Skagway Development Corporation

10/01/2026

🚢 Have a Say in Alaska’s Transportation Future

Ever heard someone mention the STIP and wondered what it actually is?

The Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) is Alaska’s four-year plan for federally funded transportation investments—including highways, ferries, transit, trails, safety improvements, and other projects that keep Alaska’s communities connected.

For a community like Skagway, transportation infrastructure impacts nearly every part of our local economy—from freight and essential supplies to ferry service, tourism, workforce access, and regional commerce.

📣 Right now, you have an opportunity to weigh in.

Alaska DOT&PF has released the Draft 2027–2030 STIP, and the public comment period is open through October 29, 2026.

Take a look at the projects, see what is planned for our region, and share your own experiences and priorities directly with DOT&PF.

🔗 Explore the Draft STIP & Submit a Comment:
https://dot.alaska.gov/links/pdp

You can also submit comments by email at [email protected].

💡 TIP: Your comment doesn't need to be long or technical. Explain what transportation connection or project matters to you, how you or your business/community uses it, and what impacts reliable—or unreliable—transportation has on you.

Local voices matter in statewide planning. Let’s make sure Skagway is part of the conversation.

09/30/2026

💡 SMALL BUSINESS PATHWAYS | Could Your Skill Become a Business?

Not every small business starts with a storefront or a big investment. Sometimes it starts with something much simpler: a skill people in your community need.

Home repair, cleaning, landscaping, bookkeeping, photography, childcare, pet care, tutoring, snow removal, creative services—the list goes on.

In a small community like Skagway, even a part-time or seasonal business can fill an important local need while creating an additional source of income.

🛠️ YOUR LOCAL RESOURCE: SDC SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE

Have an idea but aren't sure if it's actually a business opportunity?

Come talk it through with us! SDC provides free local small-business assistance and can help you:

• Talk through your business idea
• Identify startup steps and licensing requirements
• Find financing and grant resources
• Work through basic business planning
• Research resources specific to your industry
• Connect with additional technical assistance when you need it

You don't need a finished business plan to start the conversation.

📩 Have an idea? Reach out to SDC and let's explore it.
www.skagwaydevelopment.org

09/21/2026

💡 BUSINESS PATHWAYS | Do You Know Your Break-Even Number?

You know what your business brings in—but do you know how much you need to bring in just to break even?

Your break-even point is where your revenue covers your costs. Knowing that number can help you make better decisions about pricing, staffing, operating hours, expansion, and planning for Skagway’s slower months.

🍂 Fall Business Tip: Take some time this off-season to look at your fixed costs, variable expenses, average sales, and how much revenue you actually need each month to cover them.

📊 FREE RESOURCE: The Alaska Small Business Development Center offers Financial Model Worksheets to help business owners better understand their numbers and build realistic financial projections.

👉 Alaska SBDC Financial Model Worksheets:
https://aksbdc.org/tools/financial-model-worksheets/

Alaska SBDC also offers no-cost, confidential one-on-one business advising for eligible for-profit businesses if you’d like some help working through the numbers.

Business Pathways is an SDC series connecting Skagway businesses with practical tips, tools, funding opportunities, and resources to help local businesses grow and thrive.

09/01/2026

🌟 Small Business Pathways

Small Business Resource Assistance by Skagway Development Corporation

Every week, we're sharing practical business tips, helpful resources, and opportunities to support entrepreneurs and small businesses in Skagway.

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📌 Business Tip: Turn Summer Visitors Into Year-Round Customers

As Skagway's busy summer season begins to wind down, now is a great time to think about how you can stay connected with customers after they leave town.

Someone may only spend a few hours or days in Skagway—but that doesn't mean your relationship with them has to end when they leave!

Here are a few simple ways to turn summer visitors into year-round customers:

✔️ Make it easy to follow you. Add QR codes for your social media or website near your register, on receipts, packaging, or signage.

✔️ Encourage email sign-ups. An email list can help you reach past customers with new products, holiday specials, or updates from Skagway.

✔️ Offer shipping or online ordering. If you sell products that can be shipped, make sure customers know they can purchase from you again after they get home.

✔️ Think ahead to the holidays. Visitors who loved your business this summer may be looking for unique gifts later this year. Remind them that shopping small in Skagway doesn't have to end with the summer season!

✔️ Stay active online. Even during the quieter months, occasional photos, updates, behind-the-scenes posts, or new products can keep your business fresh in customers' minds.

💡 Quick Challenge

Take 10 minutes this week and look at your business from a visitor's perspective:

If they wanted to find you or buy from you again six months from now—could they?

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🔗 Helpful Resources

Google Business Profile
Keep your hours, website, contact information, photos, and other business details up to date so customers can easily find you online.

👉 Google Business Profile

Mailchimp – Email Marketing Basics
Interested in building an email list? Mailchimp offers helpful information for small businesses getting started with email marketing and staying connected with customers.

👉 Email Marketing Resources

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🤝 Need Small Business Assistance?

Skagway Development Corporation provides small business assistance and can help connect local businesses and entrepreneurs with resources, planning tools, and other support.

Have a small business question—or a topic you'd like to see featured in a future Small Business Pathways? Reach out to SDC!

Support Local. Build Community. Grow Together.

08/24/2026

Small Business Pathways

Small Business Resource Assistance by Skagway Development Corporation

Every week we're sharing practical business tips, helpful resources, and opportunities to support entrepreneurs and small businesses in Skagway.

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📌 Business Tip

Is Your Business Ready for the Off-Season?

In Skagway, the end of summer can mean a major shift for local businesses. Visitor traffic slows, seasonal employees leave, operating hours change, and for many businesses, revenue looks very different from October through April.

Now is a great time to take a look at your numbers — before the season ends.

Start by asking:

✔ What are my average monthly expenses during the off-season?

✔ Which expenses will decrease when the season ends — and which ones won't?

✔ How much cash does the business need to carry through the winter?

✔ Are there large annual expenses, taxes, insurance payments, repairs, or equipment purchases coming up?

✔ Is there inventory I should reduce before closing or slowing down?

✔ Are there expenses or subscriptions I'm paying for that I no longer need?

✔ What worked well this season — and what should I change next year?

💡 Don't just look at whether your business made a profit this summer. Look at when the cash actually comes in and when it needs to go out.

A profitable business can still run into trouble if it doesn't have enough cash available during its slower months.

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💰 Try a 12-Month Cash-Flow Forecast

A simple cash-flow forecast can be one of the most useful tools for a seasonal business.

Start with your current cash balance and estimate, month by month:

Cash coming in
• Sales
• Accounts receivable
• Other business income

Cash going out
• Payroll
• Rent or mortgage
• Utilities
• Insurance
• Inventory
• Loan payments
• Taxes
• Marketing
• Maintenance
• Professional services
• Other operating expenses

This can help identify months when cash may get tight before you get there.

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🛠 Featured Resource

Alaska Small Business Development Center – Free Business Tools

The Alaska SBDC offers free downloadable tools and templates that businesses can use for:

• Business planning
• Financial modeling
• Financial projections
• Loan preparation
• Business startup and growth planning

Their Financial Model Worksheets are particularly helpful for businesses that want to better understand revenue, expenses and future cash needs.

🔗 Explore the Alaska SBDC's free business tools:

https://aksbdc.org/services/tools/

They also offer a free Business Plan Outline with simple and more detailed versions depending on how much planning your business needs.

🔗 Business Plan Outline:

https://aksbdc.org/tools/business-plan-outline/

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📅 Off-Season Opportunity

Use the slower months to work ON your business — not just IN your business.

The Alaska SBDC offers free, confidential one-on-one business advising to Alaska for-profit businesses.

An advisor can help you work through:

✔ Cash-flow projections
✔ Financial planning
✔ Business plans
✔ Marketing
✔ Funding and financing
✔ Business growth
✔ Preparing for the next season

If you've been too busy during the summer to sit down and really look at your business, the off-season can be the perfect time to do it.

🔗 Request free one-on-one business advising:

https://aksbdc.org/getting-started/

🔗 Browse Alaska SBDC workshops:

https://aksbdc.org/services/workshops/

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🍂 Before the season ends, give yourself a business checkup.

What worked this year? What didn't? Where did you spend more than expected? What would you like to do differently next season?

Even taking an hour to review your numbers and write down a few goals can give you a much clearer starting point for next year.

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📩 Small Business Pathways is all about connecting Skagway businesses with the right resources.

Need help finding a business planning tool, financial resource, training opportunity, or the right organization to talk to? Skagway Development Corporation can help connect you with local, regional, and statewide resources.

08/21/2026

Skagway seasonal workers, Juneau Economic Development Council wants to hear from you! Please take a few minutes to provide some basic (anonymous!) information about yourself and your experience this summer with the 2026 Seasonal Worker Survey!

Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.

08/20/2026

Small Business Pathways

Small Business Resource Assistance by Skagway Development Corporation

Every week we're sharing practical business tips, helpful resources, and opportunities to support entrepreneurs and small businesses in Skagway.

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📌 Business Tip

Funding Your Business: Grants vs. Loans

One of the most common questions small business owners ask is: “Are there grants available for my business?”

Sometimes — but grants for general for-profit business expenses can be harder to find than many people expect.

Grants generally:

✔ Do not have to be repaid
✔ Have specific eligibility requirements
✔ Are often tied to a particular project, industry, location, or purpose
✔ Can be highly competitive
✔ May require applications, budgets, documentation, and reporting

Business loans generally:

✔ Must be repaid, usually with interest
✔ Can often be used for a wider variety of business needs
✔ May help finance equipment, inventory, working capital, expansion, real estate, or startup costs
✔ Require the business to demonstrate its ability to repay the loan

💡 The takeaway: Don't build your business plan around finding a grant. Instead, look at all of the financing options available and determine which one makes the most sense for your business and project.

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🛠 Featured Resource

State of Alaska Small Business Loan Programs

Did you know the State of Alaska administers several loan programs specifically designed to support Alaska businesses?

Two programs worth knowing about are:

Alaska Microloan Program

Designed to provide financing to eligible Alaska businesses for commercial purposes, including working capital, equipment, construction, and other business needs.

🔗 Learn more:
https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/inv/LoanPrograms/Microloan

Small Business Economic Development (SBED) Loan Program

Provides financing for eligible small businesses for working capital, equipment, construction, and other commercial purposes while supporting the creation and retention of Alaska jobs.

🔗 Learn more:
https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/inv/LoanPrograms/SmallBusinessDevelopment.aspx

You can also explore additional financing programs and small business resources through the State of Alaska Small Business Assistance Center:

🔗 https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/inv/DEV/SmallBusinessAssistanceCenter.aspx

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📅 Opportunity

FREE Workshop: Funding Your Business — Navigating the SBA 7(a) Loan Program

The Alaska Small Business Development Center and Alaska Growth Capital are offering a workshop focused on understanding the SBA 7(a) Loan Program and how business owners can better prepare for financing.

📅 September 15, 2026
⏰ 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM AKDT

Topics include using SBA financing for:

• Starting a business
• Purchasing an existing business
• Commercial real estate
• Equipment
• Working capital
• Business growth

The workshop will also discuss what lenders look for when evaluating a business loan application.

🔗 Learn more & register:
https://aksbdc.org/workshops/funding-your-business-navigating-the-sba-7a-loan-program-with-confidence-juneau/

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💰 Not sure where to start?

Before looking for funding, start by answering a few basic questions:

✔ How much money do I actually need?
✔ What exactly will I use the money for?
✔ What does my business's current financial picture look like?
✔ How will this investment help my business grow or generate revenue?
✔ If I'm borrowing money, how will I repay it?

The Alaska Small Business Development Center (SBDC) also provides free, confidential business advising to Alaska entrepreneurs and existing businesses. Advisors can help with financial projections, business planning, financing preparation, and much more.

🔗 Request free business advising:
https://aksbdc.org/getting-started/

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📩 Small Business Pathways is all about connecting Skagway businesses with the right resources.

Not sure whether you should be looking for a grant, loan, or another funding option? Skagway Development Corporation can help point you in the right direction and connect you with statewide and regional resources.

07/16/2026