United
Jewish Council of the East Side (UJC)
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Programs and Services
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Organization Sponsor Link |
Free/ |
What Will I find/ How Can it help me |
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Getting Started |
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1. Online Business Resource Center |
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FREE |
This is a good one stop Internet portal for business information. It has links for many questions including starting a business, legal issues, financing, taxes, New York City business incentive programs, doing business with New York City and local laws regulating business. Today, using the Internet can save hundreds of hours of information accessing time without having to leave place of business.
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2. Are You an Entrepreneur |
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FREE |
Entre-skills Program. Excellent Resource. Interactive website that guides young people (or any aspiring entrepreneur) through the process of figuring out if they want to start their own business. This easy to use website will help you ask the most important questions in a sequential path.
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Free Classes and Professional Advice
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3. Business classes, advice
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FREE |
There are eight Small Business Development Centers in New York City. They all offer one to one business start up counseling and free classes. To find out about any classes offered this month, by location, click on the web link. The link will take you to a database where you can find out which classes are taking place closest to you live or work.
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4. Business classes, advice
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FREE |
SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTERS: they also offer classes for people who want to start a business or just started a business. Topics include:
-Successful strategies for starting a business, -Accounting and bookkeeping for business operations, -Purpose and element of a writing a Business Plan -Market Assessment and Marketing Strategy. -Pricing as a Marketing Tool. -Doing Business In China (Export) -How to Sell Your Products in China. -Business Planning & Getting a Small Business Loan -Credit Basics for you & your small business -Negotiation is not bargaining -Networking- the art of building relationships -Growing your business-managing your team These classes are not all offered at the same school. Click on the link for the closest to you to see what classes are being offered. |
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5. Business classes, advice
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Small Business Development Center
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FREE |
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6. Business classes, advice
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FREE
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7. Business classes, advice
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FREE |
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8. Business classes, advice |
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FREE
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9. Business classes, advice |
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FREE |
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10. Business classes, advice |
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FREE |
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11. Business Classes and events |
New York City Dept. of Small Business Services-
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FREE |
On almost any given day, free classes and events are offered on a wide range of business development and operations topics. The website has an easy to use database calendar that connects you to classes offered throughout the city by day, week or month. Some of the classes are taught in Spanish. |
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12. Classes, advice business start ups |
New York State Entrepreneurial Assistance Program (EAP)
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FREE |
A typical EAP center provides the following in-depth services to owners of start-up businesses:
Counseling on the feasibility of starting a business. Assistance in refining a business concept and developing a business plan. Education in established management principals and practices In-depth business counseling in product development and marketing. Guidance in exporting, contract procurement and licensing. One-on-one counseling in identifying and accessing capital and credit. Access to business support networks. Ongoing and continued technical assistance to program graduates including linkages to other small business services.
There are EAP Centers in all five boroughs.
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13. Online Professional Business Courses |
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FREE |
This is an amazing resource. You can take classes at your own pace and for free. Over 60 different business related classes are offered including: accounting, marketing, advertising, how to set up a web based business, government contracts, exporting, taxes and preparing a business plan.
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14. Business Operations Class |
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FREE |
How to Build a Growing Profitable Business is conducted in sixteen three-our hour classroom sessions. Each session deals with a different phase of running a business. Each phase of your business is covered in a 318-page WIBO workbook. The workbook is designed to help you plan, in written detail, how you will conduct every phase of your business. (materials cost $199).
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15. Classes, advice business start ups, |
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FREE |
The Business Library offers dozens of programs a year to assist with business start-up and expansion, resource navigation, and financial and investment education. Combined with thousands of resources at the Business Library, these programs supplement existing resources and provide an alternative learning experience for the public. Program attendees receive the added benefit of networking with other small business owners and entrepreneurs. All programs are free to the public.
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16. Business Start Up Counseling
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FREE |
Are you looking for one to one business advice with a professional counselor? Right in your neighborhood or nearby? Someone you build a relationship with and call for various pieces of information? There are 20 community organizations that offer this service. There are two links with a listing and description of these organizations. Find a organization near your place of business, give them a call, meet and decide if they can help you.
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17. Networking Opportunities
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FREE |
The BOC Network puts micro-enterprises and small businesses together with information, technical assistance, financing and other vital services and resources, free of charge. Whether you’re a pre-start-up or a long-established enterprise, the BOC Network’s alliance of local Business Outreach Centers, or BOCs, can help. Based in neighborhoods throughout New York City and in Newark, New Jersey, each BOC provides individualized, comprehensive guidance in obtaining financial, marketing, management, technology, and legal services.
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18. Events Calendar |
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FREE |
Are you interested in a workshop on increasing sales, upgrading computer software program, networking, finance, or management. This is another website with a calendar database. There is some overlap with the SBDC workshops.
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19. New York City Trade Shows
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Increase sales on a regional or national level? Who is your competition? What are they doing? Trade Shows are the best strategy for these business needs. This remarkable website has a calendar and brief description of all scheduled trade shows in New York City (with contact information).
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Access to Credit and Microlending Organizations
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20. Alternative Financing, Community banks and Micro Lenders
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New York City Dept. of Small Business Services
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FREE Advice |
This is the best place to start if you are looking for a micro-loan. This link will take you to a SBS webpage with valuable and easy to use financing information. The main lenders are listed here with the essential information prepared on a two page chart. The chart will show you loan amounts, interest rates, eligibility, points and other relevant information for determining which loan program is right for your business. There is also a six page guide for step by step thinking through the financing process (with an explanation of key words).
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21. Access to Credit and Business Counseling |
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FREE Advice |
New York City Community Based Micro Lenders and Business Assistance Organizations: Are you looking for loan between $5,000 and $35,000? Free one to one counseling with a professional advisor? There is a very active network of community organizations that offer help to people starting businesses. These organizations offer micro-loans, advice, free classes and one to one counseling. The New York State Banking Department maintains a webpage with a description of each organization. To find one close to you and in your area of interest, click on weblink. The services are free.
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22. SBA Loan Programs |
New York Small Business Administration (SBA)
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The SBA offers five different lending programs with loans ranging from $10,000 to $1 million. This website has a brief description of each loan program with links to approved New York City lenders. (The community business assistance organizations listed directly above in box 18 can help you to determine which SBA loan program will best meet your business needs).
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23. Lending |
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NYBDC is a complement to conventional banking, working in partnership with banks to provide term loans, many of which do not meet the requirements for traditional financing. Our goal is to be more creative in our underwriting. In many cases, we include multiple participations, SBA guarantees, flexible amortization and long-term payouts. Last year, NYBDC closed on 269 loans with a total lending volume of $161 million statewide.
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Mentoring and Counseling
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24. mentoring opportunities |
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FREE |
Do you want to partner with a volunteer for ongoing business advice? SCORE is the premier organization for free and professional business advice. The NYC SCORE chapter has volunteers. You will be matched to a businessperson who has experience in your business. To fill out an application for help or find out more about how SCORE works, click on link.
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25. mentoring opportunities |
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Easy access to free and reliable information is critical for any successful business. Micro-Mentor helps entrepreneurs grow their businesses through mentoring relationships with experienced business professionals. The mentors volunteer their time to meaningfully impact the lives of those new to the world of small business. Micro-Mentor is a web based service. The mentoring will be done by email.
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26. Women’s Business Centers |
Small Business Administration (SBA) |
FREE |
Women's Business Centers (WBCs) represent a national network of more than 100 educational resource centers designed to assist women start and grow small businesses. WBC’s operate with the mission to level the playing field for women entrepreneurs, who still face unique obstacles in the world of business. There are five Women’s Business Centers in NYC. The five organizations offer a a range of services including counseling, access to credit and classes. The target population is low income, minority and/or immigrant women. |
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27. SCORE Business Seminars |
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$50 for all day seminar
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Full and half day seminars in: Business Plans, Selling Skills, marketing technologies, E-Commerce, opening a restaurant, buying an existing business/franchise, bookkeeping, billing, collections, apparel, retailing, women in business, not for profit. Check schedule for listings, time and dates.
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Bidding on Government Contracts
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28. Government Contracts |
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FREE ADVICE |
New York City bids and New York State together bid out billions in contracts to businesses. For City contracts, the Dept. of Small Business Services has counselors to help you navigate the terrain of bidding on a contract. In addition to the SBS staff, almost all of the non profit business assistance organizations (see box 15) offer help with bidding on government contracts.
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Empire State Development's Division for Small Business offers the following procurement assistance services: assist businesses to compete for State contracts; procurement workshops; guidance on how to be placed on bidders' lists; lists of New York State subcontractors and suppliers; and, resolve problems arising within the bid process.
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29. Minority and Women Owned Business Programs
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FREE ADVICE
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Are you a minority and/or women owned business person? All three levels of government, City, State and Federal have programs to increase the number of contracts that are awarded to minority and women owned businesses.
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New York State Empire State Development Corporation |
FREE ADVICE
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Empire State Development, New York's economic development agency, administers the Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) state certification program. The MWBE program is designed to assist the growth and development of businesses owned and controlled by women and minorities. An important activity of the program is to increase the participation of those businesses in New York State procurement opportunities.
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US-Small Business Administration
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FREE ADVICE
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The U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) 8 (a) Business Development Program is a business development program created to help small disadvantaged businesses compete in the American economy and access the federal procurement market.
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Please forward comments to JoelkUJC@aol.com
There are many websites with information on access to credit, steps to starting a business, how to prepare business plan and how to comply with various government regulations. When you are starting a business, keeping costs down is important. By providing a quick connection to free resources, the website will save aspiring entrepreneurs hundreds of hours of precious time and connect them to essential information for getting a business started or moving it to the next level.
Design: David Rubel, Consultant, Community Planning and Development, copyright 2006 ©
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