For entrepreneurs looking for capital, Montana can be a tough place to do business. Bankers, by their own account, can be “very stingy.” Montana attracts only a tiny fraction of the venture capital that goes to nearby states. And people who can’t qualify for conventional lending often can’t get federally backed loans either. For Indians, the odds are even longer. Much of the land on reservations is held in trust, and home ownership rates are low, making it hard to find the collateral to secure a loan. Continue Reading →
