Rob Driscoll flips through slides that showcase businesses he has advised during his time as director of the Small Business Development Center in Kalispell. 

Stopping at a picture of Costa y Sabor, he points out that the restaurant opened recently in Kalispell on Woodland Park Drive. 

“It was the first day, so I went to the grand opening and it was so great. The food is outstanding. We have the only Colombian restaurant in all of Montana,” Driscoll said. 

Although it’s strictly business for Driscoll, he is excited when people he has worked with go on to grow or experience success. It’s part of the mission at the Small Business Development Center, where business owners can seek guidance for no charge. 

The Small Business Development Center is located inside the Wachholz Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center on the Flathead Valley Community College campus, where both organizations provide resources related to new and long-running businesses in Northwest Montana. 

Business owners can receive free one-on-one counseling and low-cost training in financial analysis, business planning, strategic planning, loan packaging, financial projections and market research at the Small Business Development Center. It’s funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the Montana Department of Commerce and the U.S. Small Business Administration, according to the Montana Department of Commerce. 

It’s a benefit for the taxpayers, Driscoll said. Even though he officially retired in 2015 after selling his performance management company, he decided to take the director position to help other business owners. Throughout his career, he’s advised over 400 clients in business planning, start-ups, scaling and selling.

He’s worked across different industries, including insurance and real estate. That experience gives him the empathy and understanding to connect with clients who are passionate about starting their own business. 

“I’ve had two [businesses] that didn’t make it in my own career. And that’s painful, but you learn from the pain. What I try to tell them is you can fail, or you can fail forward and move forward,” Driscoll said. 

Montana leads the country as the state with the most small businesses per capita, with 99.2% of businesses falling into that category, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. Though the definition of what is considered a small business varies by industry, it generally revolves around the number of employees.

The businesses in Montana “more than qualify” to earn their “small” status across all metrics, said Brent Donnelly, U.S. Small Business Administration District Director of Montana. 

“They’re really vital for Montana,” he said.

With 141,000 small businesses in the state that employ 265,000 people, officials with the federal agency said companies here are punching above their weight.

Justin Everett is the Rocky Mountain Regional Administrator for the federal agency. He oversees the agency’s programs and services in Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. He made a trip to the Flathead Valley in September to visit small businesses, talk to resource partners and local chambers of commerce. 

The momentum in the state is why he’s visited so many times recently. 

“We were trying to count the number of times we’ve been in Montana this year and we made the joke that I’ve run out of fingers and toes,” Everett said. 

Along with the Whitefish and Kalispell chambers of commerce, Everett and the Montana District staff visited Nomad GCS and Montana Global Health. It’s part of an effort spearheaded by the Trump Administration, where federal officials like Everett tour their district and hear about the concerns of small business owners. 

“With our ‘Made in America Roundtables,’ Montana was one of the first places we wanted to visit ... We want to listen and hear about pain points for businesses. And Montanans aren’t afraid to come talk about pain points with the federal government — which is not too surprising,” Everett said. 

During this trip, business owners expressed challenges with hiring across the board, from finding an adequate number of seasonal staff to attracting candidates for more long-term career positions. Everett said homing in on the issues that cause this, like the cost of housing, can allow the federal government to be part of solutions.

The U.S. has about 36.2 million small businesses, according to a June 2025 report from the U.S. Small Business Administration. These small firms employed 62.3 million people, or 45.9% of all private-sector employees, and were responsible for 88.9% of overall job growth from 2023 to 2024.

At the Small Business Development Center in Kalispell, those numbers translate to real-life success stories for Driscoll. There’s TUFA Climbing gear, Powder Hound Hot Chocolate and Floatsup, all starting to make leaps in their small business journeys. 

But not every business buoyed by advice from the Small Business Development Center is new. 

Crevier’s Academy of Cosmetology Arts in Kalispell, which was founded in 1958, is a cosmetology school focused on providing students with hands-on training and skills for a successful career. Kassaundra Flammond and Theresa Brininger told the Small Business Development Center that once they learned the business was for sale, they wanted to lead its next chapter.

Guided by the Small Business Development Center, they created a comprehensive business plan and detailed financial projections while gaining a deep understanding of the business acquisition process. 

Driscoll facilitated meetings with key stakeholders and connected them with local bankers to secure funding. The result for Creviers’ was the retention of five jobs, adding five more positions and getting $680,000 in owner financing with a $50,000 additional owner investment. 

Driscoll said their dedication was inspiring. Even though his consultations are free, there is work involved. He will give people homework after reviewing financial statements and hearing aspirations. 

“If you do it, that’s up to you, because I will review your homework, business plans, financials, loan packaging — just everything, but it rests with the individual,” he said. 

Driscoll can also connect business owners with other professional services they may need, like an attorney, a bookkeeper or a cybersecurity expert. And through the U.S. Small Business Administration, he points business owners to federally backed loans.

UNDER THE same roof, the Wachholz Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center was established after local businessman Paul Wachholz donated $4 million in 2023 to launch the entrepreneurship center on the Kalispell campus.

The entrepreneurship center officially opened its doors in November 2025, with space to facilitate small one-on-one meetings between students and mentors or host large group events that allow for conversation, sharing ideas and problem-solving. 

The entrepreneurship center was established to “support the people of Northwest Montana who want to explore new ideas, build businesses and create opportunities for themselves and the community.”

This is done through continued education and training opportunities, networking events and one-on-one mentorship. While the mission is similar to the Small Business Development Center, Director Eric Harry said the goal is to create a network of entrepreneurs in the region.

“We need to convene active entrepreneurs on a regular basis, so that they’re together. When we do that, their ideas get better and their execution gets better. But then we also need to convene the folks that help support entrepreneurs in intentional ways,” Harry said. 

These people can be business mentors or experts in something like digital marketing or accounting, Harry added. To compile that expertise, the center has Builders in Residence, where over 60 people have agreed to be available for one-on-one conversations. Office hours for builders run between Monday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon.  

“We’ll have a mentor or expert sitting here and folks can just drop in during those two hours. No need to schedule,” Harry said. 

An economy where people want to start new businesses inspires productivity and generates competitive pressure, according to a December 2020 report from the Congressional Budget Office.

Helping new business owners start out on the right foot is just the beginning for the Wachholz Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center, which Harry expects to one day be a self-sustaining network of entrepreneurs in Northwest Montana. 

Whether someone is just getting started or deciding what’s next for an established business, Driscoll said, there are a myriad of resources at Flathead Valley Community College. 

“What I really enjoy doing is listening and helping people, and that leads to plugging them into what is offered at Flathead Valley Community College, through the Wachholz Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center and just continuing their education. It’s just a phenomenal place,” Driscoll said.

To set up an appointment with the Small Business Development Center or see upcoming events for the Wachholz Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center, visit wiecmt.org. 

Reporter Taylor Inman can be reached at 406-758-4440 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.

    Flathead Valley Community College's Wachholz Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center in Kalispell on Friday, Oct. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    A group gathers for a fireside chat at the Wachholz Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center during their ribbon-cutting in 2025. (Courtesy of Flathead Valley Community College)
  

    The Wachholz Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center has the ability to host large group events in an effort. (photo courtesy of Flathead Valley Community College)
  

    The Wachholz Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center, which was built after local businessman Paul Wachholz donated $4 million in 2023 to launch the entrepreneurship center on the Kalispell campus, in addition to funding the nearby Wachholz College Center. (photo courtesy of Flathead Valley Community College)
  

    Wachholz Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center Director Eric Harry said they want to eventually create a network of entrepreneurs in the region. (photo courtesy of Flathead Valley Community College)
  

    As the director of the Small Business Development Center, located at the Flathead Valley Community College, Rob Driscoll helps navigate uncertain waters for small business owners. (Courtesy of Flathead Valley Community College)