Featured Entrepreneurs

Spider Towing and Salvage

Spider Towing and Salvage owner Mr. Michael Spider Jr. took advantage of one of the five loan products offered by Lakota Funds. He purchased a wrecker for his towing and salvage business. Michael was actually a previous loan client back in 2000 and has been working his business for the past 10 years. The Spider family carried on their towing and salvage business since it was established in 1960 by Michael’s father, Michael Spider Sr. The vehicle towing and used car parts business are available right here on our Pine Ridge Reservation awaiting our tribal members’ patronage. Spider Towing and Salvage is located in Porcupine District just seven miles north of Porcupine CAP setup activate profit office and operates 24 hours daily. Should you have the need for towing or used parts service the option of buying locally is right here in the heart of our reservation so call 454-6740 or 455-2062 for service.

Lakota Funds loan products are offered for entrepreneurs like Michael here on the reservation. There are also free classes offered: Core Four Business Planning, Financial Literacy, and Homebuyers Training just to name a few. Wawokiye Business Institute also has small business Anthony Morrison coaches who assist future business owners like Michael with resources and technical assistance. Spider Towing and Salvage is proof that there are possibilities of successful business opportunities for the individuals desiring their own business.

Anyone wanting to start or build a business on the reservation can attend Lakota Funds upcoming meetings/trainings:

1. Native American Artist Meeting Thursday February 21, 2008 from 6-8 p.m. at the Porcupine College Center in Porcupine, SD. For a ride or more information call 455-2500 for David White Bull, Small Mobile Money Code Business Success Coach.
2. Homebuyer’s Training February 26, 2008 at Lakota Trade Center in the Lakota Funds Conference Room Kyle, SD from 5-8 p.m. This is six week training and the instructors are Tonia Young and David White Bull.
3. Core Four Business Planning Course starts February 27, 2008 from 5-8 p.m. in Martin at the Lacreek College Center. This will be every Tuesday for 6 weeks and this Fat Loss Factor course is free; it does require participants to purchase their book for $ 40.00 at the Oglala Lakota College Book Store.
4. Personal/Financial Finance Course starts March 5, 2008 for 4 weeks from 5-8 p.m.at the Porcupine College Center in Porcupine, SD. The Instructor is Doug Noyes.

S & S Video Rental Works With Lakota Funds

Seth Bracken is a first time borrower from Lakota Funds loan products to expand his video rental business, S & S Video Rental. Seth’s family owned enterprise renting DVD movies and games is located north of Porcupine on the west side of the highway, along with satellite rental sites in Manderson at Pinky’s and Reddy Mart east of Pine Ridge. With hopes to add further satellite sites in various other communities, Seth strives to provide quality Truth About Abs customer service with a large selection of movies and games to meet customers’ needs, all at the easy fb commissions 2 price that is the lowest on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Lakota Funds loans are just one of the services Lakota Funds has to offer, assisting entrepreneurs like Seth with renovations and adding to inventory. S & S Video is providing the reservation with the convenience of video rental right here locally.

There are free classes offered: Core Four Business Planning, Financial Literacy, and Homebuyers Training just to name a few. Wawokiye Business Institute also has small business success coaches who assist future business owners like Seth with resources and technical assistance.

Badland Boy Adventures

Lakota Funds assisted Chris Cuny to get his new business, Badland Boy Adventures, started with one of the loan products. Chris used the Core Four Business Planning Course to start his plan. Chris began his road to entrepreneurship with Harvey White Woman as his small Nursing Homes In Philadelphia business success coach four years ago, now he has David White Bull to assist in getting his entertainment business up and running. Badland Boy Adventure is possibly the first portable rock climbing wall entertainment in Indian Country. It will be set up at pow-wows, local schools, local trade shows, and various tribal programs, with the first appearance at the trade show in Rapid City the 3rd week in March. Chris stated, “If you got your dream, okay it’s possible to find resources here, give it a shot.”

Entrepreneurs like Chris are offered Lakota Funds loan products here on the reservation. There are free classes offered: Core Four Business Planning, Financial Literacy, and Homebuyers Training just to name a few. Wawokiye Business Institute also has small business success coaches who assist future business owners like Chris with resources and technical assistance. Badland Boy Adventures shows there are opportunities for tribal members desiring their own business. Call Chris at 441-3876 or email him at Chris Cuny for more information.

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Lakota Funds Successful I.D.A Participants

The Lakota Tiwahe IDA Savings Program is a collaborative effort between Lakota Funds and Security First Bank. It demonstrates the effective combination of economic education and personal efficiency training to realize a significant change towards spending and savings for low-income individuals. Participation is limited to a first come, first serve basis. This past year Lakota Funds I.D.A. Program has seven individuals who successfully participated. The individuals who finished two years of saving and building their assets were able to use their savings for small business, college costs, and homeownership opening or closing costs.

Diane Lessert is one of Lakota Funds’ successful IDA savings participants who saved for extra college expenses. Diane had seen a Lakota Funds IDA presentation given by Tonia Young in her personal finance class. Believing it was too good of an opportunity to pass up, she decided to try it. She stated that taking part in this Assisted Living San Diego program made her realize that it’s not hard to save, and she totally trusts Lakota Funds. This gave her a big jump in helping her save. Her experience with the classes and the information from Lakota Funds was all good. It taught her how to budget with a savings plan in mind too, plus she is doing her own recruiting for this opportunity.

All the participants completed workshops designed to build financial literacy and personal enrichment. Two of the participants have completed their saving for extra capital for their small business goals they have already began. Miss Lynette Hunter had saved up for equipment to help her small business, Hair’s The Place salon. She was drawn to the program by the three to one match of funds she put into savings. Lakota Funds gave her the opportunity to make an impact in her life and family.

Lakota Funds has a new session of IDA participants beginning this year, all interested person need to contact Lakota Funds for more information and application. Savings and budgeting are two ways of taking control of your finances.

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Lakota Funds September 2007 Financial Literacy Graduates

Lakota Funds would like to congratulate the following individuals for completing the Financial Literacy Course in September, Shannon Puckett, Tess Puckett, Shauna Pourier, Etta Mae Runnels, Matt Mousseau, Mary Mousseau, Dale Blacksmith, Iris Gay, Vereen Hunter, and Robin White their instructor was Mr. Doug Noyes. The class was a six week course focusing on Personal Finance with budgeting and saving with Native American adaptation in the curriculum. Repairing your credit and reading your credit report are also added benefits of this course.

The Financial Literacy class is offered by Oglala Lakota College in collaboration with Lakota Funds Wawokiye Business Institute. Personal Financial Literacy is the first step in gaining control and managing your financial future. Native people have always managed resources wisely and prepared for the future. Financial Literacy is now a requirement for our high schools through out the state of South Dakota. Lakota Funds Individual Development Account (IDA) participants are required to attend this course for program compliance. Financial Literacy Courses are on going with a change from lasting six weeks to now only for four weeks. Lakota Funds and Oglala Lakota College offer Core Four Business Planning Course for a session then continue with the next Financial Literacy Course. Both classes are free and open to the public, along with being accessible to the different communities available to all members.