Fieldcroft Business Capital, a small-business funding broker in Great Falls, Montana, lists the kinds of free and low-cost help available to Cascade County owners: city departments, small business advising, economic development and business groups. Fieldcroft Business Capital has no affiliation with any of the organizations named.
A note on affiliation
Fieldcroft Business Capital is not affiliated with, endorsed by or partnered with any organization on this page, including the City of Great Falls, Cascade County, the SBA, any Small Business Development Center, any chamber of commerce or any economic development organization. We list them because owners ask, and because some of them help for free.
The City of Great Falls, MT
The city's official website is greatfallsmt.net (address from Wikidata, checked as reachable on 2026-10-16). City departments handle business licensing, planning and zoning, and building permits. Our license and zoning guide lists the questions to ask them, sorted by situation.
Small business advising
Small Business Development Centers offer advising to owners, typically free or low cost, on business plans, cash flow projections and preparing for a loan application. Owners searching for a "montana small business development center" are looking for this network.
A cash flow projection prepared with an adviser is useful in any funding request. Partners reviewing a term loan for an expansion often ask for one.
Growth, chamber and district groups around Great Falls, MT
Owners also search for "great falls montana economic development", the local chamber of commerce and the downtown business improvement district. These groups can offer introductions, information on local programs, and in some cases incentive or loan programs of their own.
Our post on the business improvement district covers what a storefront owner should ask about it.
State records and registrations
Entity filings, annual reports and UCC records sit with the state. The annual report guide and the UCC search guide cover both.
SBA programs and grants
Owners searching for Montana small business grants or SBA programs should start with an adviser and the SBA's own district office for the area. Fieldcroft Business Capital does not arrange SBA-backed loans or grants.
Preparing for a first adviser meeting
- Bring the last two years of tax returns and a current profit and loss statement, if you have them
- Write one paragraph on what the business needs and why
- List existing debts, payments and any UCC filings
- Know your entity's exact legal name and status
The same preparation shortens any later funding request. Our comparison of six funding structures shows what a partner might offer, and our Great Falls, MT page has the county's business figures. More guides sit together on the resources page, with the calculator.
Where Cascade County, MT owners stand
The county had 2,472 employer establishments in 2023, half of them with fewer than five employees, and 5,799 businesses without employees in 2024 (Census CBP 2023; NES 2024). For owners that small, a free hour with an adviser before borrowing is often the cheapest step available.
By Fieldcroft Business Capital · Updated