It's a small business summer

If you've never heard of the Alaska Small Business Development Center (SBDC), you've certainly heard of their work.

Climbed at the rock gym in Fairbanks or Wasilla? Thank the SBDC. Imbibed a porter from Palmer or a whiskey from Haines? Thank the SBDC, too. Whether you've purchased scones in Nome or a java in Juneau, you've met the SBDC.

Since 1986, Alaska's SBDC has helped myriad clients board the small business train, whether they launched a brand-new startup or purchased a storied storefront in Sitka. Friendly business advisors help interested Alaskans with everything from HR issues to licensing to permits, and at every stage of a business' life cycle. "It's a full spectrum of services, for sure," said Lynn Klassert, director of Anchorage's SBDC.

And, best of all, its advising services are taxpayer funded and free to the public.

This excellent local resource has operated for nearly 30 years, but significantly ramped up its Anchorage efforts lately, doubling the team of advisors this August. You could call it the summer of the small business.

"Before you invest one dime..."

SBDCs are not unique to Alaska-there are more than 1,000 centers across the states (and in several territories, too). Launched by the Small Business Administration in 1977, the SBDC initiative is a federal program that provides free business advice to entrepreneurial Americans. Centers operate under the umbrella of a state university-in Alaska, that's UAA-though the program is entirely funded by federal grants, with state and local government matches.

Opening a small business can be daunting, and 80 percent of small operations fold within the first five years. Alaska's SBDC works to lower that number. "It's a service to advance small businesses in Alaska. That's our mission," Lynn explained. "We're here to teach people how to get into business and how to keep them in business."

"Before you invest one dime, come in and we'll help you evaluate whether it's a brilliant idea or a brilliant business idea," added Kimberlee Hayward, a business advisor in Anchorage. "It's a huge difference and has saved many, many people hundreds of thousands of dollars."

SBDC offers a variety of services from Nome to Ketchikan. Most common are the center's free weekly seminars on marketing, loans, contracting and the like. Interested folks can schedule a one-on-one with a business advisor, and counseling is always confidential. Clients, though, can expect to leave with homework-writing a business model, drafting a financial plan or mapping their new websites.

This is typically SBDC's slow season, but the staff has grown this summer along with the Center's running roster of success stories. "That list continues to grow and grow. And grow," Lynn said.

The Mint Chip

Recent additions to that list include two summer-minded businesses here in Anchorage. Maybe you've seen one of them rolling through town.

The Mint Chip is a mint-green ice cream truck that's been patrolling markets and festivals since opening on the Fourth of July. Owner Laura Aubry contacted the SBDC earlier in the year to test the waters on her idea-an all-organic locally sourced mobile popsicle and ice cream business. The idea had been brewing since Laura worked as a nanny in high school, but didn't become a reality until the birth of her first child. "I started thinking about unconventional ways I could have an income but be with my daughter, and also have a creative outlet," she said. "It took a lot of work to make it happen, but the pieces kept falling into place. So I just decided to go for it."

For Laura, small business is a family business. Her sister, UAA alumna Tara Gondek, opened a bridal boutique in 2013 thanks, in part, to advice from the SBDC (Tara and her business, Bateau Bridal Boutique, were featured in a 2014 Green & Gold story-as well as in Brides magazine's July article "Best Bridal Salons in the West").

Laura first met Lynn, her business advisor, at sister Tara's grand-opening event, and they teamed up two years later when Laura was ready to dive in. "He's been in the professional world, so he brought perspective I wouldn't have necessarily thought," Laura said of Lynn.

The biggest benefit of SBDC? "It's all free, which is amazing to me," Laura said. "I don't see why you wouldn't go to them." Laura also credits Lynn for his blend of enthusiasm and pragmatism, endlessly supportive of the idea but grounded in the logistics.

And the logistics were immense. After lots of local searching, she found the closest available ice cream trucks were all in Seattle. So she did the sensible thing and drove the Alcan with her 6-month-old daughter and close friend in a mint-green truck. They raised eyebrows and sparked smiles as they livened up traffic jams with their freshly installed music machine on the long cruise through Canada.

The Mint Chip offers a rotating menu of frozen treats each week. The popsicles change, but the perfectly creamy mint-chip ice cream is always on the menu (Spoiler alert: it's delicious).

It's still early, but the response has been excellent. "Of course kids are really excited about it. But I think parents are also because it's organic," Laura said. Kids love the flavors, but adults love the ingredients. "I try to do things that are a little more sophisticated, that could draw an adult's attention," she said.

You always know where the organic flavors came from, too. They're right there on the menu. "It's not a sugary pink mystery popsicle," Laura laughed.

The Hoarding Marmot

Another new kid on the scene is The Hoarding Marmot, an outdoors consignment shop located in the heart of Midtown. The business stocks vital gear for all sports and seasons and, more importantly, fills a definite hole in the outdoor mecca that is Anchorage.

Outdoor gear is unapologetically expensive and startup costs can be discouraging. In the olden days (i.e. 2014 and earlier), budget-minded Anchorage adventurers would have to ply Craigslist, meeting strangers in frozen Walmart parking lots to save on gear. But no more. Since Dana Drummond opened his business this January, customers finally have options, and all housed at one location.

Dana is the perfect person to open a store like The Hoarding Marmot. With several Denali trips under his belt, he knows his stuff. Prior to his current venture, Dana worked on the Slope for years, motivated mostly by his desire to keep rock climbing and adventuring on his regular three-week breaks. But now he works in a much more pleasant environment. "I wanted to change where I put my energy," he said.

He got the business ball rolling by attending a free class at SBDC, which he credits for giving him goals he might not have considered. He bounced his ideas off Kimberlee, his business advisor, and went for it, applying for a business license. "Which is tremendously easy," he added. "Everything else is a bit trickier."

To get a base layer of gear ready for opening day, Dana emailed pretty much everyone he'd ever known and asked for donations. Friends rallied, and materials flew in from across the country. The store was stocked from day 1, and it's only continued to grow. He's since bought a 6-by-12-foot mobile trailer for overflow, grown his staff to five employees and, as a result, is able to take a few outdoors adventures himself. "This isn't going to work if I just talk about outdoors stuff all day long. I need to get out and use it," he smiled.

The Hoarding Marmot is another great addition to the corridor of outdoors stores lining Spenard, and fills a unique role in town. "While we have a big outdoors community, I think it was on the cusp of supporting a place like this," Dana said. "It was a big risk. I thought this could work. And it has been working."

Response has been overwhelmingly positive-much to his surprise, customers actually stop by and thank him on a daily basis for finally filling the outdoors consignment void.

Small business winter

Alaska is sliding out of summertime, but small businesses will keep heating up. Dana will soon swap out summer gear for his growing stash of winter goods. Laura possibly plans to shift to hot chocolate, and she's always available for events (yes, you can customize the popsicle sticks for your wedding or company).

SBDC has plenty of businesses to get you through winter, though. Get your studded tires installed in Wasilla. Order custom blinds from Palmer. Shrink wrap your boat and store it in Seward. Cuddle one of Ketchikan's own ketch-i-kreatures or warm up with Israeli martial arts in Anchorage.

SBDC really is all over Alaska.

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Want feedback on your big business plan? Contact Alaska SBDC.

Need to try those organic popsicles for yourself? Connect with the Mint Chip on Facebook and Instagram.

Trade in your old gear, or get ready for your next adventure. Find The Hoarding Marmot's hours online and stop by the store at 1231 West Northern Lights Blvd.