By Allison Maass/Murphy News Service

When Don Swetala ran into building code problems while starting his business the city of Richfield asked him if it would be helpful to have a program to help small businesses. He could not say “Yes” fast enough.

The Open to Business program, a non-profit organization, was started in Richfield in 2013 by the City of Richfield Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) and the Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers (MCCD) to help small business and entrepreneurs become successful. The program offers financial assistance and advice for entrepreneurs and small businesses.

‘I think the program should be utilized by more people. I don’t know why you wouldn’t, even if you have been open for years,’ Don Swetala, owner of Woof Central in Richfield, where these pooches were hard at play on one recent day.

“I think the program should be utilized by more people,” Swetala, owner of Woof Central in Richfield, said. “I don’t know why you wouldn’t, even if you have been open for years.”

Woof Central is a doggie daycare and boarding kennel that opened in 2012. And Rob Smolund, a business advisor for Open to Business, has been a trusted advisor, Swetala said. Smolund helped Swetala get off the ground with his business, navigating banks and giving financial suggestions, such as what would be the best type of loan and figure out how to add staff.

“It’s nice because he doesn’t have any skin in the game,” Swetala said.

People also ask Smolund free, yet important, questions such as  “How do I market my business better?” or “Is this business realistic?” Christine Costello, economic development coordinator for Richfield, said.

“Every penny counts with a small business,” Costello said.

The annual fee for the program is $10,000, and the city and the county split the costs evenly. The program helped 29 entrepreneurial businesses in 2014, Costello said.

“It’s great for our community,” Costello said. “Richfield has a lot of small businesses and this helps.”

To receive the program’s services one must be a Richfield citizen or starting a business in Richfield.

Pat Ryman owns Richfield Flower and Garden and used the Open to Business program. Ryman and her sister took over the shop from their parents when they retired and moved into a new building next door to the old shop.

Ryman said Smolund helped figure out what to do with the old flower shop building and offered financial advice.

“He’s kind of a one-stop shop for busy people like me,” Ryman said of Smolund. “More cities need liaison between people starting up business and the city.”

“Businesses like Woof Central have become successful and I think it’s in part because of Rob’s help,” Costello said.

Smolund said he offered free business consultant services for Richfield Businesses until 2003, was hired by the Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers (MCCD) to provide small businesses support services for Minneapolis, he said. He became a business advisor for the Open to Business program, after its type of services were requested in Brooklyn Park, Minnetonka and St. Louis Park, indicating a clear need.

Hennepin County offered to subsidize half of the program’s cost for all its cities and towns. Dakota, Carver and Scott counties soon followed suit, and in 2015 the program was started in Anoka County.

Smolund said his goal is to give trusted advice and bring a third-party view to the business, and in the last 15 years he has helped more than 2,000 entrepreneurs.

Walk-in consultations for businesses are available with Smolund from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on the fourth Wednesday of every month at the Richfield Municipal Center.

Reporter Allison Maass is studying Journalism at the University of Minnesota.