Several Minnesota small businesses make the SBA 100 list

9/14/2011

A number of Minnesota-based companies have made the U.S. Small Business Administration's list of the top job creators this year, from a salon franchise to a prepared foods direct sales company.

The SBA 100 is a list recognizing companies that have created at least 100 new jobs since receiving SBA lending assistance. The agency provides private loan backing and resources for enterprises ranging from sole proprietorships to the largest of small businesses.

One of the North Star State's companies that made the list is Tastefully Simple, a direct sales business that offers products ranging from easy-to-prepare foods to gifts and recipe books. The company is headquartered in Alexandria and the founder, Jill Blashack, set her business in motion with the help of a $200,000 SBA loan.

Great Clips, an Edina-based salon franchise, has expanded to over 3,000 franchises and created thousands of jobs in the past few decades. Another Edina company, Dairy Queen, is part of a successful small business in Alaska - the DQ Grill and Chill franchise. Founder Greg Todd broke several franchise sales records upon opening the branch, and now operates four stores in the Anchorage region employing more than 100 workers.