About the Small Business Resource Providers Consortium
Charlotte is rich with organizations that are dedicated to business development. Although collaboration amongst these organizations has always occurred, in late 2009 a number of government and non-profit business resource providers came together to begin developing a collaborative strategy to serve businesses in our community (read the Small Business Strategic Plan). Recognizing the invaluable role that businesses, and particularly small businesses, play in our economy, this network of organizations is committed to working together to save you time and money by providing the resources entrepreneurs and businesses need to become successful so that Charlotte remains the premier place for business investment and growth.
Learn more about the CharlotteBusinessResources.com network organizations and their commitment to helping you, your business and your business clients find the resources you need to be successful:
Business Expansion Funding Corporation (BEFCOR):
BEFCOR, a non-profit corporation, supports local economic development in North Carolina and the South Carolina counties of York, Lancaster, Chester and Chesterfield by promoting business growth, expansion and job creation since designed as a Certified Development Company (CDC) by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) in 1982. BEFCOR’s core business is providing business owners with long-term, fixed-rate financing for their owner-occupied real estate and other fixed assets via the SBA 504 loan program.
Carolinas Minority Supplier Development Council (CMSDC)
CMSDC (or the Council) is a membership organization of major corporations, financial institutions, government agencies and universities that operate within North or South Carolina. The Council promotes and facilitates the development of business relationships between its members and certified minority-owned business enterprises.
Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) Institute for Entrepreneurship
The Institute for Entrepreneurship seeks to increase the success of small business in Mecklenburg County by providing expert and readily accessible assistance to prospective and existing small business owners and their employees. The Institute accomplishes this by creating an environment where entrepreneurial research, education and business support can flourish through education, training, and counseling services. Join the Institute’s mailing list to receive updates on the programs and services offered.
Charlotte Chamber of Commerce:
The Charlotte Chamber is a membership, volunteer-led organization with a vision to make Charlotte the best place to run a business and to live. The Chamber’s mission is to create competitive advantage by growing the economy, advocating pro-business public policies and delivering innovative programs and services.
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library:
Founded in 1903, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library strives to build a highly literate and educated community; to contribute to its economic health, cultural and social capital; and to be highly accessed and cherished. As stewards of the community’s trust and resources, the Library provides valuable experiences and resources, including a wealth of resources for businesses and non-profit organizations.
Charlotte Works
Charlotte Works is a private, public partnership that brings together market resources and aggregates data on participant skills, education and work history for Charlotte area businesses, recruiters and employers looking for specific talent. Our goal is to grow the local economy by linking companies of all sizes with the most highly skilled, highly educated workforce available.
City of Charlotte
The City’s Neighborhood & Business Services Department (N&BS) is responsible for, among other things, developing and implementing the City’s small business and economic development initiatives and strategies. N&BS provides a variety of programs and services to help maintain and improve the economic vitality of the our community’s businesses and business districts that ultimately improve the overall quality of life of our community.
Counselors to America’s Small Businesses (SCORE)
SCORE, counselors and mentors to America’s small businesses, is a nonprofit association dedicated to educating entrepreneurs and helping small businesses start, grow and succeed nationwide. With a strong and vibrant Charlotte chapter, SCORE is a resource partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Join SCORE’s mailing list to receive news,tips and free business advice.
Mecklenburg County
Through Mecklenburg County’s Minority, Women and Small Business Enterprise Program, (the MWSBE program), the County has set aspirational goals for participation by women, minorities, and small businesses in County procurement opportunities. It is the policy of Mecklenburg County to provide these businesses equal opportunity to participate in construction and professional services contracts.
Self Help:
The nonprofit Center for Community Self-Help and its financing affiliates Self-Help Credit Union, Self-Help Federal Credit Union, and Self-Help Ventures Fund provide financing, technical support, consumer financial services, and advocacy for those left out of the economic mainstream. Since 1980, Self-Help has reached out to female, rural and minority communities across North Carolina, in Washington, D.C., California, and many other states.
Small Business & Technology Development Center (SBTDC):
The SBTDC is North Carolina’s leading resource for growing and developing businesses. Our highly skilled professionals, position as a program of The University of North Carolina System, and partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration make us a unique and valued asset in the economic development of our State.
Small Business Administration (SBA):
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) was created in 1953 as an independent agency of the federal government to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation.
The Employers Association:
The Employers Association has been providing human resources and training services to organizations in the greater Charlotte, NC area for over fifty years. We serve more than 860 member organizations of all sizes and industries, both public and private.
Ventureprise:
Ventureprise, formerly the Ben Craig Center, is a non-profit organization sponsored by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte serving as a regional resource to support entrepreneurial growth, developing a comprehensive innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem in the region, informing public policy and improving entrepreneurial and innovation practices.
