Don’t Go It Alone: Leveraging Small Business Resources in Hampton Roads

Unposed group of creative business people in an open concept office brainstorming their next project.-1.jpegSmall business owners may often feel like they’re swimming upstream every day, trying to squeeze profits and maximize resources. Subject to local, state, federal and international economic trends, unpredictable ebbs and flows, and other unforeseen conditions, it is a challenge to chart the right course to grow the business and thrive.

Fortunately, there are two organizations right here in Hampton Roads that provide small business resources that can turn the tide, and open the floodgates of prosperity.

For the entrepreneur considering a new business venture, or for owners who have been around awhile, it’s well worth your time to check out the Hampton Roads Small Business Development Center (HRSBDC) in Hampton, VA, and the Small Business Technology Development Center (SBTDC) in Elizabeth City and Nags Head, NC.

These two state-funded organizations have additional regional offices all across their states, are linked with government agencies and higher education, and provide information, sound advice, and key small business resources that can make all the difference.

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Hampton Roads Small Business
Development Center (HRSBDC)

 Simply click on hrsbdc.org, and you’ll instantly tap into dozens of free and useful small business resources that can help you grow. Features include:

Getting Started - A zoning guide, what to look for in legal, accounting or insurance companies, licenses and zoning guides, and even a startup calculator.

Taxes - Provisions in state and federal tax codes, IRS tax tips, and facts on capital gains and losses.

Small Business Financing - Every business can use cash. Have you checked out the Hampton Roads Small Business Loans or 757 Angels? What about the Tidewater Business Financing Corporation or the Virginia Small Business Financing Authority? These agencies and organizations have small business resources for you to explore. Don’t miss these opportunities to improve your cash flow.

The HRSBDC has much more to offer, including disaster planning and legal tips, international trade and export guides, employee handbook and business plan prep. Perhaps most valuable, they have well-qualified professionals on staff waiting and available to understand your business’s needs and to help you grow.

 

Screen Shot 2017-10-09 at 12.23.20 PM.pngSmall Business Technology
Development Center (SBTDC)

 

With a regional SBTDC office located at Elizabeth City State University, the office serves North Carolina’s northeastern counties including Currituck, Camden, Gates, Perquimans, and Pasquotank.

Similar to its sister organization to the north, the SBTDC is a dynamic office, offering a wide range of free small business resources to help get a business started and to grow it.

SBTDC staff can create a plan and apply for venture capital, provide import/export advice and/or resources, help your research or technology-based business apply for SBIR/STTR funds, guide you in accessing ExIm banks, as a Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC), help you apply for government contracts, and provide other solid business-related guidance.

Visit www.sbtdc.org for a multitude of online resources and videos to help you with your research and to get started; or call them today. Experienced SBTDC professional counselors are standing by to learn about what your business needs to grow.

Navigating the choppy economic waters is tricky enough for the small business owner. Don’t go it alone. Find higher ground by tapping into the small business resources available right here in the Hampton Roads region.

It may be just the thing your business needs to stay afloat. 

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