Economic Diversity – TheMinotVoice.com

Minot take note — A new generation of ‘Mayo spouses’ are changing Rochester’s food scene

by: Josh Wolsky | June 5, 2019

Until a few years ago, a Texas Roadhouse franchise was a regular on Rochester’s best restaurant lists. Not so, today. And it’s nothing against Texas Roadhouse — the change is that several locally owned unique restaurants have opened their doors. And it’s the source of business ownership that’s worth noting — it’s the trailing spouses

Read & Share sourced from: MPR

Minneapolis eases liquor license restrictions, restaurants flock to opportunity offering craft cocktail experiences

by: Josh Wolsky | May 20, 2019

When it comes to liquor, the City of Minneapolis chose to take a step back and do a little deregulating. As a step of confirmation, they offered the idea to the citizens through a city charter change; the public supported it overwhelmingly (72% yes). And now, in the first season that restaurants were offered the

Read & Share sourced from: Star Tribune

Fargo tourism says: drink beer at local places, earn t-shirt

by: Josh Wolsky | May 19, 2019

It’s the place where everything’s flat — except the beer! It’s part of Fargo’s effort to capture and celebrate beer, food, and dining as part of the culture and an attraction for the region. Get the full story on what seems like an obvious win for the tourism department from the Fargo Forum.

Read & Share sourced from: InForum

How Entrepreneurs Are Tapping Into the Power of Local

by: Josh Wolsky | May 7, 2019

For decades cities across our region tried to crack the job creation nut. How do we create more jobs? But perhaps we’ve been looking at the problem the wrong way, perhaps we shouldn’t be looking to attract jobs, but rather, the specific individuals — entrepreneurs — that create them. If this article from Next City

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Legislative study would look at filming incentives for North Dakota

by: Josh Wolsky | May 6, 2019

Have you observed a movie in the making? For the big Hollywood films, it’s quite a production. Imagine moving a small town’s amount of people to a new location for a couple months. They need food, housing, occasional entertainment. In other words, if your town can land a movie production, it’s quite the economic boon.

Read & Share sourced from: Bismarck Tribune

Estevan Council amends economic incentives package

by: Josh Wolsky | May 1, 2019

The City of Estevan is taking a closer look at its economic development incentives and moving toward some revisions. And what outcomes are they hoping to achieve? Providing better support for small businesses and making sure their incentives are aligned with the City’s larger goals and vision. If this sounds familiar, much of Minot’s work

Read & Share sourced from: Estevan Mercury

Grand Forks UAS initiative cleared to fly beyond line of sight

by: Josh Wolsky | April 24, 2019

The drone/UAS business is moving fast, but one of the big squelch points has been removed. Previously, flying commercial drones beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) was not allowed. Yesterday, that changed — at least in the Grand Forks Area. The full news release from Senator Hoeven’s office follows below, but the announcement therein

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The Case for Small Commercial Spaces

by: Josh Wolsky | July 17, 2018

What type of land development fosters an entrepreneurial ecosystem? If we think in terms of the biological ecosystem, we don’t have sustainability unless there are species at every level of the food chain. That metaphor speaks to a start-small mentality; this commentary from Strong Towns does also.

Read & Share sourced from: Strong Towns

Can Recreation Make Minot Stronger?

by: Josh Wolsky | July 12, 2018

“A couple years ago, it would’ve been hard to find a tourist in Bentonville. Now there are people here from all over the world every weekend.” The quote is from an article on Strong Towns, and the sentiment is the result of a transformation that’s taken place over the past 10-years. The lesson worth evaluating

Read & Share sourced from: Strong Towns

Tapping Rural America: Craft Breweries Pour New Life Into Small Towns

by: Josh Wolsky | July 2, 2018

Who would have guessed beer would be the vehicle that brought culture back to small towns on the plains? As unlikely as it seems, the world of craft beer and the small breweries that deliver it are changing the fabric of the places that settle. NPR has the story.

Read & Share sourced from: NPR

North Dakota grapes see successful harvest despite drought

by: Josh Wolsky | October 24, 2017

When one thinks of North Dakota grown products, grapes don’t typically rise to the top of the list. And it turns out that drier years, while tough on many other crops, are good for grapes. Check out the story on the Bismarck Tribune.

Read & Share sourced from: Bismarck Tribune

Norwegian ambassador to visit Grand Forks for job-creation seminar

by: Josh Wolsky | October 20, 2017

Here in Minot, we’re always looking to attract new businesses and industry. And one of the niches we’re actively looking to capture are businesses with roots tied to our Scandinavian heritage. But we’re not the only community working to attract these overseas businesses. Grand Forks has also identified the opportunity, and leaders there are also

Read & Share sourced from: Grand Forks Herald

Williston takes pro-business position on new business models

by: Josh Wolsky | July 27, 2017

What does a city do when a new business concept presents challenges because they don’t fit nicely inside current laws and regulations? In Williston the direction of City Commissioners is to go slowly and carefully, but make sure the message sent is that Williston is open to new business concepts. Beverage kiosks (the article doesn’t

Read & Share sourced from: Williston Herald

In Williston, a downtown fixture closing its doors this month

by: Josh Wolsky | July 25, 2017

A generations-old retail store in downtown Williston is closing its doors this week. The downtown Hallmark store has been in Williston in some form since 1964, but changes in consumer retail behavior have forced the change. It’s relevant here in Minot because it’s a sign of changing times. Tomorrow, Minot’s City Council will be discussing

Read & Share sourced from: Williston Herald

Local angel fund from Dakotas gets farm-tech app

by: Josh Wolsky | June 24, 2017

A North Dakota farm technology company that’s developed an app that streamlines contracts between farmers and local elevators has gotten a financial boost from a South Dakota-based angel fund. Myrian\d Mobile the app developer out of Fargo; The Falls Angel Fund out of Sioux Falls liked Myriad’s prospects and chose to invest $1.35 million to

Read & Share sourced from: Bismarck Tribune

Downtown love: Devils Lake business owners look to new ideas for boosting shopping, foot traffic in city’s center

by: Josh Wolsky | April 3, 2017

The struggle to bring life back to North Dakota’s downtown commerce areas continues. This article from the Grand Forks Herald highlights the efforts that a group of business owners in Devils Lake is taking to create foot traffic.

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