Not Sure Where to Begin????

Contact Cleveland Community College's Small Business Center Director, Bee Strain at
704-484-4146, strain@clevelandcommunitycollege.edu

Contact Kristin Fletcher, Business Retention & Expansion, at 704-487-8521, kristin@clevelandchamber.org

Click here for the Cleveland Community College's Small Business Center Spring Seminar Schedule

Business Resource Center

Business Assistance through Information

Why a Business Resource Center?
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 Cleveland County.  A significant component of the Cleveland County Chamber’s Economic Development strategy was to effectively communicate the resources available to assist both new and existing small businesses.  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.

Local Resources
A variety of resources are available right here in Cleveland County for entrepreneurs and small businesses.  Cleveland Community College (www.cleveland.cc.nc.us) has a Small Business Center that features a variety of low-cost, informational seminars for small business owners.  In addition, the Small Business Center director meets frequently with entrepreneurs to assist them in writing a business plan, access financial assistance, and provide information on state resources that may also be available.  For more information, call Cleveland Community College at (704) 484-4000.

Gardner-Webb University also provides excellent services for small businesses in the community.  The Gardner-Webb School of Business assists local entrepreneurs through the World Trade Resource Network.  For more information on how Gardner-Webb University may be able to assist your business, call (704) 406-4000 or log on to their web site at www.gardner-webb.edu.

The following Chamber member businesses also provide assistance to small businesses in the community.  For more information, click on any of the links listed below.

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-Advantages to Small Businesses are:

• 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.

Who to contact:

Richard Vitolo                      (704) 348-2735    rvitolo@centralina.org

Linda Hardin                        (704) 348-2733    lhardin@centralina.org

Joy Booe                               (704) 348-2732    jbooe@centralina.org

1300 Baxter Street, Suite 400
Charlotte, NC 28204
http://www.centralina.org/cdc/default.htm

A g>Small Business Resource Center is maintained in downtown Charlotte as a partnership between the following organizations:  the U.S. Small Business Administration, Bank of America, BellSouth, U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency and The Kenan Institute Charlotte Urban Enterprise Corps.  Their office is located at 200 North College Street, Suite 2000.

The Mecklenburg County Public Library maintains a resource site called Bizlink with lots of information.

The Small Business Technology Development Center at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte provides management counseling and educational services to help North Carolina businesses meet challenges, manage change and plan for the future.   Counselors from the SBTDC will meet with local businesses by appointment.

State Level Resources
The North Carolina Department of Commerce is the state’s main agency for economic development.  Economic Data  provides statistics on NC’s economy, including county, regional, and industry profiles.  Business Recruitment offers help in finding a business site and in obtaining financial incentives (grants, bonds, etc.).  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 center’s guide, Capital Opportunities for Small Businesses  is an online publication describing financial resources available to small businesses. 

The North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State assists businesses in obtaining licenses, setting up corporations, and registering trademarks.  The Business License Information Office  offers client consultations and referrals to local and federal agencies.  The Corporation Division  maintains a corporations 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.  A directory gives the location of field offices .

The North Carolina Department of Insurance provides information on employer and patient obligations and rights with regard to health insurance.

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 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 Economic Analysis offers the online version of the Survey of Current Business and an "Overview of the U.S. Economy" giving GDP and personal income data. 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 FactFinder" to create data tables and maps from the bureau's largest data sets.

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 Forms and Pubs link offers lists of federal tax forms, instructions, and publications which can be browsed, downloaded or printed, plus a link to state tax forms.

The U.S. Small Business Administration offers help to Americans in starting, financing, and expanding businesses. Click on "Starting" and then on "Business Plans" to find help on writing business plans: The Business Plan: Road Map to Success is an online tutorial . Samples of business plans can be found by clicking on "Outside Resources (Hotlist)" at the end of the tutorial. From the SBA homepage, click on "Offices and Services" to find SBA offices, SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) volunteer counselors, certified development companies, or small business investment companies . The North Carolina SBA district office is located in Charlotte. SCORE has its own homepage. Click on "Find SCORE'' and use the online mapping feature to locate a chapter near you.

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.