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new ventures business development provides resources for starting and growing businesses

Local Assistance

New Ventures Business Development, Inc.

A drawing of a business man at a desk represents the BTC's telework space.

The NVBDI mission is to serve as a resource for the creation and support of new and existing small businesses resulting in new jobs and entrepreneurial development.

There are a variety of local resources available to the new and established entrepreneur at the Center's offices in the Union County Chamber of Commerce building, 903 Skyway Drive, Monroe, and in the South Piedmont Community College Lockhart-Taylor Center at 514 North Washington Street, Wadesboro.

The Centers will provide a One Stop for small business development with programs and services to include:

  • Proactive outreach, an entrepreneur outreach program to seek and work with startup, growing, and struggling businesses
  • Collaborative arrangement utilizing and enhancing existing programs and services (SPCC Small Business Center, SCORE, North Carolina Business and Technology Development Center, and H.B. Allen Library digital literacy program) and co-locating core resources
  • Facilitation and encouragement of women and minorities to become Historically Underutilized Business-certified; establishment of a local network; taking advantage of local, state and national purchasing opportunities; and capitalizing on other opportunities available.
  • Technology services and resources and consultant services
  • Office space
  • Free hands-on digital literacy training
  • Community access sites/terminals

Benefits of New Ventures Business Development, Inc., will include microenterprise development (helping entrepreneurs start and grow small businesses that will provide or enhance a living wage that will decrease assistance funding), new job creation, support and grow existing small businesses, and increase the commercial tax base. It compliments local economic development efforts by focusing on areas underserved by current recruitment and retention efforts. Further, its digital literacy training and public access terminals equal a more skilled, attractive workforce for potential recruits and existing businesses.

For more information, contact Dr. Donald P. Altieri at 704-695-4111 or Chester Caulder at 704-488-4634 or use this site's contact form.

SPCC Small Business Center

The South Piedmont Community College Small Business Center (4609 Old Charlotte Hwy. Monroe, NC, 704-289-8588, and 514 N. Washington St., Wadesboro, N C, 704-694-6505) provides a focal point of small business education, counseling, advising, and referral for Anson and Union counties. The objective of the center is to increase the chance for success of small businesses starting and operating in the region. The center also strives to increase the survival rate, the number of people employed, and the overall financial strength of small businesses in the area.

The Small Business Center network involves all levels of business and civic leaders as well as organizations in the community. Your contact with the center may link you with local resources, trade associations, state and federal agencies and other sources of assistance.

The SBC also works cooperatively with federal and state governments, universities and colleges, and private enterprise in promoting assistance to small business firms.

The Small Business center range of services:

  1. One-on-One Counseling
    1. Initial Consultation
    2. Referral, if necessary
  2. Seminars
    1. Basics of Starting a Business
    2. Developing a Business Plan
    3. Marketing
    4. Financial Planning
    5. Hiring and Firing
    6. Planning for Growth
    7. Other Topics
  3. Resources and Information Center
    1. Variety of Reference and Resource Material
    2. Small Business Administration Materials
    3. Computer Network Linkages
  4. Network For Community Colleges
  5. Upgrading and Training for Employees

Chambers of Commerce

Chambers of Commerce often have the best "feel" for what is happening in a specific town or region. Members of the chamber are usually the leading business owners in a town, and chamber executives can provide guidance to bankers, attorneys, accountants and advisors.

Union County Chamber of Commerce, 903 Skyway Drive, Monroe, NC 28110, telephone 704-289-4567.

Marshville Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 337, Marshville, NC 28103, 704-624-3183.

Anson County Chamber of Commerce, 202 E. Wade St., Wadesboro, NC 28170, telephone 704.694.4181.

Economic development agencies

A photo of an antique cash register.

A variety of local, regional and state economic development agencies are available with information about trends in development, population, and services for small business owners. The information and agencies vary so widely that the best way to discover what each provides is to contact them and ask.

Union County Partnership for Progress, 500 N. Main Street, Suite 101 POB 292, Monroe, NC 28111-0292.

City of Monroe Economic Development, POB 69, 3900 Paul J. Helms Drive (28110), Monroe, North Carolina 28111-0069, (704-282-5780.

Union County Planning Department, Courthouse, Monroe, NC 28111, 704-283-3565.

Rural Economic Development Center, 4021 Carya Drive, Raleigh, NC 27610.

N.C. Department of Commerce Division of Community Assistance.

Cooperative Extension Service

This is an extension of North Carolina State University charged with Outreach Education in four areas:

  1. Agriculture Production and Marketing
  2. Home Economics
  3. 4-H and Youth
  4. Community and Rural Development

Union County Center, Room 506, 500 N. Main St., Monroe, NC 28112, telephone 704.283.3801.

Anson County Center, McLaurin St., Wadesboro, NC, telephone 704.694.2415.

Public libraries

Local libraries have many useful information resources for the small business owner. Also, don't forget the learning resource centers at South Piedmont Community College and the library at Wingate University.

Monroe-Union County Library, 316 E. Windsor St., Monroe, NC 28111, 704-283-8184.

Marshville Library, 118 E. Union Street, Marshville, NC 28103, 704-624-2828.

Indian Trail Library, 109 Navaho St., Indian Trail, NC 28079, 704-821-7475.

Waxhaw Library, 509 Providence Rd., Waxhaw, NC 28173, 704-843-3131.

(Anson County) Hampton B. Allen Library, 720 S. Green St., Wadesboro, NC 28170, 704-694-5177.

Employment Security Commission

The local Employment Security Commission is not just "the unemployment office." The ESC can serve as a resource for finding potential employees with skills you need, determining salary ranges for specific positions (useful when developing your business plans), screening job applicants and advising business owners about state and federal job assistance programs that may pay to train employees.

Employment Security Commission, 1105 Skyway Drive, Monroe, NC 28110, 704-283-7541.

Employment Security Commission, 116 W. Wade Street Wadesboro, NC 28170, 704-694-6551

Also, don't forget that there are a variety of other sources for full and part-time employees and other human resources.

South Piedmont Community College, Office of Student Services 4209 Old Charlotte Highway, Monroe, NC 28112, 704-289-8588.

South Piedmont Community College, L.L. Polk Campus, Office of Student Services, Hwy. 74 or Box 126, Polkton, NC 28135, 704-272-7635.

Vocational Rehabilitation, 305 West Franklin St., Monroe, NC 28112, 704-289-2543.

Regional educational institutions

The business and marketing departments at regional educational institutions such as community colleges, colleges and universities are sources of information, consultants and resources for small business owners.

In addition to South Piedmont Community College, Wingate University, UNC-Charlotte, Johnson C. Smith University, Davidson University and a number of other education institutions are a short drive away.

Additional sources of information

Union County has a large and diversified group of professionals who can provide invaluable information regarding the initial stages of beginning your business. Early consultations with the proper advisors could save a lot of time and expense.

Do not assume that you will have to pay for professional advice. Bankers, insurance agents and brokers, and government sources will provide advice and counsel free of charge. Attorneys and accountants may offer free initial consultations or charge a small fee for a half-hour or one hour initial meeting. The best way to find out if a professional charges for consultations is to call and ask.

Professionals and the types of advice they offer are:

CPA/Accountant
A CPA can set up a system of record keeping that is appropriate for your business and easy for you to follow daily, as well as for the CPA to work with at tax or audit time. He can also develop essential systems for the control of assets and handling funds, keeping track of expenditures and controlling accounts receivables. CPAs can be consulted when choosing a legal form of business and can be especially helpful in areas such as tax planning.
Bankers and attorneys often know CPAs who are willing to work with small businesses. "CPA-Certified Public," are listed in the Yellow Pages. You should confer with several CPAs and check their experience and references before deciding to work with one. Fees are often based on daily and monthly rates and vary with the complexity and extent of service. Fees should be negotiated in advance.
Attorney
Attorneys can help when choosing the legal structure of your business. They would assist in drawing up documents of partnership and incorporation and filing legal with the appropriate government agencies. Attorneys can help interpret contracts and agreements, arbitrate disputes with the business and for the business against others, and offer advice about legal rights and obligations.
Attorneys may be located through friends, other business owners, bankers, suppliers, consultants, trade associations or in the Yellow Pages. The North Carolina Bar Association sponsors the N.C. Lawyer Referral Service (1-800-662-7660).
Banker
Bankers can advise small business owners about loans, checking accounts, funding and bank services such as filing services and credit systems.
You may wish to contact a banker at the institution in which you have a personal bank account or near the business location for convenience. It is advisable to establish a continuing relationship with your banker, keeping him informed of the progress of the business.
Also, shop for a bank and banker as you would for any product or service. Some banks offer special checking, loan packages and other services for small businesses.
Insurance Agent or Broker
An insurance agent can evaluate your insurance needs and set up packages for specific types of businesses. If you have employees an insurance agent should be contacted about worker's compensation insurance and employee benefit programs.
You should talk with several agents, compare coverages and costs of insurance they offer, and select the program best suited to your company's needs – comprehensively and economically. Agents require complete data on business operations and must be continuously informed of changes that might effect insurance coverage. Agents and brokers are listed in the Yellow Pages.
Management Consultant
The most effective consultant for small business owners would be one who has successfully worked in the industry and, ideally, in the same type and size business the owner is starting or running.
Beware of consultants who proclaim to "do it all." Insist on references and check them out. Consultants may be discovered through the counselors at the Small Business Center, trade associations, owners of your type of business in markets similar to Union County and through professional journals.

Additional business assistance agencies

N.C. Department of Commerce Business ServiCenter, Call 919 715-2864 or Toll-free ( in NC ) at 1 800-228-8443.

Alcohol and Beverage Control Commission, 3322 Garner Rd., Raleigh, NC 27610, 919-779-0700.

Industrial Development Division, N.C. Department of Community and Economic Development, 430 N Salisbury St., Suite 258, Raleigh, NC 27603, 919-733-4151.

N.C. Association of Minority Businesses, P.O. Box 27035, Raleigh, NC 27609, 919-781-1796.

N.C. Technological Development Authority, 430 Salisbury St., Raleigh, NC 27603, 919-733-4643.

National Federation of Independent Businesses, 33 West Davie St., Raleigh, NC 27601, 919-755-2712.

Science and Technology Research Center, POB 12235, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, 919-549-0671.

N.C. Association of Retail Merchants, 2400 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh, NC 27608, 919-787-9520.

Building Contractors Licensing, N.C. Licensing Board for General Contractors, POB 17817, Raleigh, NC 27619, 919-733-9325.

N.C. Bankers Association, POB 30609, Raleigh, NC, 27622.

Travel and Tourism, N.C. Department of Community and Economic Development, 430 N. Salisbury St., Raleigh, NC 27603, 919-733-4171.

U.S. Department of Commerce, Export Licensing, POB 1950, Greensboro, NC 27402, 910-377-4811.

Women in Economic Development, 116 West Jones St., Raleigh, NC 27601, 919-733-7892.

State food and drug regulations: Food and Drug Protection Division, N.C. Department of Agriculture, 4080 Reedy Creek Rd., Raleigh, NC 27607, 919-733-7366.

Firearms and ammunition license: U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Alcohol Tobacco Firearms Division, 316 E. Morehead St., Charlotte, NC 28202, 704-371-6563.

County-by-County directory of advisory, financial resources and regulatory authorities: DATO-BIZ, U.S. Small Business Administration, 230 Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC 28202, 704-371-6563.

Continuing Education: Finding Your Way Through the Maze

The process of building a successful business is like trying to find your way through a maze. Anywhere along the way you can make a wrong turn and confront a dead end. Fortunately, there are a lot of resources and people who can help you find your way. The keys to success, though, are asking the right questions at the right time, and knowing how and where to find the right answers.

Owners and managers tend to be very knowledgeable about the functional areas of their businesses – the skill, talent or opportunity that spurred them to start their venture – but they are often woefully uninformed about the areas that actually turn their idea or skill into a business. Acquiring management skills in marketing, finance, human relations, production, and other areas are critical if you hope to build your business into a stable growing enterprise.

The first step in expanding your business skills is accepting the fact that running a business is an ongoing learning experience. You should target areas of business management in which your skills are not as strong as you would like and seek ways to strengthen your skills.

The SPCC Small Business Center should be your first contact for building business skills. Seminars, audio and video tapes, books, magazines and, of course, one-on-one counseling are available. Also, you should join a professional association in your industry to make valuable contacts and meet people confronting the same challenges and concerns as you. Don't be afraid to talk to other small business owners. Remember the only stupid question is the one you don't ask.

Finally, you must realize that as a small business entrepreneur, the maze does not end. Changing market forces, government regulations, fluctuating manpower needs, financial pressures, and personal difficulties all will combine to change the maze of running your business on a daily basis.

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Local Assistance

Continuing Education: Finding Your Way Through the Maze

Credits

The South Piedmont Community College Small Business Center developed this local assistance guide.

The Small Business Center supports the development of new businesses and the growth of existing businesses by being a community-based provider of training, counseling, and resource information. There is no fee for its services.

Disclaimer

The information presented here is intended as a public service. Although efforts are made to assure that the information is accurate and up-to-date, the user assumes all responsibility for the use of information provided. The sponsors of this website expressly disclaim any liability for the information provided herein.

This website contains links to other Web sites operated by third parties. The linked sites are not under the control of New Ventures Business Development and it is not responsible for their content. These links are provided as a service to our users.