ELWIN B. ROBINSON DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
CHESTER FRITZ LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA
GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA 58202
COLLECTION: OGL#1280
DATES: 1989-1994
SIZE: .75 linear feet
ACQUISITION: The North Dakota Micro-Business Marketing Alliance Records were deposited in the Orin G. Libby Manuscript Collection by Suezette Bieri, Grand Forks, North Dakota, on January 24, 1994 (Acc. #94-1934) and on August 28, 1995 (Acc. #95-2041).
ACCESS: Available for inspection under the rules and regulations of the department of Special Collections.
The North Dakota Micro-Business Marketing Alliance was a three-year program set up in 1990 following a $140,000 grant from the Northwest Area Foundation to promote economic development. The Alliance's first press release states its four main goals: "1) to create a marketing network to bring North Dakota products to the urban marketplace, 2) to provide technical and product development assistance to create products designed to sell in the urban marketplace, 3) to use existing skills and resources at home-based or small town worksites to create new products, and 4) to develop a revolving loan pool for small rural enterprises."
The main headquarters were in Mandan, North Dakota with 17 production sites located throughout the state. The Alliance by-laws state that membership included, "any resident, corporation, partnership, or association in the state of North Dakota that engages in economic development, manufacturing, or other business." Most of the group's members were communities or counties hoping to stimulate economic growth. Annual membership dues were $1,000.
The Alliance was ran primarily by a nine-person board of directors who were elected every year. These board members were required to be residents of the state of North Dakota. The Alliance held an annual meeting usually in the fall, at which the board members selected a four-person executive committee. The executive committee consisted of a president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer.
The Alliance has marketed more than 100 different products such as food, quilts, cookbooks, North Dakota souvenirs, woodcarving, jewelry, clothing, crafts in hopes of bringing more economic growth to the state.
The North Dakota Micro-Business Marketing Alliance Records date from 1989-1994. The introductory material contains the by-laws from 1992-1993 and the business plan from 1991, along with newspaper clippings about the Alliance from 1989-1990.
The membership material contains a list of board members and the Alliance member communities from 1990. Also included are documents about workshops provided by the members from 1990-1994. The Alliance had counselors which assisted individuals, small businesses, and home-based businesses. This was conducted by telephone, correspondence, and workshops from 1989-1990.
Meetings and correspondence contain meeting agendas, minutes, and teleconferences from 1990-1994, along with correspondence from 1991-1993.
The financial material dates from 1990 until 1996. Also included is the grant application to the Northwest Area Foundation from 1989 and the contract with Meyer Broadcasting from 1991- 1992. Meyer Broadcasting was the exclusive marketing agent and sole distributor for the Alliance for three years.
Product documents include Pride of Dakotah brochures from 1990 that were used to sell products and for advertisements and a Dakotah Earth catalog. Dakotah Earth announcements and invitations from 1991-1994 are also included along with a survey to citizens about North Dakota products from 1990. Pride of Dakotah and Dakotah Earth was the name put on materials that the Alliance sold during the time of operation and in advertisements about the products.
Publications include reports from 1990-1993 and publications by the Alliance from 1990-1993.
There are also two miscellaneous folders regarding the Rural Micro-Enterprise programs in the upper Midwest and a microbusiness conference which Alliance members attended in 1990.
Box 1
Folder
INTRODUCTION
MEMBERSHIP
MEETINGS AND CORRESPONDENCE
FINANCIAL
PRODUCTS
PUBLICATIONS
MISCELLANEOUS
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