A MAIN STREET OPERATING STUDIO AT DORDT UNIVERSITY

The knowledge that runs your business shouldn’t live in one person’s head.

We help Main Street, farm, and family businesses turn how they operate into something written down, teachable, and built to outlast any single owner.

Start with a Build Day →

FIND YOUR DOOR

Three doors. One studio.

An owner, a student, and a banker each need something different from us. Start where you fit.

For Business Owners

You built it — let’s make it last. Document how your business runs into an operating model you can hand to a manager, a buyer, or the next generation.

Explore owner engagements →

For Students

Real firm. Real operating model. Real stakes. Through BUAD 304 you build the operating model for an actual business — working with the owner, not a textbook.

See the student path →

For Partners & Institutions

You’re not funding charity — you’re buying deal flow. Get early visibility into documented, bankable, transferable businesses.

Become an anchor partner →

THE PROBLEM WE SOLVE

When it only lives in your head, it can’t be handed to anyone.

A business whose operating knowledge lives only in the owner can’t be delegated, can’t be sold for what it’s worth, and can’t survive a transition. We turn owner-dependent know-how into a documented, transferable asset.

How the Studio works →

FREE TO USE

Operating tools for Main Street businesses.

Worksheets, templates, checklists, and calculators — organized by your industry and by the problem you’re trying to solve. No course required.

Browse the OPS Tools Library →

The work, in numbers

• [ X ] firms served
• [ X ] cohorts completed
• [ X ]+ free operating tools

THE STUDIO SEQUENCE

One path, three stages.

Most firms start at Diagnose and move forward at their own pace — and you keep everything we build with you.

1 · Diagnose

A Build Day scores your operating model and pinpoints the gaps. You leave with a scorecard and a plain-English scoping memo.

2 · Build

A student team documents how your business actually runs over a semester — producing a complete OPS Playbook you own and keep.

3 · Strengthen

Put the model to work: prepare for succession, adopt practical AI, or build a new revenue line.

PROOF

Latest from the Studio

Real firms, real results — straight from the cohorts.

See all case studies →

[ Pull quote from an owner — a sentence about what changed when the operating model was finally written down. Placeholder until consent. ]

[ Owner name · Business · Cohort ]

Frequently asked questions

Is this for startups?

No. We document and strengthen existing businesses. We’re a studio, not an incubator — our work is about the business you already run, not launching a new one.

Who actually does the work?

Student teams in BUAD 304, working alongside an Operator-in-Residence and regional practitioners. You work with real people on a real timeline.

Do I have to do all three stages?

No. Most firms start with a Build Day and decide from there. You keep everything we build with you at every stage.

What will it cost?

[ Placeholder — pricing to be confirmed. Build Day is the low-commitment first step. ]

GET STARTED

Build a business that lasts.

Tell us about your business in a few minutes. We’ll follow up about the next Build Day.

Start with a Build Day →