Stafford Library: Entrepreneurship Resource Guide: Organizations to Help You

Finding Organizations in the United States to Help You

Library of Congress Small Business Financing: A Resource Guide
Federal, state, and local governments offer various types of financing that range from grants, loans, and scholarships, to tax incentives.

Local Partners of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)

These local offices and centers counsel, mentor, and train small business owners.

SBA District Offices
Offer counseling, training and business development specialists to help you start and grow your business.
SCORE Business Mentoring
A nonprofit association comprised of over 13,000 volunteer business counselors, advisors, and mentors who offer free counseling and mentoring throughout the U.S. and its territories.
Small Business Development Centers
Provide aspiring and current small business owners a variety of free business consulting and low-cost training services including: business plan development, manufacturing assistance, financial packaging and lending assistance, exporting and importing support, disaster recovery assistance, procurement and contracting aid, market research help, 8(a) program support, and healthcare guidance.
Regional Innovation Clusters
Regional Innovation Clusters are geographically-concentrated networking hubs of small businesses, suppliers, service providers, and related institutions that work together to maximize resources, compete on larger scales, and drive innovation and job creation.
Council on Underserved Communities
The Council on Underserved Communities (CUC) provides the U.S. Small Business Administration with input, advice and recommendations on strategies to help strengthen competitiveness and sustainability for small businesses in underserved communities.
Certified Development Company (504) Loan Program
CDCs are certified and regulated by the SBA. Small business applicants work directly with a participating SBA lender and not with SBA. The loan program is designed to assist for-profit businesses that are not able to get other financing from other resources.
Procurement Technical Assistance Centers
Provide technical assistance to businesses that want to sell products and services to federal, state, and/or local governments.
Type in your zip code to find the SBA resources in your state.
U.S. Export Assistance Centers
These centers support American small businesses who want to compete globally by exporting.
Disaster Field Operations Centers
The SBA is responsible for standing up local business recovery centers and disaster loan outreach centers, as well as staffing federal and state disaster recovery centers in disaster sites. These field offices act as one-stop-shops for businesses, homeowners, and renters seeking to cover losses caused by declared natural disasters.

Federal Government Offices that Help Minority, Female, and U.S. Veteran Entrepreneurs

Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA)
Click on the "Research Library" link for data & research on minority enterprises.
Click on the "Locate a Business Center" link to find out the closest location to you and the services it provides.
Small Business Administration's Office of Native American Affairs
Check out this page's links to resources for Native American entrepreneurs.
Small Business Administration's Office of Veterans Business Development
Check out the resources offered for Veterans, Service-Disabled Veterans, Reserve Component Members, and their dependents or survivors.
Small Business Administration's Veteran's Business Outreach Centers
You can search by state to find centers near you that provide entrepreneurial development services and referrals for eligible veterans owning or considering starting a small business.
Small Business Administration's Office of Women's Business Ownership
Check out this page's links to resources for female entrepreneurs.
Small Business Administration's Women's Business Centers
You can search by state to find centers which are designed to assist women in starting and growing small businesses.
Veteran Entrepreneur Portal of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Provides direct access to the resources necessary to guide every step of entrepreneurship, makes it easier for small businesses to access federal services, and quickly connects Veteran entrepreneurs to relevant ‘best-practices’ and information.

Other Organizations that Help Minority, Female, and U.S. Veteran Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurship Center Program of the National Urban League
Provides entrepreneurs with individualized counseling, mentoring, management training, and obtaining financing and/or contract opportunities.
Veterans Business Resource Center
This center is dedicated to helping men and women who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces achieve the American dream of owning and successfully operating their own businesses. They focus on veterans in the states of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska.

Organizations in Missouri

In addition to the links below, take a look at the links in the "Informative Entrepreneurial Websites for Missourians" box on the Internet Links page of this guide.

Missouri Business Development Program
The University of Missouri Extension Business Development Program (BDP) is a statewide network which helps businesses succeed in every stage from concept to startup, growth to renewal, mature to succession through a variety of programs. In addition to MU Extension offices, business counselors are based on each of the campuses of the University of Missouri and at other public higher education institutions throughout Missouri. Our website provides access to information, assistance and training to help businesses compete in a rapidly changing world.
Missouri Small Business & Technology Development Centers (SBTDC)
As a part of the Missouri Business Development Program, SBTDC experts are located statewide providing help on a variety of business topics through professional business analysis, business consultations and access to technology resources.
Find a location near you and schedule your appointment.
Missouri Technology Corporation
The MTC is a public-private partnership created by the Missouri General Assembly to promote entrepreneurship and foster the growth of new and emerging high-tech companies. MTC focuses on the life sciences and technology industries, which build on Missouri’s rich history in agriculture.
MOSourceLink
Provides small businesses with free, easy access to the help you need through a network of nonprofit resource organizations that provide business-building services.
The website has a lot of information itself.
MOSourceLink's Resource Navigator
The Navigator allows you to do your own customized online search for the network resources in your area that can meet your needs.
Missouri Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (MO PTAC)
Assist businesses in obtaining federal, state and local government contracts.
MO Department of Economic Development Small Business Incubator Program
Program link shows eligibility, application procedures, and state office contact information.
Missouri Technology Corporation's IDEA Funds
Information on funds available from the Missouri Technology Corporation, a public-private partnership created by the Missouri General Assembly to promote entrepreneurship and foster the growth of new and emerging high-tech companies.

Organizations in Mid-Missouri including Columbia

Regional Economic Development Inc. (REDI)
As part of its mission to enhance the vitality of business and increase the number of quality, sustainable jobs in Columbia and Boone County, REDI has entrepreneurship as one of its strategic priorities.
REDI's Innovation Hub
A place for entrepreneurs to create and connect with a community of peers and resources to grow their business and skills for leadership. It offers 24/7 access to its space for work and meetings with teams and clients.
Missouri Innovation Center in Columbia
Its programs are involved with:
1) Developing the culture and processes for technology entrepreneurship in Mid-Missouri.
2) Delivering full-cycle technology commercialization services.
3) Operating a life science business incubator in affiliation with the University of Missouri.
4) Providing a business mentoring and incubation program.
Mid-Missouri Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
Learn about resources available to you in Mid-Missouri.

Organizations and Resources in St. Louis, Missouri

Entrepreneur Quarterly (St. Louis)
Entrepreneur Quarterly (EQ) is Saint Louis' media platform dedicated to startups, St. Louis city innovation and local STL entrepreneurs.
Saint Louis All Things Entrepreneurship
This group shares business ideas and builds long lasting profitable companies by utilizing creative concepts, partnerships, and networking.

Organizations and Resources in Kansas City, Missouri

KCSourceLink
Serves the greater Kansas City Metropolitan Area by connecting entrepreneurs to resources, coaches, funding, and education and by helping coordinate great events for entrepreneurs.

Organizations and Resources in Texas

Go Big in Texas
Provides valuable information for companies looking to expand or relocate in Texas.
Small Business Guide with Legal, Regulatory and Tax Requirements for Doing Business in Dallas
Published by the City of Dallas' Office of Economic Development.
Dallas Development Guide 2023
The Governor's Small Business Handbook
Information on how to start a business in Texas as well as tax responsibilities, business licenses & permits, financing, and much more.
Four-Step Startup Process in the State of Texas
Published on the website of the state of Texas.
Click on the appropriate red box to learn more about:
1) Business Structure.
2) Business Tax Responsibilities.
3) Business Licenses and Permits.
4) Business Employer Requirements.

Click on the links in the left column to learn about:
1) Growing a Business.
2) Small Business Incentives.
3) Local Incentives.
4) Funding Programs.
5) Financing and Capital.
6) And much more.
Texas Secretary of State Business Startup Guides and Resources

Organizations and Resources in Florida

Enterprise Florida
A public-private partnership between Florida’s business and government leaders and is the principal economic development organization for Florida. EFI’s mission is to expand and diversify the state’s economy through job creation.
Open My Florida Business
This portal is designed to help individuals seeking to start and operate a business in the Sunshine State. By entering the type of business you wish to start, the portal will create a checklist to help you understand State of Florida governmental requirements for your business category. The downloadable eGuide available on the portal contributes basic tools to open your business in Florida, and provides supplementary resources to the portal’s business-specific checklists.
University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program
Helps startup companies develop into financially stable, high impact businesses by providing the tools, training, and infrastructure that help facilitate smarter, faster growth.
National Entrepreneur Center
Located in Orlando, Florida.