Small Business Administration and Score Invaluable to Your Small Business

A Home Business Article Contributed by Sharon Hill

The Small Business Administration - Your Small Business Friend

There's no better friend to your small business than the SBA - the federal government's Small Business Administration. Best of all, much of its services are free - i.e., your tax dollars at work.

What Your Small Business Can Get from the Small Business Administration

The Small Business Administration, in business for over 50 years, has hundreds of business development centers throughout the United States - and not just in big cities either. My small town of 42, 000 offered an Small Business Administration office that helped me grow my business with one-on-one counseling sessions, assistance with my business plan, and a free lending library that let me borrow a great video on starting my small business.

In general, the Small Business Administration offers training and counseling, loan programs, contracting assistance (their help is invaluable when it comes to going after a government contract or subcontract) and marketing. They also offer several specialty programs.

Your Special Small Business - What Small Business Administration Offers

For women the SBA offers several programs. Its Online Women's Network offers a message board, mentor and counselors and information on women's professional associations. Its womenbiz.gov is the resource for women-owned business who want to sell their products or services to the government. It tells you what the government buys, how to apply, and even offers an annual government small business marketplace conference.

SBA's Teen Entrepreneur Guide offers free online small business management advice, a national mentoring partnership, a personal coach and a wealth of small business start up and management advice and materials.

For Native Americans there is the Office of Native American Affairs, whose programs reach out to native americans with tribal consultations, help with creation and dissemination of marketing materials, and information on national economic development conferences that could assist you in your small business success.

Three Small Business Administration sponsored contracting opportunities reach out to minorities. Its HUBZone Empowerment Contract. HUBZone is short for Historically Underutilized Business Zone. Hubzone qualifications include being within the boundaries of a U.S. Indian reservation, or being a qualified non-metropolitan county.

Non-metropolitan is interpreted as having a median household income of less than 80 percent of the state median household income or with an unemployment rate of not less than 140 percent of the statewide average. Areas that might qualify could be, for instance, mid Atlantic former manufacturing areas whose residents have lost their jobs due to plant closings.

Score - Learning from Experience

The Service Core of Retired Executives is a volunteer organization of folks that have "been there and done that" and learned some valuable lessons that they're willing to share. While not located at the SBA office, the SBA folks can direct you to a SCORE representative and location, who can help you start your company or expand your company. This dynamite organization has helps many thousands. They've helped folks write business plans, secure loans, set up hardware and software programs, advertise and market their new small business product or service.

SBA and SCORE - two of the first stops you should make before you open your small business doors.