FARGO — October is National Women’s Small Business Month, a time to celebrate women-owned businesses and their impact on the economy. More than 13 million businesses are owned by women today, representing 42% of all U.S. businesses and generating $1.9 trillion in revenue, according to the Small Business Administration.The Forum recently spoke with three area women about their experience as business owners. They talked about their challenges and successes and offered up their best advice for other aspiring entrepreneurs.
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‘Nobody is just a number here’
Robin Swanson started her own insurance agency in 2014 at age 47. The former stay-at-home mom admits she worried she was too old to start selling insurance, but she soon saw it as an advantage.”I remember thinking maybe people do want to buy insurance from somebody who’s had a sump pump quit, who’s built a house, lived in a house, rented a house, and done all those things,” Swanson said.
Robin Swanson with the Robin Swanson Agency sits at her desk on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in her office in Moorhead.Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum
For years she operated independently, but she eventually realized she couldn’t continue to grow the business alone. “You need to build your tribe or your network and then leverage those connections” in order to grow, she said.In 2018, Swanson met Jenna Crabtree and the two launched The Robin Swanson Agency | A Farmers Union Agency together in Moorhead in 2020. Crabtree became co-owner of the agency in 2023.
Jenna Crabtree with the Robin Swanson Agency sits at her desk on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, at their office in Moorhead.Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum
The Robin Swanson Agency offers all lines of insurance and is licensed to sell in the states of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Arizona.The small agency has made a big name for itself in four short years. The Robin Swanson Agency was
named the best insurance agency in The Forum’s 2023 “Best of the Red River Valley” publication
and is nominated once again this year.
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Swanson said they place a lot of emphasis on personal and professional growth at the agency.”There’s always something to be working on to be better in and out of the office, in the way of business coaching, continuing education, an office book club and conferences we attend,” she said. “We have high expectations of ourselves and one another. Why not be the best independent agents on planet Earth?”Crabtree added that one thing that sets them apart from other agencies is that their agents make a point to review policies with their clients on a yearly basis.”As our clients grow their families and have life changes we like to make sure that the policies they have with us still meet their needs,” Crabtree said. “We actually care about people. Even though we have X amount of clients, nobody is just a number here.”
Riches in niches
Paula Klein’s first foray into small business ownership was Grandma’s Attic, an antique store she operated with her mom, Shirley Bestge, in Fargo in the 1990s. In addition to antiques, the store carried giftware and home accents, so Klein started going to market to look for different lines to carry in the store. She quickly found she had an eye for design. While Grandma’s Attic didn’t last, that experience helped her land a job managing
InterOffice
, a commercial furniture and design firm founded by
local developer Kevin Bartram
.
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Klein spent 12 years there, learning about architecture, design and the construction industry. While she admired Bartram and “absolutely loved” the work, Klein knew she wanted more.In 2011, Klein became a certified DIRTT contractor and launched
Smartt Interior Construction
. The business specializes in prefabricated interior construction solutions that are easily moved, reduce construction waste and typically offer a short production window.
In the beginning Klein said she worried about being accepted by those in the construction industry. She knew the key was education.They first must educate the architecture and design team in order to ensure their design solutions will work for the client. Then they must convince the builder it will work.Smartt Interior Construction was recently recognized as the 2023 Top Volume Partner of the Year-Small Market by DIRTT Environmental Solutions. The company was also awarded the 2023 Complete Solution Project Innovation Award for its work on the Bell Bank Tower in downtown Fargo. The award was given to the top DIRTT partner who designed and implemented a full DIRTT solution in a new or innovative way, while demonstrating an understanding of the client’s vision and bringing it to life by thinking out of the box.
Paula Klein, owner of Smartt Interior Construction, is pictured with team members Thora Bunke, Mandy Forry and Brenda Srejma at a DIRTT Environmental Solutions awards ceremony in Calgary in September 2024.Contributed / Paula Klein
“We were so honored to be recognized amongst all the DIRTT construction partners across North America for our work on the Bell Bank Tower. It was truly a historic project for our company, and we could not be more thankful to Bell Bank, TL Stroh Architects and general contractor, Olaf Anderson, for the opportunity to be a part of it,” Klein said.
10 tips for small business owners
Swanson, Crabtree and Klein gave the following tips for other aspiring small business owners:
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Leverage what you know. Klein said she received that piece of advice from a client when she was doubting herself and her new business early on. At the time she was considering looking for a job in marketing, which she studied at Minnesota State University Moorhead. He pointed out she already had 12 years of experience in the design and construction industry. Furthermore, he reminded her of all the connections she’d made in that time. What you know includes who you know.Hire someone before you can afford it. After operating independently for years, Swanson said she realized she couldn’t continue to grow the business alone. “You need to build your tribe or your network and then leverage those connections” in order to grow, she said. Klein agreed. “The balance sheet will never tell you now is the time” to hire help. She also warned that it’s easy to burn out if you try to do it on your own for too long.Network, network, network. Crabtree credits much of her success to networking, which includes memberships to organizations like the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce and volunteering with local nonprofits. “We like being top of mind,” Crabtree said. “When people think about insurance or if they ever need anything, they might think of us because we’re top of mind and we’ve built that trust,” Crabtree said.Find a mentor. Crabtree and Klein both benefited from mentors. Crabtree said she appreciates Swanson for helping teach her the ropes and for her continued support. Klein said she had several mentors along the way, including Kevin Bartram, who encouraged her development in the design and construction industry, and her accountant, Dan Hoefs, who also acted as a key adviser. She also said countless clients, some of whom were general contractors, were among Smartt’s biggest cheerleaders as the business grew.Customer service is key. Crabtree is reluctant to even use the term “customer service.” She said she truly cares about people and it’s about more than making a sale. Swanson illustrated that point with a story about something they did for a woman who wasn’t even a client: Swanson had received word the woman was involved in a serious accident while visiting Arizona. While she wasn’t a client at the time, they had reviewed her policy in the past and knew it included a travel guard, which is a type of travel insurance that would pay for the woman’s daughter to fly to Arizona and bring her home. They contacted the woman to let her know, and that extra effort did ultimately gain them a client.Collaborate when you can. Swanson said it’s important to support other small businesses and to collaborate when possible. “We love collaborating with C-Suite women and new entrepreneurs,” Swanson said. “We can compare systems and processes and gain a competitive edge by sharing our successes.”It’s a 24/7 endeavor. Klein said a common misconception is that owning your own business will allow for a more flexible schedule. She said that couldn’t be further from the truth. Owning a business means you’re essentially on the clock 24/7, especially in the early stages.There are “riches in niches.” Klein said she appreciates that her business isn’t based on a commodity easily available elsewhere. Because DIRTT interior solutions were a relatively new concept when she started out, she said she contemplated selling a commercial furniture line as well in an effort to hedge her bets. She said she’s thankful she remained exclusively a DIRTT contractor because it kept her motivated. She said not to be afraid to do a very niche thing because “the niches is where you’ll find the riches.”Be committed. Klein shared that securing financing was one of the scariest aspects of starting her own business. Because she was single, banks could only consider her financials for any loans, which she had to personally guarantee. “So that was big, but I also think it actually has made me hungrier because if it didn’t work I had nothing to fall back on.” She encouraged women, even if they are unmarried or without a partner, to be committed and to follow their passion.Use all available resources. The Small Business Administration offers a number of programs and resources for small business owners. For more information, search “women-owned business” at
sba.com
.
