DENN, a “Creative Market” located in Sturgeon Bay, received SBDG funds from the Door County Small Business Façade and Property Improvement Program to create a mural on a century-old barn located on their business property.
The Small Business Development Grant (SBDG) Program launched in fall 2024. Municipalities, counties, Tribal governments, and economic development organizations were eligible to apply for $50,000-$250,000 to fund programs they created that would serve small businesses with less than 25 full-time employees. During the development of SBDG, WEDC recognized that while many small businesses face similar challenges, such as access to capital, the solutions are not one-size-fits-all. Therefore, SBDG was designed to be a flexible program. Applicants could apply to SBDG to fund a program that was tailored specifically to meet the needs of small businesses located in their area. The one major requirement all proposed programs had to meet, however, was that 100% of SBDG funds awarded must be passed through to small businesses.
WEDC received 70 SBDG applications in 2024, totaling more than $12 million in funding requests. Applications were submitted by entities from across 42 counties, in Wisconsin with 57% coming from rural and 43% percent from urban areas. Application goals included a façade revolving loan fund, advertising grants, funding for experience-based businesses, rent assistance, and more. In the end, WEDC was able to fund 29 applications with a total of $4,690,000. Only 10 months into the two-year project period, SBDG awardees have significantly impacted small businesses and the broader communities with their SBDG-funded programs.
Beth & Daisy is a home décor and gift store that was created on the notion that “Gift-giving should be fun, personal, and stylish.” With funding from the City of Beaver Dam’s Small Business Development Grant, Beth & Daisy was able to open with a façade that reflected their core belief.
City of Beaver Dam
The City of Beaver Dam leveraged the success of its existing Downtown New Business Recruitment Grant when creating its SBDG project. The city recognized it needed to expand support to businesses outside of downtown in addition to focusing on younger entrepreneurs to compensate for the loss of businesses owned by soon-to-be retirees. Furthermore, Beaver Dam desired more small businesses to enhance the corporate growth it was seeing, providing residents and visitors with unique places to frequent. Beaver Dam’s SBDG supported new brick-and-mortar businesses within city limits with grants of up to $5,000, and businesses located downtown had the opportunity to receive additional matching funds from the city. The grant funding reduced the cost and risk of entrepreneurs who had been considering opening a storefront, but were hesitant to take the leap. Beaver Dam found that the SBDG Program gave entrepreneurs the push they needed to invest in and launch their businesses.
Beaver Dam’s project serves as an example of stretching limited funds to serve many. With $50,000 in funding from WEDC, Beaver Dam originally planned to only fund 10 businesses, but now the city intends to support 12 businesses. Some examples of businesses that received SBDG funds are: Squeeze Juice Bar, which offers 100 percent raw juices, smoothies, and more; Bricks and Minifigs, an aftermarket Lego store; and PlayLand LLC, a child care center that used funds to upgrade its outdoor play equipment.
The City of Beaver Dam partnered with local organizations such as Beaver Dam Area Chamber of Commerce, which translated application materials into Spanish, and Downtown Beaver Dam Inclusive, which will offer reimbursement for business classes. Beaver Dam also refers businesses to additional resources through the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation, SCORE, and the Small Business Development Center. While WEDC’s SBDG funds could not be used to pay for technical assistance, Beaver Dam (and a majority of SBDG awardees) built some form of technical assistance into their programs to ensure that businesses not only receive the financial assistance they need to launch but also the knowledge they need to grow.
Happy Coffee, located on Sister Bay’s main street, used SBDG funds from the Door County Small Business Façade and Property Improvement Program to repaint the building’s exterior.
Happy Coffee now serves its customers out of a building that is just as welcoming and attractive as their coffee is delicious.
Door County Economic Development Corporation
Door County Economic Development Corporation (DCEDC) applied for $225,000 in SBDG funding for the Door County Small Business Façade and Property Improvement Program. Being a destination county with tourism as an important aspect of the local economy, DCEDC and its partners created a reimbursable grant program that would provide business owners with the financial means to make commercial building improvements and thereby contribute to overall attractiveness of the community. The Door County Small Business Façade and Property Improvement Program would cover up to 80% of project costs, with a maximum grant amount of $10,000.
When developing the program, DCEDC took note of what businesses needed and designed program processes with those needs in mind. For example, while large building improvement projects were contemplated in the beginning stages, business owners indicated that smaller projects would be more realistic for small businesses to pursue, yet still be effective. Additionally, DCEDC created a simple application process with a short application window. That made the program accessible and ensured that businesses could begin their projects while the weather was still accommodating. In July 2025, DCEDC entered grant agreements with 29 businesses, which have until July 2026 to complete their projects.
In addition to Happy Coffee and DENN LLC, the Blacksmith Inn on the Shore, Renard’s Cheese Store LLC, Sonny’s Pizzeria, and Rusty Tractor Breakfast Barn have completed their projects and received their grant awards from DCEDC. The Door County Small Business Façade and Property Improvement Program aims to support small businesses, which, in turn, will “strengthen community character and enhance the welcoming image that defines Door County,” according to DCEDC Executive Director Michelle Lawrie—and the projects above are exemplary of that.
Amanda’s Place has been located in the Village of Gilman since 2019 and is the only operating restaurant in the village. The owner, Amanda Smith, had been looking to add air conditioning to the space for several years; after receiving SBDG funds though the FIX-IT program, Amanda’s Place was finally able to install it.
City of Medford
The City of Medford’s SBDG program offers a valuable lesson in collaboration, both with businesses and between communities. The City of Medford, the Medford Chamber of Commerce, and the Village of Gilman have developed a positive working relationship, and it was an easy decision for the three to work together on their SBDG program. Through conversations and analyzing the support requests that the three entities had previously received from small businesses, they created the FIX-IT program, which would offer grants and loans to businesses in Medford and Gilman. Each letter of “FIX-IT” stands for an eligible use of the program: façade, interior, exterior, inclusiveness, and teardown.
“Much of the success the FIX-IT Grant has had is due to the relationship and collaboration Medford and Gilman has cultivated,” said Billie Hartwig, the chamber’s vice president. Additionally, the three entities had established relationships with small businesses in the area and knew the demand level for this type of program in each community. The three held two meetings, one in Gilman and one in Medford, for interested businesses to learn about the FIX-IT program and ask questions. These meetings were essential in helping potential applicants understand program eligibility and guidelines. These meetings also helped the program administrators learn what program information was not being communicated effectively so that they could improve communication.
With $120,000 in funding from SBDG, the City of Medford and Village of Gilman were able to fund 18 businesses with grants, loans, or a combination of the two. One of the awarded businesses serves as a final example of collaboration for Medford and Gilman’s SBDG project. A local baker used FIX-IT grant and loan funds to remodel the building she rented for her business, Am’s Cakes & Bakes LLC; that, in turn, allowed for two new businesses to open in the same building. Through one business’s funding request, a total of three businesses benefited.
Schiffer Services (DBA River Goods and Gifts) received $10,000 in SBDG funds through Elevate Vernon to make building improvements. While updates are still ongoing, the photos demonstrate the progress made and newly improved building to come.
Vernon County
Vernon County provided $150,000 in SBDG funding to 16 businesses, making it one of the first SBDG awardees to fully disburse its funding. The Elevate Vernon Grant Program was designed around input received from Vernon’s small businesses and meant to address three key barriers: lack of access to capital (even in low amounts), micro-entrepreneurs struggling to find time to work on growing their businesses, and a lack of awareness about small business resources. As a solution to these barriers, Elevate Vernon would provide grants of up to $10,000 for a variety of eligible uses. Businesses accessing Elevate Vernon would need to either provide a 10% cash match or participate in 20 hours of education or mentorship. The choice between a cash match or receiving technical assistance aimed to incentivize businesses to take advantage of additional resources and dedicate time to learning how to improve and grow their business, while also meeting the goal of not excluding businesses due to lack of access to capital.
Due to the project’s thoughtful design and alignment with business needs (including a high demand for financial support), the county received double the number of applications they were expecting. The county’s promotional efforts also contributed to this high yield rate. Vernon County developed a “road show” and communications strategy to spread the word about their exciting program. They spoke before area business associations, attended village board meetings, and contacted town and city clerks and libraries. They also connected with community champions in smaller municipalities that did not have a formal economic development arm. Social media campaigns, newsletters, press releases, interviews, office hours, and responsiveness to calls and emails were also part of the communications strategy. Vernon County’s Economic Development and Marketing Coordinator Larkin Breckel, highlighted a specific outreach effort she conducted with the Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce. Breckel presented on the program to interested participants, and then the chamber transitioned into a grant-writing workshop. “Vernon County is committed to supporting the small businesses that are the backbone of our local economy,” said Breckel.
Elevate Vernon attracted a diverse range of grant recipients from different industries and areas, with projects focusing on the old and the new. Among these was Kickapoo Hardware & Mercantile; while owners Jim and Crystal Hanson began their business journey in 2021, the business itself is a piece of local history in La Farge—starting with its location in the historic DeJean Building, built in 1875. Jim Hanson said they are “proud to celebrate the 150th anniversary of our building this year, as it is quite literally the birthplace of the Village of La Farge.” With funding from Elevate Vernon, Kickapoo Hardware & Mercantile will receive new paint and siding on the exterior along with new signage, on top of other improvements the Hansons already made to the building. SBDG funding through Elevate Vernon will help Kickapoo Hardware & Mercantile—and the other 15 awarded businesses—continue to thrive and contribute to the greater community.
Applications for this year’s SBDG Program closed in September. WEDC received 48 applications and expects to announce a handful of awardees later this year. In the two years WEDC has offered SBDG and across the 118 applications received in that time, it is evident that Wisconsin communities are poised and ready to support their small businesses. Beaver Dam Chamber and Visitor Center Executive Director Tracy Propst said Beaver Dam’s SBDG-funded program “has been one of the most rewarding programs I have been a part of since my role in Beaver Dam. It was great to help these small businesses start their dream with a little less financial pressure.” Other SBDG awardees have shared similar sentiments.
Like Wisconsin small businesses, these communities have the grit and creativity to take on a new effort. Wisconsin communities have the ideas and abilities to develop and administer programming that supports businesses and breathes vibrancy into downtowns. Again, like Wisconsin small businesses, sometimes communities just need a little financial encouragement to be spurred into action and turn their concepts into real programs. The SBDG Program aims to provide that needed encouragement.
