NEED SOME BUSINESS ASSISTANCE from Local Resources?

1) Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Small Business Center (RCCC)- www.rowancabarrus.edu/sbc, 1333 Jake Alexander Blvd, Salisbury, (704) 637-0760
Have an idea for starting a small business and just don’t know how to get started?  Are you in the process of writing a business plan and need someone to review your progress?  Confused as to the proper entity you should be or just want to kick some ideas around and get feedback? 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. On the second Tuesday of each month a representative of Rowan-Cabarrus Community College offers a free one hour business counseling session at the Chamber.  The times available run from 9:30-12:30 p.m.  Appointments can be made through the Chamber of Commerce (704-633-4221) or through the Small Business Center at RCCC by calling 704-216-7213 (for appointments in Concord).

• Workshops and seminars on how to plan and operate a small business effectively at the north campus in Salisbury, at Cabarrus Business and Technology Center in Concord and the Kannapolis Train Station in Kannapolis.  

• 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

• Ties to the Small Business Network

2) University of North Carolina at Charlotte Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC)

SBTDC provides in-depth management counseling and education services designed to help business owners make better decisions in achieving their business goals. Counselors are experienced and knowledgeable advisors that work with businesses, providing information, guidance and feedback to entrepreneurs.  Counseling includes assistance in financial planning, human resources, operations, business and strategic planning, feasibility assessment, advertising and marketing.  Basic counseling services are provided at no charge, as the SBTDC is funded in part with federal and state tax dollars.   The SBTDC Procurement Technical Assistance Center can also help you with a free counseling session on doing business with state & federal government (Over 250 KB to load) and potential funding by Angel Investors.  Counselors are available to meet with clients at the Charlotte Regional Center or at your business.  Meetings are scheduled by appointment by calling 704-548-1090 or 919-807-4533, 704-548-1090 x 3346.

3) Catawba College- www.catawba.edu , 2300 W. Innes Street, Salisbury, 704-637-4111

Catawba College’s Corriher Linn Black Library has one of the areas largest collections of business related resources. Several subscriptions to business related journals are maintained there, along with a large number of reference materials. The Catawba College library is the only local repository for federal documents in the area and the library catalog can be searched online by clicking here http://libweb.catawba.edu/.  The Ketner School of Business offers free business counseling services to students and residents alike.

4) Livingstone College-www.livingstone.edu ,701 W. Monroe Street, Salisbury, 704-216-6000, The library at Livingstone College has business related periodicals and business reference materials.  

5)  Rowan Public Library (RPL)  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. 

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 also provides access to Pro-Net (SBA’s Procurement Marketing and Access Network), NCLIVE, and 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.

Federal Level Resources

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 you are 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.