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As Elevate HennepinTM advisors, you are an important part of the Hennepin County mission to make this one of the best places in the nation to start and scale ventures that build shared wealth and prosperity. You empower our small business community with tools and skills to navigate the modern marketplace and position their businesses to thrive as the economy evolves.

Thank you for being an important part of this mission and taking on this essential work.

   

How to use this page

This page is your advisor resource hub for everything you need to accomplish your work to serve Hennepin County small businesses and entrepreneurs. 

Please use the links below to jump to essential advisor resources. Any questions that are not answered via this page or the resources therein can be directed to your Hennepin County point of contact. 

Key documents: 

Training materials: 

Key information for advisors: 

 

 

Key messaging for Elevate Hennepin

Elevate Hennepin draws together experts, tools and programs intentionally designed to help new and established businesses gain their footing, plan for their next steps, and take their success to a new level. Through Elevate Hennepin, Hennepin County is investing in a business support ecosystem that is shaping the region to become even stronger and resilient.

Elevate Hennepin provides three essential services:

  • No-cost consulting from expert advisors covering a wide range of business areas including legal matters, marketing, strategic planning, and operations.
  • An events hub for business owners to find ways to network, learn, and enhance their businesses.
  • A resource directory for business owners to explore county, state, and federal resources that can empower their business.

So far, thousands of businesses in Hennepin County have utilized Elevate Hennepin for no-cost consulting provided by Hennepin County and to identify other business resources and events to enhance their business.  

We highly encourage you to communicate the values and capabilities of Elevate Hennepin to your network. To do so, please refer to this document for ready-to-use collateral for social media, your website, or newsletter. 

For ongoing communications support, please rely on our Partner Communcations Toolkits for the latest information on new programming and read-to-use content for all your channels. 

Invoicing essentials

Here is the essential information about how to properly invoice Hennepin County for advisory services. 

 

Invoicing checklist

  • Has each of your clients signed Hennepin County’s legal and data privacy acknowledgements?
  • Have you verified that each of your clients is in Hennepin County? Verifications can be performed at the Hennepin County Property Map (https://gis.hennepin.us/property/).
  • Have you completed all information requested on BOTH tabs of the spreadsheet?
  • If you are requesting to be paid for more than 25 hours for an individual client, did you complete an “Additional hours request form” (Attachment above)

 

Invoicing frequently asked questions (FAQ)

I currently use the Startup Space platform as my CRM. Should I stop using it?
Do not use the StartupSpace platform for CRM. Hennepin County no longer has a contract to use the Startup Space platform for our advisors.

Do I need to submit individual sessions with a client?
No. Please submit one line for each client served and summarize the services provided per invoice. You may list multiple businesses on the Business Info tab of the invoice template.

Do I need to provide session notes for individual sessions billed?
No. Please do not provide individual session notes. Please submit an overview that communicates the purpose of the technical assistance and the outcomes from the session, including actions taken by the business owner. Please do not share sensitive information about the business with us!

Do I need to fill out all the fields in the Business Information tab?
Yes. If you do not have the information from the client, please indicate that you do not have it in the field provided.

I don’t have an address for my client. Can I still submit their session for payment?
No. Address verification is required, as we are accountable to serve Hennepin County business owners. Please verify addresses via the Hennepin County Property Map (https://gis.hennepin.us/property/).

If my client completes the “Connect” form on the website, do I still need to submit demographic and business information on the excel spreadsheet?
Yes. You will need to submit that information on the excel spreadsheet at this time.

Why are you asking me to provide lending information about my client, if I did not make a loan?
If you are working with a client that is in the pipeline for lending, we want to know how your services contributed to their ability to access capital.

Are the legal and privacy acknowledgements required to be submitted prior to payment?
Yes. Clients are required to complete the legal and privacy acknowledgements. This can be done either through the website when they submit an inquiry through the “Connect with Advisor” form OR you may incorporate pre-approved language from Hennepin County. If you need assistance verifying that the client has completed the Connect form, please contact nikil.mayanathara@hennepin.us. If you are incorporating that disclaimer into your intake process, you are responsible for maintaining the disclaimer in your files and submitting them at the time of invoicing.

Why are the legal and privacy acknowledgements required to be collected?
The disclosures and acknowledgements form contains a data privacy statement known as a “Tennessen warning” that informs business clients of their rights and how their information is used. Hennepin County and vendors working for the County are required to provide this statement by state law any time they ask for private or confidential information. Because this is a legal obligation, we cannot waive Hennepin County’s requirement to provide these disclosures to Elevate Hennepin participants.

The County must also require a participant’s signature on the form because it ensures that these disclosures are provided to the client. The acknowledgements in the form aim to generate transparency that Hennepin County is funding technical assistance and will be sharing future communications with clients. In addition, the form seeks to generate a shared understanding of the client’s responsibility to complete follow-up surveys about Elevate Hennepin.

How do I check if my client has filled out a “Connect with Advisor” form containing Hennepin County’s legal and data acknowledgements?
You will receive a notification from the website letting you know that a business has connected with you. You may also email Houa Lor at houa.lor@hennepin.us.

Who do I follow up with if I have questions about the invoicing form or process?
Please contact Nikil Mayanathara (nikil.mayanathara@hennepin.us) and CC Mary Matze (mary.matze@hennepin.us). 

Who do I follow up with if I have a question about invoice payment or direct deposit?
Please email Simran Aryal at Simran.Aryal@hennepin.us.

 

Using the language line

Elevate Hennepin advisors can use LanguageLine to better communicate across language barriers. 

To use this service, use your phone's conference feature to dial the interpreter call center on demand. 

If you're expecting to work with clients that need interpreter support, prepare by downloading and referring to these instructions (PDF) to find the number and the Elevate Hennepin client ID. 

 

 

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