In 1985, Northern Initiatives began as an academic department of Northern Michigan University (NMU) in an effort to stem the tide of out-migration from the region. Today, Northern Initiatives is a private nonprofit community development corporation that provides small rural businesses in Michigan and northeast Wisconsin with access to capital, information and markets.

Northern Initiatives partners with NMU, ShoreBank Corporation and the National of Standards and Technology’s Michigan Manufacturing Extension Partnership program. NI is a certified Community Development Financial Institution and participates in the Opportunity Finance Network CDFI Assessment and Rating System (CARS).

We believe that offering our customers access to capital, information and markets is the best strategy to help the economy of rural Michigan thrive. We find and nurture rural entrepreneurs, establishing long-term relationships that encourage growth, innovation and risk-taking.

Access to Capital

NI Lending
Northern Initiatives offers a line of business loans and services designed to meet many borrowing needs, from those of entrepreneurs starting a business to established businesses looking to expand.

Our lending department makes loans of up to $500,000. We work closely with community banks and will complete bank financing packages either by providing direct loans that supplement bank financing or through participation in bank loans. To help increase your bottom line, Northern Initiatives also offers technical assistance to its loan customers.

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NI Notes
The Northern Initiatives Notes program is designed to further Northern Initiatives’ mission by supporting the growth of its loan fund. Proceeds from the sale of Notes are invested in small businesses for the purpose of enhancing our region’s economic vitality and sustainability. The Notes are unsecured debt instruments issued to investors who invest for specific terms with the expectation of a fixed rate of return. Such investment provides a way for local resources to be leveraged and used to support local entrepreneurs. The capital gained through the Notes program is used to make loans that fund new entrepreneurs, help grow small businesses, and support innovation in rural Michigan. The Notes program brings the kind of resources to rural communities that are comparable to those available in urban centers.

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Access to Information 

NI Consulting
Northern Initiatives helps rural businesses increase their sustainability and market reach through a variety of training and consulting services. With the incorporation of new skills, improved market knowledge, and more efficient business systems into the workplace, manufacturers and other businesses can compete more effectively in the marketplace.

Consulting and training sessions are offered in areas such as:

• Production process improvement
• Market research and development
• Business plan review
• Quality systems (ISO)
• Cash flow analysis
• Customer satisfaction monitoring
• Human resources development
• Customer propecting
• Software selection and customization
• LEAN Enterprises

Northern Initiatives serves as a Manufacturing Extension Partner (MEP) for the Upper Peninsula. The Manufacturing Extension Partnership is a nationwide network of local centers offering technical and business assistance to small manufacturers and is a program of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

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Access to Markets 

Regional Strategies
Northern Initiatives works to support and develop regional business sectors to increase business sustainability.

The Great Waters Tourism Initiative
Northern Initiatives assisted the Eastern Upper Peninsula Nature Tourism Alliance (EUPNTA) with the technical expertise it needed to coordinate the region’s marketing efforts. EUPTNA promotes nature tourism in the five easternmost counties of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The Great Waters: Nature’s Adventure Where Huron, Michigan & Superior Meet is the brand that promotes three themed “driving trails” that highlight 33 waypoints and countless activities in the five-county region. The website – http://www.greatwaters.net/ – features tour packages and information on natural and cultural attractions to draw tourists and promote events that build awareness and expand business in the Great Waters region.

Click here to learn more about NI Regional Strategies