Cloquet, MN business owners can work with Lakeshire Business Funding, a small-business funding broker in Duluth, Minnesota, by phone and online. This page gives Census figures for Cloquet and ZIP 55720 in Carlton County and explains Minnesota registration and how requests are handled. Lakeshire is a broker, not a lender; lending partners decide and set rates and terms.
| County | Carlton County, Minnesota |
|---|---|
| ZIP 55720 employers | 398 employer establishments with 5,570 paid staff (Census ZBP 2023) |
| Fewer than five employees | 52.0% of employers in ZIP 55720 (same source) |
| Construction employers | 37 in ZIP 55720; 81.1% with fewer than five employees |
| Self-employed residents | 9.8% of Cloquet's employed residents, plus or minus 3.0 (ACS 2020-2024) |
| Who decides | The lending partner |
Cloquet, MN business counts from ZIP 55720
ZIP 55720, Cloquet's postal ZIP, had 398 employer establishments in 2023, with 5,570 paid employees and about $309.6 million in annual payroll. Just over half of those establishments, 52.0 percent, had fewer than five employees (U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023).
All of Cloquet's land lies inside ZIP 55720, but the city covers only about 22.5 percent of the ZIP's land. The rest is surrounding Carlton County, so these are ZIP figures that include businesses outside the city limits.
What kinds of employers ZIP 55720 has
| Sector | Establishments | Under-5-employee share |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 67 | 28.4% |
| Retail trade | 58 | 37.9% |
| Other services | 52 | 63.5% |
| Construction | 37 | 81.1% |
| Accommodation and food services | 35 | 31.4% |
| Finance and insurance | 31 | 74.2% |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 22 | 68.2% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023. The construction figure is the one that stands out: four in five construction employers in the ZIP had fewer than five employees. Firms that small usually pay for materials and labor well before a job is paid, which is the gap contractor financing is built around.
Working for themselves: Cloquet, MN residents
An estimated 9.8 percent of Cloquet's employed residents were self-employed, plus or minus 3.0 points: 3.0 percent in an incorporated business of their own and 6.8 percent in an unincorporated one (U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates). The margin of error is wide, so treat the figure as a rough indication rather than a precise share.
Paperwork for a Cloquet, MN business
A Cloquet business files its entity and state tax registrations with Minnesota like any other Minnesota business; the Minnesota filing checklist covers what partners usually check. Licenses for particular activities are a city or county matter.
Cloquet, MN to West Superior Street, by phone
Owners in Cloquet do not need to travel to Duluth, MN. Call (218) 353-6774 or send the short request form, and we talk through what the funding is for, which options fit and what a lending partner is likely to ask. Every area served lists nearby Carlton County towns such as Esko, Carlton, Scanlon and Wrenshall, and the Duluth, MN page covers St. Louis County, which is a different county from Cloquet's.
Cloquet, MN businesses we help
Our partners have confirmed appetite for four kinds of business: contractors and construction trades, restaurants and food service, medical and dental practices, and retailers and wholesalers that carry stock. If your Cloquet, MN business is something else, call and ask before you spend time on paperwork.
Documents to have ready
- Business checking statements covering roughly the last quarter or two
- Last year's filed tax return for the business
- Government-issued ID for each owner
- Proof of ownership and business registration
- A list of existing business debts and payments
- The equipment quote, contract or purchase order the funding is for
Each lending partner sets its own list, so treat this as a starting point.
What happens after you reach out
- It starts with a call to (218) 353-6774 or the short contact form. On the phone we cover the purpose of the funds, time in business and approximate monthly revenue.
- We explain which funding types fit that use and what partners usually need to see. Nothing is submitted without your go-ahead.
- After you give the go-ahead, we share the request with suitable lending partners, and each one decides on its own.
- When an offer arrives, weigh its full cost, how payments are scheduled and the conditions. Accepting is entirely your choice.
Our address: 424 W Superior St, Duluth, MN 55802.
By Lakeshire Business Funding · Updated
