FARGO — October is National Women’s Small Business Month, a time to celebrate women-owned businesses and their impact on the economy. Today, more than 13 million businesses are owned by women, 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 their best advice for other aspiring entrepreneurs.
‘No one here is just a number’
Robin Swanson founded her own insurance agency in 2014, at age 47. The former housewife admits she was worried she was too old to start selling insurance, but soon saw it as an advantage.
“I remember thinking that maybe people would want to buy insurance from someone who had a sump pump break, who had built a house, lived in a house, rented a house and done all those things,” Swanson said. .
Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum
For years she operated independently, but eventually realized she couldn’t continue growing the business alone.
“You need to build your tribe or your network and then leverage those connections” to grow, he said.
In 2018, Swanson met Jenna Crabtree and the two launched The Robin Swanson Agency | A Farmers Union agency reunited in Moorhead in 2020. Crabtree became part owner of the agency in 2023.
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 Best Insurance Agency in The Forum’s 2023 “Best of the Red River Valley” Publication
and is nominated once again this year.
Swanson said they place a lot of emphasis on personal and professional growth at the agency.
“There’s always something to work on to be better in and out of the office, in the form of business coaching, continuing education, an office book club and the conferences we attend,” he said. “We have high expectations of ourselves and others. 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 it a point to review policies with their clients annually.
“As our customers grow their families and change their lives, we like to make sure the policies they have with us continue to meet their needs,” Crabtree said. “We actually care about people. Even though we have X amount of customers, no one here is just a number.”
Paula Klein’s first foray into small business ownership was Grandma’s Attic, an antique store she operated with her mother, Shirley Bestge, in Fargo in the 1990s.
In addition to antiques, the store sold gift items and home decorations, so Klein began going to the market looking for different lines to sell in the store. He quickly discovered that he had a good eye for design. While Grandma’s Attic didn’t last, that experience helped her get a job managing
a commercial furniture and design firm founded by
.
Klein spent 12 years there, learning about architecture, design and the construction industry. While he admired Bartram and “absolutely loved” the job, Klein knew he wanted more.
In 2011, Klein became a certified DIRTT contractor and launched
. The company specializes in prefabricated interior construction solutions that are easily moved, reduce construction waste, and typically offer a short production window.
At first, Klein said she was worried about being accepted by those who worked in the construction industry. I knew the key was education.
They must first educate the architecture and design team to ensure their design solutions work for the client. Then they must convince the builder that it will work.
Smartt Interior Construction was recently recognized as the 2023 Small Market High Volume Partner of the Year by DIRTT Environmental Solutions. The company also received 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 complete DIRTT solution in a new or innovative way, while demonstrating an understanding of the client’s vision and bringing it to life by thinking outside the box.
Contributed / Paula Klein
“We are very honored to be recognized among all DIRTT construction partners in North America for our work on Bell Bank Tower. “It was truly a historic project for our company and we couldn’t be more grateful to Bell Bank, TL Stroh Architects and the 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 advice to other aspiring small business owners:
- Take advantage of what you know. Klein said she received that advice from a client when she doubted herself and her new business from the beginning. At the time he was considering looking for a job in marketing, which he studied at Minnesota State University in Moorhead. He noted that she already had 12 years of experience in the design and construction industry. Plus, it reminded him of all the connections he had 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 growing the business alone. “You need to build your tribe or your network and then leverage those connections” to grow, he said. Klein agreed. “The balance sheet will never tell you that now is the time” to hire help. He also warned that it’s easy to burn out if you try to do it alone for too long.
- Network, network, network. Crabtree attributes much of his success to networking, including memberships in organizations such as the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce and volunteering at local nonprofits. “We like to be top of mind,” Crabtree said. “When people think about insurance or if they ever need something, they might think of us because we’re the most important thing and we’ve built that trust,” Crabtree said.
- Find a mentor. Crabtree and Klein benefited from having mentors. Crabtree said she appreciates Swanson for helping teach her the basics and for her continued support. Klein said he had several mentors along the way, including Kevin Bartram, who encouraged his development in the design and construction industry, and his accountant, Dan Hoefs, who also acted as a key advisor. He also said that countless customers, 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.” He said he really cares about people and that it’s about more than just 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 that the woman was involved in a serious accident while visiting Arizona. While she was not a customer at the time, they had reviewed her policy in the past and knew that it included travel insurance, which is a type of travel insurance that would pay for the woman’s daughter’s trip to Arizona and bring her to home. They contacted the woman to let her know, and that extra effort finally landed them a client.
- Collaborate when you can. Swanson said it’s important to support other small businesses and collaborate when possible. “We love collaborating with high-profile women and new entrepreneurs,” Swanson said. “We can compare systems and processes and gain a competitive advantage by sharing our successes.”
- It’s a 24/7 effort. Klein said a common misconception is that owning your own business will allow you to have a more flexible schedule. She said that couldn’t be further from the truth. Being a business owner essentially means being available 24/7, especially in the early stages.
- There are “riches in niches.” Klein said he appreciates that his business is not based on a product readily available elsewhere. Because DIRTT interior solutions were a relatively new concept when he started, he said he was also contemplating selling a line of commercial furniture in an effort to hedge his bets. She said she is grateful to remain exclusively a DIRTT contractor because it kept her motivated. He said you shouldn’t be afraid to do something very specific because “the niches are where the riches are found.”
- Be committed. Klein shared that getting financing was one of the scariest aspects of starting your own business. Since she was single, banks could only consider her finances for any loans, which she had to personally guarantee. “So that was big, but I also think it actually made me hungrier because if it didn’t work out I had nothing to turn to.” She encouraged women, even if they are not married or without a partner, to commit and 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 for “women-owned businesses” on
.