Entrepreneurs are looking to economize these days, so it’s small wonder that free advice from Small Business Development Centers is in great demand, writes microbusiness expert Dawn Rivers Baker.
SBDCs offer a range of services, including classes and individual counseling.
By now we’ve all heard one of the newest American complaints — all this stimulus and bailout money, but where’s mine?
Like many individuals, most businesses won’t get much government help.
But many savvy companies will find ways to make sure they benefit from the massive increase anyway.
Here are three examples of some of the opportunities and how to capture them:
Online Request for SBDC Counseling
The federal government doesn't just collect taxes and look over our shoulders at our business practices. It has a number of organizations that actually help business.
Much of that help is aimed at smaller businesses and, better yet, much of it is free. And you have easy access to most of it through the Internet. Here's a look at six agencies with freebies designed to help your business.
Just a few days after President Obama announced a stimulus plan for small businesses, more breaks might be in the works.
Rep. Frank Kratovil of Maryland, a Democrat, and Rep. Chris Lee of New York, a Republican, proposed amending IRS code to allow new businesses to write off more of their operating costs.
Small business owners who have watched banks and automakers get assistance from the government can now receive some help, too.
The government is making it easier for companies to get loans from the Small Business Administration. It’s eliminating fees on its most popular loans, known as 7a loans, and guaranteeing a larger portion of the amount borrowed. It’s also eliminating fees on what are called CDC/504 loans.
Can an individual find a grant to help start a business? At the Small Business Development Centers, we hear this question many times a week. Unless it is for a clear purpose, the answer is no.
Many foundations offer grants to individuals for educational purposes in the form of scholarships, fellowships and funds for special studies or research. Many offer grants to non-profit organizations such as Action, Inc., the Boys and Girls Clubs, Project S.A.F.E. and so forth. Many others offer grants to educational institutions for special studies and research.
