Before paying for a consultant, small business owners should know what assistance already exists.
The federal government and nonprofit resource partners support several programs designed to help owners with planning, financing, operations, procurement, and growth.
Small Business Development Centers
Small Business Development Centers provide counseling and training through a national network supported by the U.S. Small Business Administration and local partners.
Owners commonly use SBDCs for business planning, financial projections, market research, exporting, and growth questions.
SCORE
SCORE provides free one-on-one mentoring and educational resources for entrepreneurs and small business owners. Mentors come from a wide range of business backgrounds.
A productive mentoring session usually starts with one concrete problem instead of a general request for advice.
Women's Business Centers
Women's Business Centers provide training, counseling, and access-to-capital assistance for entrepreneurs at different stages of business development.
Veterans Business Outreach Centers
Veterans Business Outreach Centers serve veterans, service members, and military spouses with entrepreneurship training, counseling, and related resources.
SBA business guides
The SBA publishes guidance on startup costs, market research, business structures, registration, financing, taxes, hiring, and other operating topics.
Use public assistance to make private capital work harder
A business should not pay someone to explain a resource that is already available free when the public resource can answer the question well.
Use no-cost assistance for fundamentals. Save private dollars for execution, specialized expertise, equipment, inventory, marketing, and other needs that directly move the business forward.
