Slatemont Capital Group, a small-business funding broker in Bismarck, North Dakota, connects retail stores with lending partners for equipment, inventory and working capital funding. Burleigh County had 380 retail employer establishments with 6,896 paid employees in 2023, plus 731 retail businesses without employees in 2024. Partners decide on each request and set every rate and term.
| Stores with a payroll, Burleigh County, ND | 380 establishments (CBP 2023) |
|---|---|
| Retail paid employees | 6,896, payroll $269.4 million (CBP 2023) |
| Under five employees | 31.8% of retail employers |
| Owner-only retailers | 731 (NES 2024) |
| ZIP 58501 retail employers | 121 (ZBP 2023) |
| Decision | The lending partner's alone |
Store counts across Burleigh County, ND
Retail trade had 380 employer establishments in Burleigh County in 2023, second only to construction, with 6,896 paid employees and $269.4 million in payroll (County Business Patterns 2023). That works out to about 18 employees per store on average, and only 31.8% of retail employers had fewer than five people, compared with 51.3% across all sectors.
In ZIP 58501, which includes the N 4th St address, there were 121 retail employers, 36.4% of them with fewer than five employees (ZIP Business Patterns 2023). Another 731 retail businesses in the county had no paid employees in 2024, with $29.0 million in receipts (Nonemployer Statistics 2024, a separate count).
What a store pays for before the first sale
- Shelving, fixtures, signage and display cases
- A point-of-sale system, scanners and card terminals
- Coolers or freezers, for food and convenience stores
- Fitting out the rented unit
- Opening stock
- Payroll for training and the first weeks of trading
Fixtures, coolers and point-of-sale hardware can usually be financed as equipment. A build-out may need a term loan. Stock has its own option, covered below.
Payroll is a retail cost too
With about 18 employees per store on average, payroll is a large fixed cost for county retailers. When receipts dip below costs for a known stretch, working capital financing can cover the gap; when that happens repeatedly, a line of credit may suit better.
Stock: the short version
Stock bought ahead of sales is usually funded with inventory financing, secured by the goods themselves. For a new store without sales history, partners often want supplier terms in place and a larger share of the cost paid by the owner. Owner-only sellers, including those selling online, face the same questions about how quickly stock turns into cash.
Card terminals and advance offers
Stores that take most payments by card are a common fit for merchant cash advance offers. An advance is not a loan: the funder buys part of future card receipts and collects a holdback until the purchased amount is remitted. Compare its total cost with a working capital loan before signing, and do not take a second advance while the first is being collected.
A store's file, as a partner reads it
- Point-of-sale reports and card processing statements
- Business bank statements
- Inventory counts and supplier invoices
- The lease, for a build-out request
- Debts, advances and UCC filings already on record
- The owner's credit, and often a personal guarantee
Next steps for a Burleigh County, ND retailer
The Bismarck, ND page places retail in the full county picture, and the industries hub covers contractors, practices and restaurants.
By Slatemont Capital Group · Updated
