Entrepreneur Growing Successful Business at Crow Creek

July 1, 2010

Farley Hawk is no stranger to the construction business. He spent the past several years travelling the nation and operating heavy machinery for contractors from Texas and New Mexico to Georgia and Kansas. But while he was happy to have a good job, he knew he really wanted to be back on the Crow Creek Reservation- closer to his family and providing an example to the young people of the community.

Hawk relocated to Fort Thompson in the fall of 2009 and wasted no time getting involved with The Harvest Initiative. His first order of business was setting up and LLC for the construction company he wanted to start. The Harvest Initiative was able to assist with filing the required forms in order to create the entity. The business formation services and filing fees were provided at no cost by the organization.

Later, Hawk worked with The Harvest Initiative to create a business plan and three years of cash flow projections. Over the course of several weeks, Hawk refined his plans as he worked with The Harvest Initiative staff.

After the completion of the business plan, Hawk applied to the Harvest Initiative Business Development Fund for an equity award to help jumpstart the business. The first time Hawk submitted his application, it was not selected to receive funding. However, he stuck with his plan, revised his business plan, and re-applied during the next round of funding. The second time around, Hawk's business was selected to receive support from the Business Development Fund.

With his equity award, Hawk was able to put in place insurance which made him eligible for government contracts and was able to purchase additional equipment for his company. With this infusion of equity, Hawk was able to bid on several contracts and has set himself up for a successful 2010. He is far exceeding the projections in his business plan. He is currently working on remodeling a building to house a private business and has been awarded contracts by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the US Army Corp of Engineers.

In the future, Hawk hopes to become certified through the Small Business Administration's 8(a) contractor program to expand his opportunities even further.

The Harvest Initiative is very proud to have been able to assist Farley Hawk in creating a bright future for his business on the Crow Creek Sioux Indian Reservation.

The Harvest Initiative was founded in 2008 to promote business and community development on the Crow Creek Sioux Indian Reservation. For more information on its programs, please call 1-888-481-9847.