Editor's Note: Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Holiday. Now let’s get busy and take advantage of some sweet promotions for makers of artisan goods in Montana.

And please remember to share and invite other makers who might be interested in unlocking their digital success!

The "Hidden" Montana Discount (High Value)

Before you pay out of pocket, you should know that the state of Montana might foot the bill for your digital upgrades. NOTE: See our special guide to applying for this grant below in the “Did You Know” section!

• Strategic Investment Grants (SIG)

  • The Deal: Up to $1,000 in matching funds.

  • What it covers: Specific professional development or market expansion activities. This often includes costs for expanding online presence (like building a new Shopify site) or purchasing professional tools that represent a "clear step forward."

  • Value: It’s effectively a 50% discount on any major tool or upgrade they need to buy.

  • Link: Montana Arts Council SIG Guidelines

• Indian Equity Fund (IEF) Small Business Grant

  • The Deal: Up to $14,000 for enrolled members of Montana’s federally recognized tribes.

  • What it covers: Purchasing new equipment, assets, or technology to expand a business.

  • Link: Montana Dept of Commerce IEF

Artisan & Maker Operations

Tools specifically designed for people who make and sell physical goods.

• Craftybase

  • The Deal: 5% to 40% off. (Often offers ~40% off annual plans during Cyber Week or via promo code NICEFINDTEN for monthly trials).

  • Value: This is the "QuickBooks for Makers." It tracks inventory of raw materials (beads, fabric, wax) and calculates the real Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) so artisans know if they are actually making a profit on that wholesale order.

  • Link: craftybase.com

• Faire (Winter Market)

  • The Deal: Faire Winter Market (Jan 21-23, 2025). Not a software discount, but a sales event. Faire will often match discounts up to 5% for brands that run promotions during this window.

  • Value: For artisans selling wholesale, this is the biggest cash-flow opportunity of Q1. Registering for the market now ensures they get the "promo match" where Faire effectively subsidizes their discount to retailers.

  • Link: faire.com/markets

Marketing & Visuals

• Flodesk

  • The Deal: 50% off the first year of their annual plan (Common Black Friday offer, often accessible via affiliate links or "BFCM25" type codes).

  • Value: The "pretty" email platform. Unlike Mailchimp, Flodesk charges one flat rate regardless of how many subscribers you have. This is huge for growing artisan brands who don't want to be penalized for having a large list.

  • Link: flodesk.com

• SocialBee

  • The Deal: 70% off for 3 months (Code: SOCIALBEEBF25 or similar during Cyber Week).

  • Value: Allows artisans to batch-schedule all their Instagram/Pinterest/Facebook content for the holiday rush in one sitting, so they can get back to the studio.

  • Link: socialbee.com

• Tool: Affinity V2 Suite (Designer, Photo, Publisher)

  • The Deal: 50% Off Individual Apps (Typically $34.99 per app, down from $69.99, or a bundle for $82.99).

  • URL: Affinity Store

  • Value: This is the most popular, professional-grade alternative to Adobe, and it's a one-time purchase, not a subscription. This is a massive long-term saving. It provides professional tools for:

    • Affinity Photo: Powerful product photo editing (alternative to Photoshop).

    • Affinity Designer: Vector graphics for logos, packaging, and digital art (alternative to Illustrator).

    • Key Advantage for Makers: You pay once and own the software forever, making it an excellent investment that the Montana SIG grant can cover.

The "Boring" Essential Ops

• Shopify

  • The Deal: $1/month for the first 3 months (New merchants only).

  • Value: The gold standard for ecommerce. If any of you are still on Etsy only, this low barrier to entry allows them to build your own customer list without the risk of high upfront costs.

  • Link: shopify.com/pricing

• Advanced E-commerce Marketing Automation

  • Tool: Retainful

  • The Deal: 30% Off on All Plans.

  • URL: Retainful E-commerce Automation Deals

  • Value: Specifically built for online stores (Shopify, WooCommerce). The primary benefit is Abandoned Cart Recovery—a massive revenue generator for e-commerce. It automatically sends follow-up emails to customers who leave items in their cart, directly recapturing lost sales. It also manages next-order coupons and referral programs, which are key for building a repeat-customer base for artisan goods.All-in-One CRM & Marketing Automation

PLUS 90 MORE DEALS !! Tool: EngageBay

• The Deal: 40% Off All Plans (First-time customers), plus a bundle of 50,000 free email credits and free campaign setup.

• URL: EngageBay Black Friday/Holiday Offers

• Value: This is perfect for the maker ready to step up their game. EngageBay is an all-in-one platform that combines Marketing (email automation, landing pages), Sales (CRM, pipeline tracking), and Customer Service (helpdesk). Instead of cobbling together five different tools, a small business gets a unified customer view, allowing them to track a customer from their first website visit all the way through their fifth purchase. The free campaign setup and extra credits make the deal exceptionally strong.

Did You Know? 
Unlock Funding for Your Creative Business

Are you a Montana resident ready to take your art or creative business to the next level with professional software, e-commerce platforms, or marketing tools?

The Montana Strategic Investment Grant (SIG) offers up to $1,000 in reimbursement funding specifically designed to support professional development and market expansion—which is perfect for investing in the digital tools you need to grow.

This guide provides a straightforward breakdown of the grant requirements, showing you how to frame your software purchase as an eligible activity, calculate the required dollar-for-dollar match (including your time!), and navigate the application process successfully.

Ready to secure funding for your digital upgrade?

Download the Montana Gateway Guide to SIG Grant Application!

Till next time,

Montana Gateway