First-Ever New Business Startup Kit Launched in Yellowstone County, Montana

When starting a business, not many entrepreneurs think to ask
themselves questions such as:

How good am I at making decisions?

Am I prepared if necessary to temporarily lower my standard of living until my business is firmly established?

or

How will my business affect your family?

Big Sky Economic Development today released, for the first time, a New Business
Startup Kit – a 28 page resource guide – complete with everything a business needs to get started in
Yellowstone County. The new guide asks entrepreneurs some thought-provoking business questions and
a directory of resources needed to get their business established before actually putting ideas into action.

The New Business Startup Kit includes the "The New Business Checklist" which provides
entrepreneurs with a great balance of questions that help guide what the business will be, its structure
and how it will be funded. Then the kit walks through starting a formal business plan encouraging future
business owners to complete a feasibility strategy, determine cash needs, research demographic
information, legal aspects, zoning and employer tax responsibilities. The guide goes so far as sharing
how to connect to utilities and includes a complete glossary of terms.

"We always encourage entrepreneurs to reach out to resources such as the Small Business
Development Center when thinking about launching a business," said Rebecca Hedegaard, the director
of the SBDC housed at Big Sky Economic Development, "but the New Business Startup Kit provides
some really great on-the-ground information all in one document."

Steve Arveschoug, BSED’s Executive Director says small business growth is part of Big Sky
Economic Development’s core mission and the organization saw a real need for this guide.

"Entrepreneurship and small business development are vital to the success of a strong growing economy
in Yellowstone County," Arveschoug said, "It can be daunting starting up a new business as
entrepreneurs search for all kinds of information. We hope this startup kit is just one more tool in our
organization’s arsenal to encourage and support business startups."

The New Business Startup Kit was completely underwritten through adverting in the guide. The
new resource can be found at Big Sky Economic Development at 222 N. 32nd Street (2nd Floor) in Billings
or at the City of Billings (City Hall), Downtown Billings Association, Billings Job Service, Billings Adult
Education, Billings Chamber of Commerce/CVB and the Laurel Chamber of Commerce.

An electronic
version can be found at http://www.bigskyeconomicdevelopment.org.

If you have more questions on starting a
business in Yellowstone County contact Big Sky Economic Development at 406-256-6871.
Big Sky Economic Development is Yellowstone County’s economic development arm. The
organization is public-private partnership of two agencies.

Big Sky Economic Development Authority
(EDA), the public agency, evolved from the Montana TradePort Authority, launched in 1989, by the
Yellowstone County Board of Commissioners and is tasked with the facilitating the development of
business that supports our community and quality of life.

Big Sky Economic Development Corporation
(EDC), the private business side, was started in 2002. The EDC’s mission is to recruit primary sector
businesses and retain and expand existing Yellowstone County business that supports our community
and quality of life. Over 115 of the county’s top businesses are member-investor partners in the EDC
involved in recruitment, retention, legislative issues and finance. For more information on Big Sky
Economic Development, visit http://www.bigskyeconomicdevelopment.org.