Rural Voice: What it takes to build a business in rural Minnesota

Starting a new business takes moxie, no matter where you are.

But entrepreneurs in small towns face particular challenges.

In September, MPR News host Kerri Miller convened a town hall at Schell’s Brewery in New Ulm, Minn., to talk about those challenges and what can be done to overcome them. It ended up being a vibrant back and forth between small business owners and community leaders in the state’s southwest region about how to encourage and support entrepreneurs.

How do you build a business plan? Where do you find funding? And who is available to mentor owners just starting out?

This is part one in a four-part series featuring conversations from the Rural Voice project — a series of town halls hosted by Miller in communities across the state about the rewards and challenges of making a home in rural America.