ew endeavors are more exhilarating than launching a business—especially for entrepreneurs who have an impressive business concept and credit history.

For them, it may be relatively easy to secure a loan to finance a business venture. But that’s not the case for individuals who don’t have the best credit or business idea. Thankfully, there’s a diversity of approaches budding business owners can take to overcome their shortcomings and get the funding they need.

or the tens of thousands of Alaskans who live off the road system, the internet has become a key source of information, commerce, and healthcare, as well as a lifeline in the wilderness.

What happens when it goes down?

The short answer is that the telecoms—GCI and Alaska Communications are the major carriers in rural Alaska—try to get the systems back up as quickly as possible. But given Alaska’s huge size, small population, lack of infrastructure, and notoriously bad weather, that is often easier said than done.

s a state that’s heavily focused on resource development, Alaska is known for having some of the most hazardous industries. These specialized industries employ various types of insurance to protect their operations, employees, customers, and the general public.

No two businesses are identical and every operation has its own insurance exposures and risks. However, there are some core elements of insurance programs that traverse industries.

Most companies in Alaska—regardless if they’re involved with resource development—utilize some type of liability coverage, workers’ compensation, property, and commercial auto insurance.

overnor Mike Dunleavy’s shakeup of the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation (AGDC) board in January put four new people on the seven member team in charge of pushing forward the Last Frontier’s long-anticipated North Slope pipeline project.

hen you read the word,“Healthcare,” I bet your first thought is, “My insurance premium and out-of-pocket costs are killing me.” For business owners, increasing healthcare costs are squeezing out other investments and limiting growth opportunities.

But it is not all bad news; positive things are happening too. We are Alaskans, after all. How many of us just shrug our shoulders and give up when a problem arises? Growing up in Fairbanks, I learned from my family, friends, and neighbors that when we see a problem, we craft a solution. Parker, Smith & Feek, partners with the nonprofit Pacific Health Coalition (PHC) to do just that. PHC was formed two decades ago to create opportunities for lower costs, more flexibility, and better access to healthcare.

n October 2018, former Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Heidi Drygas said: “We’re about to ramp up on some pretty significant projects in Alaska. We have all this work going on, on the North Slope; we have a boom in military construction in the Interior and other Interior build out projects. We have an expansion of mining at Fort Knox and Kensington; Donlin Gold looks like it’s going to come online, and they’re all happening at the same time.” That statement ignited talk about the construction industry and what the state could expect in the near future.

n the Alaska Construction Spending Forecast 2019, Scott Goldsmith forecasts that there will be increased public project transportation spending in 2019 statewide, including $682 million on highways and roads and $424 million on airports, ports, and harbors. This is a 6 percent and 3 percent increase over 2018, respectively. Combined transportation projects are estimated to total nearly $1 billion, which is approximately half of projected public construction project spending (excluding national defense) across the state.

t 8:30 a.m. on November 30, Alaskans were shaken by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that hit about eight miles north of Anchorage. The quake shook buildings, rattled road systems, and even prompted a tsunami warning that was later canceled. While Anchorage was most severely impacted by the damage, the earthquake was felt throughout the Interior up to Fairbanks.

Just minutes after the earth stopped rumbling, photos and videos started circulating on social media depicting the damage in and around Anchorage. There were videos of children hiding under their desks inside schools and photos illustrating massive cracks that formed in roadways around the state’s largest city. What shocked the world, though, was how quickly life seemed to return to normal. Days after the earthquake, more photos started making the rounds, now showing side-by-side comparisons between impacted infrastructure and roads and repairs already made.

n Spring 2018, The Eyak Corporation turned its eyes to Alaska for investment opportunities, landing on the popular local company Heather’s Choice. Though about 95 percent of the village corporation’s revenue—and investment—come from out of state, the in-state equity purchase was slated as being mutually beneficial both to the corporation and the local business.

“We’re looking for companies that have a strong, local presence—looking for companies that have strong owners that are committed. And, the other thing that we really like in a company is that it can capitalize on Alaska’s essence,” explains Rod Worl, CEO of The Eyak Corporation. “And Heather’s Choice was a very good example of a company that could capitalize on Alaska’s essence but also had the potential for a large upsize in a large market. So that played an important factor in choosing to invest in it.”

laskans depend on boats for numerous reasons, from commercial fishermen using them to make a living or commercial tugs and barges moving freight and fuel to subsistence users catching fish to feed their families and recreational boaters spending time on the state’s pristine waters. But what happens when a vessel comes to the end of its useful life? How do boat owners dispose of unneeded or damaged vessels?

In many cases, they don’t. In Alaska, as in a number of other states, abandoned vessels are a huge issue. Steamboat Slough outside Bethel, for example, is home to many abandoned boats, from fish processing vessels to dismantled barges that are waiting for time—or state or federal agencies—to end them.

hen a Fairbanks resident flips on a light, the electricity that powers it may have been generated 600 miles away at the Bradley Lake Hydroelectric facility near Homer. Or it may have come from a natural gas facility near Anchorage, or one of Golden Valley Electric Association’s (GVEA) coal-fired plants in Healy.

Most of Alaska’s population lives along the Railbelt, which is served by six utilities. Although they are all linked, they operate individually. But electricity demand is expected to rise in coming years and long-term plans are needed, says Chris Rose, executive director of the Renewable Energy Alaska Project.

laska has always been a state that depends on natural resources. And while much of its history is based around mining, the industry is poised to play a large part in its future as well. According to Alaska’s Mineral Industry 2017, published by Alaska’s Department of Natural Resources Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys, the value of the state’s mineral industry in 2017 totaled $3.15 billion, an increase of roughly 12 percent from 2016. And while numbers are just starting to come in for 2018, it looks like investment in this area will continue to grow.

laska is home to the Iditarod: the Last Great Race. Every March determined mushers and their teams of incredible animals traverse 1,000 miles of sweeping mountains, frozen rivers, dense forest, remote tundra, and windy coastline. The race’s history, the determination of its human competitors, and the energy, strength, and beauty of its canine contestants all contribute to the allure of what has become an internationally iconic event.

So it’s no surprise that visitors to the Last Frontier often want more insight into the race, the racers, and the one-of-a-kind Alaskan huskies bred to run it. Fortunately, sled dog mushers love to share their passion, and listed below are opportunities around the state for locals or out-of-state travelers to (most importantly) cuddle with husky puppies—while learning more about the official sport of the 49th State.

AKANA Annual Meeting

Embassy Suites, Anchorage: The annual meeting of the Alaska Association of Nurse Anesthetists is an opportunity for networking and education. alaskacrna.com

Kodiak: ComFish is the largest commercial fishing show in Alaska and the longest running fisheries trade show in the state, now in its 40th year, bringing together gear vendors, government agencies, and nonprofits involved in every aspect of commercial fishing. kodiakchamber.org/comfish

In early January, the US Coast Guard’s most technologically advanced polar icebreaker, USCG Healy, arrived at Vigor’s Seattle shipyard for maintenance. The $7.3 million contract includes sea valve renewal and overhaul, bow thruster modifications, ballast tank and underwater hull paint preservation, and various machinery overhauls. The vessel will be at Vigor’s Harbor Island facility through June 2019. vigor.net

Vigor

ering Straits Native Corporation President and CEO Gail R. Schubert finds deep satisfaction in her work to benefit the corporation’s shareholders, descendants, and communities. “Bering Straits has grown to a point where we’re able to increase shareholder development opportunities and I’m proud of that,” she states. “We’ve increased scholarship distributions, dividends, and distributions to Elders. Our growth is helping benefit our shareholders—that’s something I feel really good about.”