Our Favorite Resources for Entrepreneurs
NEW YORK BUSINESS EXPRESS
https://www.businessexpress.ny.gov/
Introducing the New York Business Express Website.
Visit New York's new comprehensive guide for all your business and professional needs. Quickly and easily find information related to licensing, regulation, incentives and support to start or grow your business.
EMPIRE STATE DEVELOPMENT
Small Business Resource Center
Business First
Empire State Development’s Division for Small Business supports the continuous development and growth of small businesses in New York State. Start-up assistance, access to capital, financial assistance, technical assistance, and support for minority- and women-owned businesses; industry-specific resources, mandated government filings and many more resources are available through the center.
BUSINESS MENTOR NY
Business Mentor NY is a free, easy-to-use social network that allows entrepreneurs and volunteer business mentors to connect so they can solve problems and build businesses together. Join a growing community that has already created thousands of mentor-mentee matches and continues to make an impact through the power of mentoring to help small businesses thrive.
ENTREPRENEURIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
http://esd.ny.gov/BusinessPrograms/EAP.html
Helps entrepreneurs create new businesses by providing instructions, training, technical assistance and help in obtaining financing. The program’s EAP centers are strategically located throughout New York State.
SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER
Through a network of 24 regional centers, the New York State Small Business Development Center (NYS SBDC) delivers high-quality, free or low-cost business counseling and training to New Yorkers who want to start a business or improve the performance of an existing business, free of charge. A List of trainings offered by NYS SBDC is at http://www.nyssbdc.org/training/listtraining.aspx. Check EntreSkills for Entrepreneurs, an interactive, web-based training program.
These videos offer helpful advice from Geri Kavanah of the NYS Small Business Development Center:
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (SBA)
The SBA helps entrepreneurs start, build and grow businesses through an extensive network of field offices, partnerships with public and private organizations, and vast array of online services.
Starting a business is an exciting proposition, but it’s also an incredibly challenging undertaking. These resources will help entrepreneurs learn what it takes to start their own business. Some online resources offered by SBA:
Small Business Readiness Assessment: https://eweb1.sba.gov/cams/training/business_primer/assessment.htm
Nine Steps to Starting a Business: https://www.sba.gov/starting-business/how-start-business/9-steps-starting-business
Online Small Business Training: https://www.sba.gov/tools/sba-learning-center/search/training
SBA Community: http://www.sba.gov/community/
Business USA: http://business.usa.gov/
Veterans Business Outreach Program (VBOP)
https://www.sba.gov/tools/local-assistance/vboc
This partnership, comprised of 16 organizations, is designed to provide entrepreneurial development services such as business training, counseling, mentoring, and referrals for eligible veterans owning or considering starting a small business at regional Veterans Business Outreach Centers.
Women’s Business Centers (WBC)
https://www.sba.gov/tools/local-assistance/wbc
WBC represents a national network of nearly 110 educational centers designed to help women start and grow small businesses. Through these centers, SBA provides women entrepreneurs with counseling, training, and assistance to develop strategic plans, conduct market studies, implement new technologies, and access capital. With special focus on women who are economically and socially disadvantaged, they offer comprehensive training and counseling in many languages.
SBA Financing
https://www.sba.gov/about-sba-navigation-structure/financial-assistance
The SBA does not make loans, but rather guarantees loans for qualified small businesses. Programs that may be accessed through any SBA office or SBA-funded center include debt financing, surety bonds, and equity financing; 7(a) loan program for “brick and mortar” financing; Microloan Program (maximum of $35,000); Surety Bond Guarantee and Venture Capital Program.
Some resources:
Active and participating microloan intermediaries that the SBA partners with by state (PDF)
Leveraging Information and Networks to access Capital (LINC). This tool connects prospective borrowers with approved SBA lenders
Check https://www.sba.gov/starting-managing-business for other SBA initiatives and resources.
SCORE
An organization dedicated to educating entrepreneurs and the formation, growth, and success of small businesses. More than 12,000 volunteer business mentors, both working and retired, counsel businesses from nearly 400 chapter offices throughout the country. SCORE volunteers hail from every facet of the business community. Some have worked at large corporations such as Kodak, Xerox, Boeing and General Electric. Some have served in our military or worked for the local or federal government. Others have spent years cultivating their own small business. Since 2009, nearly 1.6 million entrepreneurs have used many free or low-cost workshops offered by SCORE at https://www.score.org/take-workshop.
America's Small Business Champions Network: https://www.score.org/content/american-small-business-championship
Myriad free and low-cost resources tailored to promoting small business start-up and growth. The network has niche communities for business development interests of women, veterans, youth and individuals with disabilities.
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE MINORITY BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AGENCY (MBDA)
MBDA is a network of minority business centers and strategic partners that support minority business owners who wish to grow their business. Their centers are located in areas with the largest concentration of minority populations and businesses. Business specialists who have the knowledge and practical experience needed to run successful businesses staff the centers. Business referral services are provided free of charge. However, the network generally charges nominal fees for specific management and technical assistance services.
DEPARTMENT OF VETERAN AFFAIRS
Veteran Entrepreneur Portal: http://www.va.gov/OSDBU/entrepreneur/index.asp
This site offers direct access to the resources necessary to guide every step of entrepreneurship.
Office of Small & Disadvantaged Business Utilization: http://www.va.gov/OSDBU/index.asp
This site's mission is to enable veterans to gain access to economic opportunity by leveraging the federal procurement system and expanding participation of procurement-ready small businesses.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Adult Career and Continuing Education Services: http://www.acces.nysed.gov/
Vocational Rehabilitation (ACCESS-VR): http://www.acces.nysed.gov/vr
These programs help eligible participants with disabilities explore the marketplace, develop a viable business plan, get necessary accommodations, obtain items necessary for a business start-up, and connect with community resources.
SELF-EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
https://labor.ny.gov/seap/index.shtm
Have you ever dreamed of starting your own business? Do you receive Unemployment Insurance benefits?
With the Self-Employment Assistance Program (SEAP), you can collect the Unemployment Insurance benefits you need to pay your bills while you work on that dream!
OTHER
Chambers of Commerce: www.uschamber.com
Chambers of Commerce are organizations centered on furthering the interests of businesses, and local businesses are members.
Business Utility Zone Gateway: http://www.buzgate.org/index.html
Entrepreneurial education and resource community tailored to individuals looking to start, grow and succeed in business.
NYC Business Solutions: http://www.nyc.gov/html/sbs/nycbiz/html/home/home.shtml
NYC Business Solutions is a set of free services offered by the NYC Department of Small Business Services to help businesses start, operate and expand in New York City.
Lynda.com: http://www.lynda.com/Business-training-tutorials/29-0.html?bnr=NMHP_blocks
An online learning company that helps anyone learn business, software, technology and creative skills to achieve personal and professional goals.
Coursera: https://www.coursera.org/
An education platform that partners with top universities and organizations worldwide to offer courses online for anyone to take for free. Look for business and entrepreneurship courses.