Small Businesses Booming in North Dakota Despite COVID Challenges



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Some small businesses that opened during or shortly before the start of the pandemic are booming in North Dakota despite the challenges associated with COVID-19.

More than 98% of businesses in North Dakota are considered small, meaning they employ fewer than 500 people, an employee of the Small Business Administration (SBA) office in the Bismarck area confirmed to FOX Business on Tuesday. , adding that there are currently about 1,200 more small businesses in the state compared to before the pandemic.

Connell McShane of FOX Business spoke with two small business owners in North Dakota who have remained resilient and watched their businesses explode during the pandemic.

He reported that the fact that North Dakota is never completely closed due to COVID-19 is a contributing factor.

The unemployment rate in North Dakota peaked in April 2020 at 8.7%, while the national unemployment rate was 14.7%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The unemployment rate in North Dakota for August 2021, the latest data available, is 3.6% compared to the national unemployment rate of 5.2%, according to the Department of Labor.

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Jan Joersz, owner of the Pawz Enrichment Center in Bismarck, a dog daycare business that also serves as a puppy training site, said she was willing to take a risk and started her business during the pandemic because she noticed that many families were getting dogs.

“I knew people were getting puppies and all the rescues they were talking about… Everyone was getting these rescue dogs, so I just knew there was a need for them,” Joersz said in an interview broadcast on “Mornings” with Maria “on Tuesday.

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McShane reported that Joersz took advantage of the Small Business Administration loan program.

He also spoke with Sandy Jacobson, who opened Brick Oven Bakery in Bismarck in late 2019. She believed her business would suffer during the pandemic, however, thanks to her window driving and incredible community support, she said. that she was able to prosper.

Fargo, North Dakota, USA – June 12, 2017: Daytime view of the Fargo Theater along Broadway N in the historic downtown district

“We’re just that kind of community where we want to support the little ones and we had people during the pandemic who might not want our pastries, but they would buy a $ 100 gift card just because,” he said. Jacobson said. “So, I mean, I think that’s the most important thing, it’s just our community, which really comes together at times like this.”

The North Dakota SBA employee told FOX Business on Tuesday that the tax environment is “business friendly” in the state and could explain why so many small businesses exist in the area.

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