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Minnesota small business battles alleged counterfeiters on Amazon
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then InstaTrim owner Greg Amundson wishes his business wasn’t so admired. Over a decade, his made-in-Minnesota sealant grew to more than $3 million in sales last year. But this year, sales are down by 35{8ba6a1175a1c659bbdaa9a04b06717769bcea92c0fdf198d429188ebbca09471}. Amundson and his lawyer attribute the abrupt decline to patent-infringing counterfeiters, mostly Chinese, who have launched about 30 similar products over the last several months on Amazon.com. InstaTrim had been relying on the e-commerce platform for about 80{8ba6a1175a1c659bbdaa9a04b06717769bcea92c0fdf198d429188ebbca09471} of its sales. “It’s amazing how fast the counterfeiters are eroding our sales with look-alike, copycat products,” Amundson said last week. “If you search Amazon for ‘flex-trim’ and ‘caulk…
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Editorial by The Mankato (MInnesota) Free Press | Attack on green business ideas unwarranted | Editorials
Just when corporate America was having a conscience, a certain — and more and more serious — faction of Republicans want to punish it for doing so. Buyers, organizations and credit rating rating organizations have begun to integrate factors known as ESG (Atmosphere, Social and Governance) into how a credit company might price a municipal bond giving, company financial debt or assess organizations held in governing administration pension money. The credit score score agencies have driven the strategy that is currently being adopted by myriad traders. ESG variables are used by traders who manage $16.6 trillion in U.S. investments, in accordance to Wall Road analysis cited by the Connected Press.…
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EntreBank, the first new bank in Minnesota in 14 years, will focus on small businesses
A new bank focused on lending to entrepreneurs and small businesses is bucking the trend of consolidation sweeping across the banking industry. Set to open next week in Bloomington, EntreBank has the distinction of being the first “de novo,” or newly formed, bank in Minnesota in 14 years. The bank was founded by a group of experienced leaders at other local banks around town who say it’s precisely the current landscape in which many smaller banks have been acquired by bigger banks as to why they see room for a new community bank in the market. “A lot of the good business banks have been swallowed up,” said Daniel Boeckermann,…
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Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation seeks applications for entrepreneur business competition – Albert Lea Tribune
Entrepreneurs ages 18 to 25 invited to apply Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation is seeking applications for new business ideas from entrepreneurs who are 18 to 25 years old. The Aspiring Entrepreneurs Business Competition will support the growth of three new businesses in southern Minnesota. A prize pool of $15,000 will be divided among the three finalists. Entrepreneurs who are interested in starting a business in SMIF’s 20-county region are invited to submit their plans for their business startup by Feb. 28. Three finalists will have access to business training for their pitch session, free consulting hours and a chance to win investment funding for their business. Finalists will pitch their…
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