A strong appetite for hard work became a recipe for success for two local business owners over the years. Mort Bank was counting on the people of Bismarck to have a hunger for something out of this world 12 years ago when he opened Space Aliens Grill and Bar in north Bismarck. Fortunately, it turned out to be the perfect addition to Bismarck’s menu of services. “It’s a challenge to come up with something that is new and different. But once you do, then you have to have the confidence in what you’re going to do,” Bank said.

That’s what you’ll find in the spirit of any entrepreneur. For someone wanting to start a business, Bismarck may be just the place. Fortune Small Business magazine recently ranked Bismarck as No. 2 on a list of the best small cities to do business. Included in the study’s criteria was demand for business goods and services, unemployment, income and population growth figures. Bank believes one of the benefits of starting a business in Bismarck is our city and state departments. They are easily accessible and very willing to work with new business owners. “This is a dream come true. There are things you don’t appreciate until you try to do business in another state,” Bank said.

Bank has four Space Aliens restaurants in North Dakota, three in Minnesota, and will soon open one in Sioux Falls, S.D. The biggest difference he sees is the cost of doing business. Bank says it is about a half to a third higher in Minnesota. “North Dakota just makes it a lot easier to be profitable,” Bank said. While his customers are biting into ribs voted “Best in America,” the two main areas that eat into Bank’s profits include a lack of a “tip credit,” and believe it or not … water. To open a restaurant in Albertville, Minn., Bank had to drop a quarter of a million dollars just to be granted access to water and sewer. The cost of monthly utilities is also about 30 percent to 40 percent higher than Bismarck, he said. In addition, Minnesota servers need to be paid minimum wage in addition to their tips. North Dakota has a tip credit, which allows the hourly rate to be lower than minimum wage.

Even though the bottom line is critical in new business ventures, it isn’t the only factor to determine success. Work ethic is really what may make or break you. Joe Hauer, owner of United Printing, believes a true entrepreneur will naturally be a hard worker. “To me, work is fun. I think you find that true with many entrepreneurs. You can’t satisfy their appetite for work,” he said.

Hauer launched United Printing 44 years ago, and believes without a doubt the success of his business is due in part to the hard workers he’s employed over the years. Hauer also has printing businesses in Phoenix, and the contrast of work e he finds it interesting, though, that it is very difficult to lure someone from Bismarck to Arizona for a job if they haven’t already decided they want to move there.

When you’re talking climate, Phoenix may have Bismarck beat, but the business climate is more appealing here. “Bismarck offers a unique business advantage,” said Kelvin Hullet, president of the Bismarck- Mandan Chamber of Commerce. “We are different from a lot of other places in that we can move fast with access to the decision makers. If those of us in the business community want to call the governor or a congressman, we can talk to them personally. A lot of other places you would have to work through a lot of staffers.”

When Hullet talks with business owners new to Bismarck- Mandan, he often hears praise about our community. They enjoy the commute times, the quality of schools and the general feeling of security.

Being named No. 2 in a Fortune Small Business list is certainly a helpful marketing tool as Hullet aims to lure more businesses to Bismarck- Mandan, but it hasn’t made his office complacent. “We have been ranked in so many places as providing a great quality of life, so we’re doing a good job. But we think, how do we keep it going, and do it better? Even if we see we’re doing really well in one category, we look to see what categories we are low in and how we could push harder,” he said.

Bismarck has what a lot of people are looking for, Hullet said, and the relocation packet requests prove it. Hullet said that six years ago, they gave out three to five packets per month. Last month, they sent out 38 packets. With their new Web site, they are able to gather more information about the people requesting packets, as well. “They are people from all over the country. They see the strength of our economy, the multiple articles we’re mentioned in, and they are interested in moving here,” he said.

Hullet says Bismarck has always been a regional hub of sorts, but we have solidified it in recent years. “We like to say that Bismarck-Mandan is transitioning from a big town to a small city,” he said. That transition equates to a number of people moving to Bismarck and thus more traffic for businesses: just what an entrepreneur likes to see. Bismarck also offers incentives for business owners through Bismarck-Mandan’s Development Association, the IDEA Center and the RAIN Source Capital Fund.

For those looking to do business in Bismarck, they may be greeted by a community willing to serve up support, whereas in other parts of the country, their big dreams may be chewed up and spit out. “The business environment in a bigger city can be very cruel to you if you’re not prepared for it,” said Hauer. And just like Space Aliens’ ribs, Bismarck has proven to be one of the “Best in America” to business owners looking for a new start.