Dr. Paul Borosky, DBA, MBA
Business Plan Writer & Consultant
North Dakota Business Plan Writer: Harvest and the Bakken
Beet harvest in the Red River Valley and drilling in the Bakken set the pace for trucking, equipment and service firms. The weeks between those peaks are where North Dakota owners run short of cash. Dr. Paul’s plan maps those weeks out, so your lender knows how you cover them.
Short after the rush? Call or text (321) 948-9588. Dr. Paul answers personally.
Last Updated: 10/31/2026 · Written by Dr. Paul Borosky, DBA, MBA
How Dr. Paul Helps
How Dr. Paul Helps North Dakota Owners Cover the Gap After the Rush
The peak is rarely the problem. The weeks after it are. The plan shows how you get through them.
- PACE and Flex PACE, with a lead lender. Bank of North Dakota buydowns start with a local lead lender and a share of the buydown from your community, often through its local development fund. Dr. Paul structures the request so both can say yes.
- Equity pitches for Commerce programs. The Angel Match Program and the Direct Investment Program put Department of Commerce money beside private investors. The pitch shows the market, the team and the return.
- Equipment bought against signed work. New trucks and trailers get financed against signed harvest or oilfield contracts, so a lender sees the payments covered before the rush begins.
- Local funds matched to the business. Minot’s MAGIC Fund and Bismarck’s Vision Fund each have their own rules. The plan shows why your business fits the fund you choose.
- Seasonal drivers costed as their own crew. Extra drivers for the beet campaign get hired, trained and paid as a separate crew in the forecast, so the year-round payroll stays lean once harvest ends.
North Dakota owners know their busy season better than anyone. Where plans fall short is the month after it, when the bills keep coming and the next contract has not started. Dr. Paul treats that month as the real test of the plan, because a lender does too.
Map the North Dakota Slow Stretch With Dr. Paul or On Your Own
Harvest money and oilfield money both run out on a schedule. Choose how you want the gap mapped.
Business Consulting
Running hard in season and feeling the squeeze after? Dr. Paul helps North Dakota owners sort out cash, crews, equipment and pricing.
See consulting options →Business Plan Writing
FeaturedPeak months, slow months and the PACE buydown all land in one forecast when Dr. Paul prepares the plan your lead lender takes to Bank of North Dakota.
Start your plan →Business Plan Templates
Hauling beets or oilfield loads? The trucking company template, plan and numbers together, has room for harvest runs and Oil Patch work.
Browse templates →Small Business Education
Bankers ask about the funding request first. Dr. Paul’s funding request lessons, his plan-writing videos and the Fabled Forest books get you ready for that conversation.
Start learning →Funding and Licensing Snapshot
Bank of North Dakota, Local Funds and More
North Dakota pairs a state-owned bank with local development funds. Each one has its own rules for who qualifies.
SBA North Dakota District Office
Fargo hosts the district office, with satellite offices in Bismarck and Grand Forks. Owners in Minot, Williston and Dickinson reach the same SBA team.
Bank of North Dakota Flex PACE
Flex PACE buys down your rate through a local lead lender, with BND participating in the loan. Retail and service firms can use it, and no job creation is required.
Department of Commerce
The Angel Match Program, run by the North Dakota Development Fund, and the Direct Investment Program, run by O’Leary Ventures, invest beside private money.
MAGIC, Vision Fund and Fargo Programs
Minot’s MAGIC Fund backs primary-sector firms, Bismarck’s Vision Fund supports businesses growing in the region, and the Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation packages state and local financing in Fargo.
Free Advising in Fargo, Bismarck and Beyond
The University of North Dakota hosts the North Dakota Small Business Development Center (SBDC) network, and centers in Fargo, Bismarck and other cities give owners no-cost advising.
Secretary of State
Register the business with the Secretary of State. Contractors above a set project size also need a contractor license from the same office, so check before you bid.
From Dr. Paul’s Fabled Forest
A Book for North Dakota Owners Matching Capacity to the Rush
Dr. Paul’s Fabled Forest Business School · Book 3
Operations for Small Businesses
Harvest hauling and oilfield work stretch trucks, yards and suppliers to the limit. Matching that capacity to each rush is what the book covers. Fabled Forest owners size crews, equipment and suppliers to the work coming in, and every story closes on a plain lesson about running the shop.
Most businesses do not fail at the peak. They fail in the stretch after it, when the harvest money is already spent and the work has slowed.
Doctor Owl, Dr. Paul’s Fabled Forest Business SchoolLearn It Yourself
Lessons for Planning Past Harvest and the Oil Patch
Harvest and the Oil Patch both leave a thin stretch behind them. These lessons help you plan for it, from loan choices to truck counts.
City Spotlight
What Fargo, Bismarck and Minot Need From a Plan
Fargo moves on the harvest. Bismarck and Minot have local funds with their own rules. Each city sets a different first question.
| City | What Drives Demand | The Plan Question |
|---|---|---|
| Fargo | Red River Valley sugarbeet harvest, Doosan Bobcat, Sanford Health, North Dakota State University | What keeps drivers busy after beet harvest? |
| Bismarck | State agencies near the Capitol, Sanford and CHI St. Alexius, MDU Resources, Kirkwood Mall shoppers | The Vision Fund, an SBA 504 loan, or both? |
| Minot | Minot Air Force Base, Trinity Health, Minot State, South Hill shoppers on Broadway | MAGIC Fund or a Souris Basin gap loan? |
Fall sugarbeet harvest keeps trucks rolling across the Red River Valley, and plenty of carriers run their yards out of West Fargo near I-29.
“How should a Fargo trucking company plan for beet harvest?”
The Plan FixPrice harvest hauls by the ton for the fall campaign. Then bid winter freight for Bobcat and Red River Valley ag processors along I-29, so drivers stay on payroll once the beet piles are in.
Bismarck owners near the Capitol and the Kirkwood Mall area can look at the city’s Vision Fund and at SBA 504 loans through the Lewis and Clark Regional Development Council.
“Should a Bismarck owner use the Vision Fund, a 504 loan or both?”
The Plan FixCompare the Vision Fund and a Lewis and Clark 504 loan on rate, term and down payment for that Kirkwood Mall area building. Then show the lender which mix costs less over the life of the loan.
The MAGIC Fund backs primary-sector firms in Minot. For retail along Broadway on South Hill, the Souris Basin Planning Council offers gap loans instead.
“Does a Minot business fit the MAGIC Fund, or Souris Basin gap financing instead?”
The Plan FixShow sales shipped outside Minot to qualify as primary sector for MAGIC dollars. If your buyers are local South Hill shoppers along Broadway, put a Souris Basin gap loan behind the bank loan instead.
Customers and suppliers rarely stop at the border. See Dr. Paul’s pages for nearby South Dakota, Minnesota, and Montana.
Watch
Start With Structure, Then Market It
A plan that follows a clear order is easier for a lender to trust. Dr. Paul covers a real marketing plan and the structure behind every plan.
What’s in a Marketing PlanA real marketing plan example built on Dr. Paul’s Organize-Plan-Grow strategy.
Tip 1: Start With a StructureLay out the sections before you write a word, so nothing gets missed.
FAQ
Questions From the Valley to the Oil Patch
Can my North Dakota startup pitch the Angel Match Program with a written plan?
Is there a template for a Bakken hot shot or oilfield hauling company?
Does the North Dakota SBDC in Bismarck help with PACE loan paperwork?
Dr. Paul Borosky, DBA, MBA
Business Plan Writer, Consultant & Author | 14+ Years | 1,000+ Clients Served
Dr. Paul Borosky, DBA, MBA is the founder of Quality Business Plan. He writes business plans and financial projections for owners across the United States and Canada, works remotely with clients in every state, and has written plans behind more than $100M in funded projects. He is the author of the Dr. Paul’s Fabled Forest Business School series and has published over 1,000 business videos on YouTube. He has taught as an adjunct college instructor and teaches in Florida public schools.
This page is for general educational purposes only. It is not legal, lending, or financial advice. Program rules, loan sizes and local requirements change, so confirm them with the program or agency before you apply. The Fabled Forest and its characters are fictional.