Starting and Growing a Business
Below are some of the resources presented by the Small Business Administration (SBA) at the May 30, 2018 workshop. Copies of the 2018 Massachusetts edition of the SBA Small Business Resource Guide are available to pick up from the Planning Department.
SBA- Massachusetts District Office
- Business Guide - Start your business in 10 steps
- Online Learning Center - Online courses to help you start and run your business
- SBA Guaranteed Loans and Local Funding Programs
- Massachusetts Loan Volume Report- October 2017 through April 2017
- Government Contracting
- Women-Owned Small Business Certification:for businesses that want to bid on contracts in the public sector with the federal government. Additional support from the SBA for Women-owned businesses can be found here.
- SBA Resource Partners
- SCORE-Worcester is a non-profit association of counselors, advisors, and mentors providing free business advice. While Worcester is the closest SCORE office to Stow, there may be mentors who are available to meet locally. Online workshops are also available.
- Small Business Development Center at Clark University offers free small business assistance and one-on-one counseling through their offices at Clark University and at local outreach centers. SBDC also holds workshops for a small fee.
- Center for Women and Enterprise is a non-profit organization offering education and technical assistance for all entrepreneurs. CWE also hosts the Veterans Business Outreach Center.