so we’ve really had some great opportunities for growth,” Hillman said.

A primary responsibility with federal funding is to offer what she calls one-on-one business advising – “very technical, very specific training to an entrepreneur or small business owner that needs help getting to that next step, whether they’ve just got the concept sketched on a napkin or they’ve got a brick and mortar and they want to open their second location or a fifth location.”

Some of the center’s offerings is a six-month long women’s leadership program, offered in Bismarck and Fargo, but staff also do mini-sessions around North Dakota. In March, coinciding with Women’s History Month, it hosts a luncheon celebrating women who impact their communities. It also offers technical training in marketing and how to patent a product or trademark an idea.

“The way I sum it up is, we do the business advising, we offer programming, such as luncheons and that sort of thing, and a conference, and then the training that we have throughout the year,” Hillman said.

Besides direct marketing efforts on social media and other platforms, staff also visit conferences during Small Business Week and partner with regional schools such as Bismarck State College, Concordia University, and Jamestown State College.

It is always nice to get in front of people, but sometimes virtual visits are better. She said the pandemic has affected the center in positive ways.

“We have been able to reach more people than ever,” she said, noting its new online library that has resources and contacts has been popular. “One of the things we did is invest some pretty heavy-duty funds to build what we believe is very specific training speaking to the culture of the women of North Dakota. … We operate differently than women might operate in Colorado or in Florida, and with that tool anyone across the state can log in and take a look at our training materials and learn more about the Women’s Business Center.”

Chelly Ontis, who owns Elegant Designs in Bismarck, said she wishes she had a resource like the Women’s Business Center when she first became an entrepreneur in 1997. Recently, she worked with Hillman and her team to help the center with its branding and marketing, especially with the new library resource it launched on its website. In that capacity, Ontis said she has been able to see just how much the center helps women with their business plans.

“Being an entrepreneur can be such a lonely journey, everyone has different answers,” she said. “To have a partner to sit down with and say to them, ‘Here’s my idea, tell me how ridiculous it is, or how great it is,’ that can be very helpful.”

The center has tons of resources to help women in business, she said.

Hillman said no new programs will be added this year, but her team will focus on elevating the programs already in place. She wants to reach as many women as possible, not only because it is good business for her but because doing so has dividends felt across the board: When one business succeeds, it’s a boon for that community and the state.

It is always tough to learn about the businesses that struggle and there have been many during the pandemic, she said. But Hillman believes there is hope, especially as business professionals gain the proper know-how and tools to weather the pandemic storm. Sometimes a businesswoman needs to think outside the box, and right now is one of those times.

“I think we’re a lot more fortunate in this area of the country,” she said. “Our goals are set for this year, and what we’ve decided is to really narrow our programming; and what I mean is, we’re not really going to launch anything new, we’re just going to pour a lot of energy into what we have.”

Thankyou

Officers appointed to S.D. Governor’s Tourism Advisory Board

PIERRE, S.D. • Officers have been selected for the South Dakota Governor’s Tourism Advisory Board for 2021, including the re-election of Kristi Wagner of Whitewood as board president. Carmen Schramm of Yankton was reelected vice president.

“The Department of Tourism is grateful for the service provided by our board members, including the second terms of our president and vice president,” Jim Hagen, secretary of the Department of Tourism, said in a statement. “We are fortunate to have leaders like these who care so deeply about continuing to advance tourism in our state.”

The Tourism Advisory Board is appointed by the governor and includes members of the tourism industry and citizen representatives from across the state. Board members serve as liaisons and advocates for businesses in their area and the South Dakota Department of Tourism. The board also offers input about marketing strategies for the department.

Current Tourism Advisory Board members include Caleb Arceneaux, Rapid City; Tom Biegler, Sioux Falls; John Brockelsby, Rapid City; Ted Hustead, Wall; Ann Lesch, De Smet; Julie Ranum, Watertown; Val Rausch, Big Stone City; Carmen Schramm, Yankton; Frank Smith, Gettysburg; Ivan Sorbel, Kyle; and Kristi Wagner, Whitewood.

Led by Secretary Hagen, the South Dakota Department of Tourism is composed of Tourism and the South Dakota Arts Council.

Minnesota offers economic relief grants to theaters, convention centers

ST. PAUL • The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development has awarded $4.6 million in Convention Center Relief Grants and $8.54 million in Movie Theater Relief Grants to facilities across the state.

The grants are part of a $216 million economic relief package signed into law by Gov.Tim Walz in December and announced in February. The package included a $14 million appropriation for grants to movie theaters and convention centers in Minnesota impacted by COVID-19.

“Convention centers and movie theatres are an important part of our economy that has been severely impacted by COVID-19,” DEED Commissioner Steve Grove said in a statement announcing the grants. “The state and our team at DEED have worked hard to award these grants quickly to help these venues weather the pandemic and bounce back during Minnesota’s economic recovery.”

Fifteen convention centers that met the eligibility requirements were awarded grants ranging from $38,000 to $500,000. Of these, eight are located in Greater Minnesota and received a total of $2.3 million in grants; seven are in the Twin Cities and received $2.2 million.

According to DEED, 73 movie theater owners – with a total of 790 screens in 118 locations across the state – met the eligibility requirements and were awarded grants ranging from $10,000 to $1.12 million.

Of these, 78 locations (with 411 screens) are in Greater Minnesota and received a total of $4.7 million; 40 locations (with 379 screens) are in the Twin Cities and received $3.83 million. Awardees must spend the entire award on theaters located in Minnesota, and the formula for award amounts was established in statute.

South Dakota Businesses Recognized for Outstanding Customer Service

PIERRE, S.D.

• The South Dakota Department of Tourism has recognized 47 businesses across 22 communities for their outstanding hospitality and customer service. These businesses have earned the “South Dakota Great Place” designation.

The South Dakota Great Service Star program was updated to the South Dakota Great Place Program in 2020. The program is a designation for businesses that put hospitality at the forefront of all they do as a company by providing guests with exceptional service. These businesses are constantly innovating and finding ways to make their guests comfortable and welcomed and their communities more vibrant.

“The hospitality you find in South Dakota is unmatched,” said Jim Hagen, Secretary of the Department of Tourism. “This program not only offers businesses support in developing great customer service skills among employees, it’s also a way to commend our industry members for all they do to serve their communities.”

The South Dakota Great Place program is designed to strengthen the tourism industry in South Dakota and offer support to tourism industry members. Online nomination forms are now open for this year’s Great Place Program: https://sdvisit.com/training-hospitality/ south-dakota-great-face-program.

The department also offers an Online Hospitality Training program. The training, which is free, available at SDVisit.com.

To see which business have been recognized, go to https://sdvisit.com/training-hospitality/2021-south-dakota-great-place-designees. For more information on the department’s hospitality programs, visit https://sdvisit.com/training-hospitality.