Community Development Block Grants
Microsoft Unlimited Potential Grant
Why
a Business Resource Center at "The Gateway?”
The purpose of this site is to assist business owners and those planning to go into business to find those resources available to them in Rowan County. A significant component of the Rowan County Chamber of Commerce 1998 Focused Future campaign was the establishment of a resource center for start up businesses and small business. In addition the site provides summary information and quick links to the various local, state and federal agencies a small business owner would need to contact prior to starting a business.
The actual physical resource center is located at the Chamber's facility "The Gateway" at 204 East Innes Street which houses not only the Chamber but Rowan County Convention and Visitors Bureau and Salisbury-Rowan Economic Development Commission.
In addition to business counseling through the Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Small Business Center and resources such as personal computers, software testing (Microsoft Office 2003, Peachtree Complete 2005), business planning software (Jian BizPlan Builder and Business PlanPro 2006 with 500 sample Business and Marketing plans) and the popular business periodicals Entrepreneur, Fast Company, Inc., Small Business Opportunities and Worth, the Chamber is pleased to offer this site for your use.
Economic Development Specialists from the US Small Business Administration provide counseling once a month. Call the Chamber at 704-633-4221 to schedule an appointment. Its development has been a cooperative effort of the educational and business assistance institutions listed below. Now whether you are considering starting a business or need easy access to business information, the Chamber continues to be the address for business.
Local Resources
Business Education/Planning/ Resources -Planning and research are essential to developing a successful business. Rowan County has many resources available to assist the aspiring business owner.
Free
How to Start Up or Expand A Small Business Guide
Workforce
Investment Boards
Every community is served by a local workforce investment board (WIB).
These boards are responsible for setting policy and overseeing workforce
investment programs for the community. Each board is made up of
individuals who are either appointed or volunteer. One way to ensure
that the resources are being appropriately allocated is to become a
board member-Centralina Workforce Development Board (Employment &
Training)-www.centralinaworks.com
Rowan Public Library (RPL) Rowan Public Library is a three branch library system with branches in Salisbury, Rockwell and Landis. One of the area's largest collections of business related reference and circulating materials are located at library headquarters in Salisbury.
|
Headquarters |
South Branch |
East Branch |
Business related materials at RPL include reference materials and books for check-out, electronic databases, business journals, audio books, and videos. These materials cover a broad range of business related subject areas including business directories, management, corporation records, financial reports, stock information, accounting, business correspondence, statistics, buyer’s guides, marketing, tax and legal information, planning and proposal writing, small business startup, and much, much more. The library is a part of a 10 state lending network, so if we don’t have that essential book you’re looking for, we can attempt to borrow it from another library in the southeast. The library also provides access to valuable electronic resources, including searchable databases of full-text business journal articles; nationwide directories searchable by name, business type, location, and other variables; financial reports and company profiles, and other Internet resources including Pro-Net (SBA’s Procurement Marketing and Access Network), just to name a few. The library also provides remote access to NCLIVE, a comprehensive array of electronic databases covering a broad range of subjects, including business journal articles, directories, financial information, and more. To access NCLIVE remotely, you must be a registered library user. To obtain the password for NCLIVE remote access, click here. The library offers Internet and E-mail classes on a regular basis. We also offer workstations on a reservation or first come-first serve basis with productivity applications including Microsoft Office 2000, which includes word processing, spreadsheet, database, presentation, and desktop publishing software.
Catawba College
www.catawba.edu
2300 W. Innes Street
Salisbury, NC
704-637-4111
The Corriher-Linn-Black Library opened for use in November 1953 and it is the campus center for library and information resources and services. The library is named in memory of Mr. Lotan A. Corriher, Mr. J.P. Linn, Dr. O.R. Black, and Mr. G.O. Lipe. Library resources include over 300,000 volume-equivalents in a wide array of print and nonprint formats from books, documents, maps, and periodicals to microforms, audiovisuals, CD-ROMs, and computer software. The library has been a selective depository for U.S. Government documents since the 1890's and a selective depository for N.C. State documents since 1995. In July 2000, the library became a full depository for N.C. State documents. PLEIADES, the online library system, provides computerized access to library holdings. The library provides access to many online services through the Internet and the World Wide Web, participation in the North Carolina Libraries and Virtual Education (NCLIVE) network for statewide library and information resources and the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) via the Southeastern Library Network (SOLINET) for international online access to cataloging, interlibrary loan/document delivery and reference services.
Livingstone College
www.livingstone.edu
701 W. Monroe Street
Salisbury, NC (map)
704-216-6000
Library website- www.livingstone.edu/lib/webresources.html
The library at Livingstone College has the following business related periodicals: Business Week, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, Journal of Business and Journal of Education for Business. The following business reference materials are available: Hoover's Handbook--American Business, Hoover's Handbook--World Business, National Minority Business Directory and Ward's Private Company Profile.
North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service
-Rowan County- www.ces.ncsu.edu
2727 Old Concord Road
Salisbury, NC
704-216-8970
Cooperative Extension provides research-based educational information in small business start up and operation. Many publications on starting a small business will tell you the basics that an individual should know and consider: So You Want To Start A Business, Decision-Making-Personal, Family & Business Considerations, Economic Trends Affecting Small and Home-Based Businesses, Starting A Business: Know the Law, Market Research, Advertising and Merchandising, Child Day Care in Your Home, Simple Home Repairs, Writing a Business Plan, Business Insurance Basics for Owners of Small Businesses, Qualified and Nonqualified Retirement Plans for Owners and their Employees, Estate Planning and Simplified Employee Pensions. In addition, we have economic resource specialists at NC State University that assist with advising and education the to-be entrepreneurs of the county. Manufacturing Specialist- (704) 369-9019, Agriculture and any Small Business Development Specialist- 704-250-5403, Statistics specialist, 919-515-4671
Rowan-
Cabarrus Community College-Small Business Center-
www.rowancabarrus.edu
1333 Jake Alexander Blvd
Salisbury, NC (Map)
Phone:
(704) 637-0760
Fax: (704) 639-0735
The Small Business Center at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College is part of the Community College System's Statewide Small Business Center Network. The Center provides assistance to potential and existing small business owners in both Rowan and Cabarrus counties as follows: Access to one of the area's most comprehensive library collections of technical and business-related references, Business counseling is available by appointment to assist with business plan preparation and for advice on accounting and record-keeping, sales and marketing, business start-up, business regulations, and more, Workshops and seminars on how to plan and operate a small business effectively, Access to expert faculty and credit courses in entrepreneurship and business administration, Referrals to other agencies, Internet access and courses in computer applications, Small Business Administration documents and Ties to the Small Business Network
One-stop Career Centers- Job link, Employment Security
Commission-
www.centralinawork.com/Website/JobLinks
One-stop career centers provide an array of services: recruitment and
screening of labor market information such as wages and employment
trends and access to training and information.
Small Business & Technology Development Center-www.sbtdc.org
8701 Mallard Creek Road
Charlotte, NC 28262-9705
Phone: 704-548-1090
Fax: 704-548-9050
The Small Business & Technology Development Center provides in-depth management counseling and education services designed to help business owners make better decisions in achieving their business goals. SBTDC counselors are experienced and knowledgeable advisors that work with businesses, providing information, guidance and feedback to entrepreneurs. Counseling also includes assistance in financial planning, human resources, operations, business and strategic planning, feasibility assessment, advertising and marketing. Basic counseling services are provided without charge, as the SBTDC is funded in part by federal and state tax dollars. Additional services, including management education and in-depth marketing research, are provided at cost recovery fees. SBTDC counselors are available to meet with clients at the Charlotte Regional Center or at their individual business addresses. Meetings are scheduled by appointment only.
Demographic Information/Licensing and Permitting-Rowan County
Salisbury-Rowan Economic Development
Commission- www.rowanedc.com
204 East Innes
St., Suite 240
Salisbury, NC 28144
704-637-5526
704-637-0173 fax
The Salisbury-Rowan Economic Development Commission, a
non-profit organization, was formed in August of 1984. The primary
goals of the EDC are to attract new industries, distribution and
warehouse operations; and assist existing industries seeking to expand
their operations in Rowan County, and strive to improve and enhance the
lives of all the citizens of Rowan County. The following services
are available through the EDC office: In-depth profiles or communities
and county, Information on population, labor force analysis, labor
costs, taxes (state and local), utilities, support services,
transportation, education institutions and major manufacturers and
additional information that would help customers secure a successful
location, Inventory of available industrial, warehouse and distribution
sites and buildings for evaluation, Maintains contact with local
government and state agencies that may assist the community and
Maintains strict confidentiality between the EDC and all prospective
companies
Demographic and Economic Data Links
The Employment Security Commission of North Carolina web site www.ncesc.com contains all kinds of up-to-date data on employment and wages for specific industries and for each county. The LINC (log into North Carolina) data set www.linc.state.nc.us is a fabulous data site that pulls together all kinds of data available in the state into one place. Data on businesses, governments, population, migration - too much to list. And it's all by county and for several years. This truly is a "one stop" site for getting information on any county in North Carolina.
Rowan County Planning Office
402 N. Main Street
Salisbury, NC (map)
704-638-3101
The Rowan County Planning Department provides 2 types of services to businesses; regulatory oversight and information dissemination. The primary regulatory service provided involves administration of the zoning and subdivision ordinances in the County's planning jurisdiction. This 400 square mile area includes all land outside municipal limits and municipal ETJ's (extraterritorial planning jurisdiction). Services provided include issuance of zoning permits, processing rezoning and conditional use permits and subdivision approvals. Other services include jurisdiction determination for zoning, address assignment and verification and flood plain regulation. An important information service provided is that of various maps. These include street maps, orthophotography, flood plain maps, zoning maps, etc. The department also provides basic demographic data for the county. The Rowan County Tax Collector issues business licenses. www.factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_lang=en
You can click on these links: Register of Deeds , GIS , Tax Department
City of Salisbury
Salisbury City Planning Office
217 South Main Street
Salisbury, NC 28144
704-638-5242
Businesses operating in the
City of Salisbury
may be subject to separate requirements. You
may wish to check the departments listed below as well as the City's
website. The City of Salisbury offers many business services
online. Business Privilege License,
Tax Schedule and
Application
The
Planning offices provides information on zoning, business locations,
signage etc.
City of Salisbury Zoning Information. A
privilege license may be required for
your business by the
City of Salisbury's Finance Department.
The schedule is listed on that department's page.
To check on occupations Requiring a License in NC- go to www.score.org/bp_12.html
Community and Business Center (Small Business Incubator)
1400
W. Fisher Street
Salisbury NC
704-638-4474
The Business and Community Center is a 5,400 square foot building that houses the City of Salisbury's Community Development Division, the Salisbury Community Development Corporation and the Rowan-Iredell Credit Union. The Center is part of the Salisbury West Complex which also includes the Miller Recreation Center and the Hall Gymnasium. The Business and Community Center aims at providing space to businesses trying to get off the ground. The business incubator program will offer space at below-market-rents- approximately half of the amount a business owner might pay for space "uptown". These owners will have to pay for their own telephone service, but will be able to share the costs of copy and fax machines with other tenants. The city will provide workshops through the Small Business Administration to help prospective entrepreneurs. The community room in the Center offers a sizable meeting room area for business & civic groups, with a well-furnished kitchen, and a gated courtyard for outdoor activities (weekends available.)
Rowan County "Smoke Free Rowan" Program- www.smokefreerowan.com. The Rowan County Health Dept. encourages local businesses & organizations to voluntarily adopt an indoor smoke-free policy.
Regional Resources
Funding your Business' Needs
Financing your business is critical to it's success. Most businesses start with the personal financial resources of its owner/s and the owners' family and friends. Any funding institution will want to see that the owner has a majority of his/her resources committed to the business prior to investing. CENTRALINA DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, INC. (CDC) is a SBA Certified Development Company. The CDC finances small business enterprises with the SBA 504-Loan, which provides business owners in Rowan County capital resources to finance real estate and fixed assets for growth and expansion, and job creation. Historically, the CDC has funded 21 projects in Rowan County, totaling $14.4 million. We pool traditional lending with SBA funding to create many opportunities for our business customer. The CDC, with its local Rowan representation and professional team can connect your business to affordable capital.
504-Loan program provides long term, fixed rate, subordinate mortgage financing and acquisition and/or renovation of capital assets including land, buildings and equipment. Virtually all types of for-profit small businesses are eligible for this program. Lower down payment; allows a business to conserve valuable operating capital by injecting just 10% of total project cost. Fixed interest rate is competitive and usually below market. The borrower knows cost of occupancy for the next 20 years. All project costs can be financed, including acquisition (land and building, land and construction of building, renovations, machinery and equipment) and soft costs such as title insurance, legal appraisal, environmental and bridge loan fees. Closing costs may be financed. 504-program benefits the borrower’s community through job creation and retention.
CDC Capital
1300 Baxter Street, Suite 265
Charlotte, NC 28204
State Level Resources
The North Carolina Department of Commerce is the state’s main agency for economic development. Recruitment is supported by the Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC), a program of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill which provides counseling and technical assistance to businesses. The Corporation Division maintains a corporation’s names database and forms for filing company information.
The North Carolina Department of Revenue provides information for both the general public and tax practitioners on individual, corporate, property and sale/use taxes. Tax Forms and Publications can be browsed and downloaded. The North Carolina Department of Insurance provides information on employer and patient obligations and rights.
NC Investment Tax Credit Program
NC Dept. Secretary of State
Securities
Division
300 N. Salisbury Street
Raleigh, NC 27603
919-733-3924
(Provides a credit against state taxes for investments in qualified
business ventures, grantee businesses and NC Enterprise Corporations.)
NC State Demographics/State Data Center- www.demog.state.nc.us
State Planning, State Demographer/State Data Center/Center for Geographic Information Analysis
116 West
Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27603-8003
919-733-4131
919-715-3562 (fax)
North Carolina Institute of Minority Economic Development
114 West Parrish Street, 4th Floor; P.O. Box 1331
Durham, NC 27701
Telephone: 9199568889
Fax: 9196884358
Federal Level Resources
Federal
Grants
The Department of Labor oversees grant programs focusing on
the workforce needs of employers. To keep apprised of federal grant
opportunities, go to
www.grants.gov/.
There you
can sign up for an e-mail alert announcing grant opportunities. You can
also search by using such keywords as "workforce" or "training," or you
can search by specific federal agency, such as the Department of
Commerce. Training and development grants may also be available through
the National Science Foundation and the Small Business Administration,
among other groups.
Need facts about your industry or community? Want data on your target market? Go to the Census Bureau for all kinds of factual data. Census data can be used as a basis for analyzing business risks, identifying areas where your products and services are needed and making sure your reaching the right communities in the right way.
The U.S. Department of Commerce promotes the economic health of the nation by gathering information, facilitating the use of technology, and supporting U.S. competitiveness in the world marketplace. It is the parent agency for the Bureau of the Census, the Patent and Trademark Office, the Bureau of Export Administration, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
The department’s Minority Business Development Agency provides business and management support to minority and disadvantaged Americans. Links enable you to choose the geographical area where you wish to do business and then locate local MBDA Centers and other minority business resources. The Bureau of the Census offers several guides to its site: search by A to Z subject headings, use a word search, select a state and county for quick facts, or use the "America Fact Finder" to create data tables and maps from the bureau's largest data sets. Please click on these links for business opportunities
The U.S. Department of Labor has a "Laws & Regs" link to "Small Business Regulatory Compliance Assistance" and to a "Summary of Laws, Regulations and Technical Assistance" designed for use by small businesses but containing information useful to all employers and employees. The department's "Statistics & Data" link provides easy access to the "Bureau of Labor Statistics Data" site: click on "News Releases" to view the latest Consumer Price Index summary.
The Internal Revenue Service provides tax information to businesses of all sizes on what taxes to pay and how to pay them: Click on the "Small Business Corner" and then the link "Operating Your Business."
The North Carolina SBA district office is located in Charlotte. SCORE has its own homepage; http://www.score.org/index.html. Click on "Find SCORE'' and use the online mapping feature to locate a chapter near you.
Free Online Courses- SBA Program Office- www.sba.gov
SBA Business Opportunities page
The
U.S. Business Advisor
is a one-stop electronic link to all the information and services which
government provides to the business community in the areas of business
development, financial assistance, taxes, laws and regulations, and
workplace issues.
US Small Business Administration 8A Program-(Government contracts set
aside for the economically and socially disadvantaged) 200 N. College
Street, A-2105,Charlotte, NC 28202,704-344-6563
The Business ServiCenter is a statewide centralized clearinghouse for NC entrepreneurs and business owners to information on services, programs, resources, technical assistance, state business license and regulatory information and potential sources of capital. T The ServiCenter staff provides individualized one-on-one consultations to answer questions, resolve issues, identify and make referrals to appropriate local, regional and statewide service providers. They assist potential business owners navigate through the start-up process and provide all forms, applications and guidelines for state requirements to do business in NC. They work with existing businesses to provide information and referrals to relevant programs and service providers to help them through challenging problems & issues as well as growth and expansion. “ CONTACT for a FREE telephone consultation or for more information: www.nccommerce.com/BusinessServices/StartYourBusiness
NC Dept. of Commerce
919-715-2850
Business Resource Links
Business Plans
Your online free counselor- www.AskJim.biz
Business Plans- www.businessplans.org
Business Plans-www.BPLANS.COM
Call the Chamber for free Financial and Business Planning Counseling at 704-633-4221
Hop On The Bus Business Plan Competition
Palo Alto Software, free samples and links: www.bplans.com
Quicken- www.quicken.com/small_business-- free business tools
Small Business Guide-www.TOOLKIT.CCH.COM
Buying & Selling a Business
Businesses For Sale-www.usbx.com/
Construction a page of resources
Credit
Credit Reporting Agencies- Free credit report-www.annualcreditreport.com
Equifax- www.equifax.com/home/
1-800-685-1111
Experian-www.experian.com
1-800-888-4213
Trans
Union-www.transunion.com
1-800-916-8800
Data, Statistics
Business Statistics- www.BIZSTATS.COM
Bureau of Labor Statistics Data
FedStats
U.S. Census Bureau-www.CENSUS.GOV
Directories- a page of Directory resources
Discussion Groups
Let’s Talk Business Network- www.ltbn.com
Employee Management
Employee Benefits Research Institute: www.ebri.org
Employment Laws- interactive advice & info on the latest regulatory laws: www.dol.gov/elaws
Equal Employment Opportunity, Office of: www.gsa.gov/eeo
Hiring Toolkit- www.uschamber.com/sb/hiring.
National Employee Benefits- www.benefitslink.com
Occupational Information Network (O*Net) -www.onetcenter.org
Occupational Information Network (Spanish Translation)- www.onetcenter.org/db_spanish.html
Rowan County Chamber of Commerce Geared Up 4 Success Website: www.gearedup4success.com
Entrepreneurship
Ideas- www.LOWE.ORG.
Family Business
Families & Work Institute (NYC): www.familiesandwork.org
The Family Firm Institute membership listing: www.ffi.org
Federal Agencies
Census Department: www.census.gov
Environmental Protection Agency: www.epa.gov
Federal Trade Commission: www.ftc.gov
International Trade Admin.: www.ita.doc.gov
National Climatic Data Center: www.ncdc.noaa.gov
North Carolina Secretary of State's Office
NC REAL Enterprise
Small Business Administration: www.sbaonline.sba.gov/
US Dept. of Commerce: www.commerce.gov/
US Government Online Gateway: www.fedworld.gov
Financial/Stock Market
Bloomberg Business News- www.bloomberg.com
Corporate Financials Online- financials on mostly smaller companies: www.cfonews.com
Daily Market Reports- www.stockgroup.com
New York Stock Exchange: www.nyse.com
Personal Finance: Money 101: Glossary
Stock Market Guide- www.onlineinvestors.com
StockMaster- www.stockmaster.com
Funding Opportunities
Access to Capital Electronic Network (Ace-Net) - search secure database for venture cap.:
Call the Chamber for free Financial and Business Planning Counseling at 704-633-4221
Industrial Development Fund –Film Incentives
North Carolina Biotechnology Center
Recycling Business Assistance Center
N.C. Rural Economic Development Center
SBIR/STTR Small Business Technology Funding
Government Bidding
Acquisition Reform Network- gov't procurement regulations & requirements: www.arnet.gov
Daily issue: www.fbodaily.com/today/
North Carolina Military Business Center-www.matchforce.org
SBA's government contracting
Grants
Marketing / Sales Links- a page of Marketing and Sales Links
Media - a page of Media links
NC Agencies
Charlotte Regional Partnership
IBM Patent Server: www.ibm.com/ibm/licensing
Institute of Government- summary of legislative bills by topic and NC leg. activity: www.sog.unc.edu
NC General Assembly: www.ncga.state.nc.us
NC Small Business Center Network: www.ncccs.cc.nc.us/Business_and_Industry/sbcnmainpage.htm
Patent Search System: www.ibiblio.org/patents
Product Testing: www.product-testing.com
Patent/Trademark Information
Questions forum: www.asktheinventors.com
US Patent & Trademark Office: www.uspto.gov
Resources/Books
Your online free counselor- www.AskJim.biz
Business Sample letters from SBA
Scams
National Fraud Information Center- www.fraud.org
Scams- Better Business Bureau: www.bbb.org
Training/Courses/Seminars
FREE 60-Second Guides, Reading Room, Business Columns, Top 5 Tips, Disaster, Preparedness, Internet Learning Tutor, Small Biz Tech Talk, Microsoft Tools, FREE Online Computer Classes- www.gcflearnfree.org
NxLevel – www.nxlevel.org
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College- www.rccc.cc.nc.us (click on Corporate & Continuing Education)
Technology training links from SCORE
Trade Shows/ Conferences
Chamber's Business Show is in May each year, call for details- 704-633-4221
Expoweb- official site for Expo magazine- www.expoweb.com
Trade Show Central- www.tscentral.com
Trade Show Week- www.tradeshoweek.com
Website Resources- a page of website resource links
Women & Minority
Grants-Online Women's Business Center- www.onlinewbc.org
Home-based Working Moms (TX) free membership- www.hbwm.com
National Association of Women Business Owners- www.nawbo.org
National Foundation for Women Business Owners- www.nfwbo.org/
National Women's Business Council- www.womenconnect.com/
North Carolina Center for Women Business Owners- www.wcof.org
SBA support programs for women in business- www.sba.gov/services/specialaudiences/women/index.html
Women's Social Network- www.SavorTheSuccess.com
Women’s Work site for business women- www.wwork.com
