Swiftbank Lenders, a small-business funding service in Grand Forks, North Dakota, collects public Census figures on Grand Forks County businesses here: employer and nonemployer counts, the sectors with the most employers, ZIP 58201 and how it relates to city limits, and self-employment shares. Each figure carries its source and year, plus links to funding options and local guides.
| Employer establishments, county | 1,903 (CBP 2023) |
|---|---|
| Businesses without payroll, county | 4,759 (NES 2024) |
| ZIP 58201 employer count (ZBP 2023) | 1,114 (ZBP 2023) |
| Share of county workers self-employed | 7.1% ± 0.9 (ACS 2020-2024) |
Small Businesses in Grand Forks, ND: Countywide Counts
Grand Forks County had 1,903 employer establishments in 2023, with 31,719 employees on the March payroll and $1.71 billion in annual payroll (U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns). Nearly half, 46.5%, had fewer than five employees: 884 establishments. Only 40 (29 + 11) were in the size classes from 100 to 499 employees, and the bands above that were withheld in the published file.
A separate Census program counted 4,759 businesses with receipts but no paid employees in 2024 (Nonemployer Statistics). The two programs use different years and industry codes, so the counts are reported side by side, never added.
Sector Leaders by Employer Count, Grand Forks County, ND
| Sector | Employer establishments | Employees | Annual payroll |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 269 | 5,359 | $183.1 million |
| Construction | 212 | 2,034 | $174.1 million |
| Other services: repair, salons, laundries and more | 195 | 1,128 | $41.2 million |
| Accommodation and food services | 194 | 3,963 | $79.3 million |
| Health care and social assistance | 191 | 7,346 | $465.4 million |
| Professional, scientific and technical | 126 | 1,124 | $98.4 million |
Health care carried the largest payroll of any sector. Restaurants, chiropractic and therapy practices and auto repair shops are among the industries with their own pages: restaurant funding, chiropractic and therapy practice funding and auto repair shop funding. Every sector is listed under funding by industry.
Businesses Without Payroll in Grand Forks County, ND
Among nonemployer businesses in 2024, real estate and rental and leasing was the largest group (736), followed by transportation and warehousing (595), professional, scientific and technical services (551), health care and social assistance (404) and other services (398), per Nonemployer Statistics. Construction counted 369 and retail trade 358.
Owners without payroll still buy trucks, tools and stock. Equipment financing and working capital are structures a request can start from; each partner sets its own requirements.
ZIP 58201 and the City Limits of Grand Forks, ND
ZIP 58201 held 1,114 employer establishments in 2023, with 21,783 employees and 42.8% of establishments under five employees (ZIP Code Business Patterns). Retail (188), health care and social assistance (144) and accommodation and food services (128) led its sector counts.
Postal codes and city limits are different maps. Only 19.8% of ZIP 58201's land lies inside the City of Grand Forks, and the city's own land splits almost evenly between ZIP 58203 (49.4%) and ZIP 58201 (49.1%), with 1.5% in ZIP 58202 (Census 2020 ZCTA-to-place relationship file). A 58201 mailing address can therefore sit outside city limits, which matters for permits and zoning; see the Grand Forks, ND zoning and building permit guide.
Self-Employment Shares: Grand Forks, ND Versus the County and State
In the American Community Survey 2020-2024, 7.1% (± 0.9) of employed Grand Forks County residents were self-employed, against 11.3% (± 0.4) statewide. Those ranges do not overlap, so the county share is lower than North Dakota's. Within the City of Grand Forks the estimate was 5.6% (± 1.0); that range overlaps the county's, so the city and county shares should not be called different.
Most self-employed county residents ran unincorporated businesses: 4.6% of employed residents, against 2.5% in their own incorporated companies (ACS 2020-2024).
Housing Permits and Builders in Grand Forks County, ND
Builders in the county were authorized to start 186 new privately owned housing units in 2025, after 110 in 2023 and 182 in 2024 (Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey). Contractors weighing a new truck or a larger crew can read contractor funding and the North Dakota contractor license guide.
Funding Options for Grand Forks, ND Businesses
Six structures are laid out here: compare all six side by side. Each request is reviewed by funding partners, who write their own terms. Requests start by phone at (701) 380-7669 or through the online form; nothing requires an in-person meeting.
Swiftbank Lenders is at 23 S 4th St, Grand Forks, ND 58201. More about the company is on the about page, and the phone number and online request are on the contact page. Nearby places are listed on the service-area page.
Where the City and County Publish Their Rules
The City of Grand Forks publishes its departments and services at grandforksgov.com, and Grand Forks County at gfcounty.nd.gov (both verified as reachable on 2026-10-18). Use them for licensing, zoning and permit questions; this site does not interpret local rules.
Grand Forks, ND businesses we help
Swiftbank Lenders works with Grand Forks, ND businesses of most kinds; contractors and construction trades, restaurants and food service, medical and dental practices and retailers and wholesalers that carry stock are common examples. The partner, not the industry, makes the decision.
Paperwork partners commonly ask for
- Business checking statements covering roughly the last quarter or two
- Current financial statements: profit and loss plus a balance sheet
- Photo ID for every owner of the business
- Your articles of organization or incorporation and the EIN letter
- A simple schedule of current business debt and monthly payments
- For equipment, the seller's quote with make, model and price
Each lending partner sets its own list, so treat this as a starting point.
From first call to a partner's decision
- You call (701) 380-7669 or send the short request form. When we speak, we go over what the money is for, how long you have been in business and roughly what the business brings in.
- You hear which options match the need and what a partner will likely want to review. We submit nothing without your approval.
- Once you agree, the request goes to partners that provide that type of funding. The credit decision belongs to each partner.
- When an offer arrives, weigh its full cost, how payments are scheduled and the conditions. Accepting is entirely your choice.
From Grand Forks, ND, the whole request can run by phone and online.