"Thirty-five participants, consisting of native entrepreneurs and organizations that provide services to entrepreneurs attended the first ever Entrepreneur Fair (E-Fair) held in Pickstown, South Dakota earlier this month.

The E-Fair was co-hosted by the South Dakota Indian Business Alliance (SDIBA) and Yankton Sioux Economic Development Department (YSEDD); providing time and resources into making the day a reality. The purpose of the fair was to encourage, support, educate, and provide networking opportunities for the native entrepreneurs of the Yankton Sioux Tribe.

The fair provided valuable resources to each small business owner through a structured program to include topics such as access to loans for the different stages of entrepreneurship, resources available, technical assistance in developing a small business, customer service and sales skills, barriers that prevent access to main stream financial institutions, and what is a CDFI."

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USDA Staff Participates in South Dakota Native Entrepreneurs Fair (USDA Blog 2/15)

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