Surry Business

For and about business in Surry County, N.C., including Dobson, Elkin, Lowgap, Pilot Mountain and Mount Airy

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Advice about starting a small business

January 2nd, 2008 · No Comments

If your New Year’s resolutions include starting a small business, you might want to check out “Small Business 101: How to Get Started” in The New York Times. It recommends tapping the resources of the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Small Business Development Center and the Library of Congress’ “Entrepreneur’s Guide to Small Business Information.”

Other sites with useful information include Work.com, which has more than 1,700 how-to segments covering a multitude of issues confronting small businesses; E-venturing run by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation; and About.com’s small business and entrepreneur sites.

StartupNation offers advice through video segments augmented by written information and also provides forums and groups where entrepreneurs can share information. Bplans has more than 100 free sample business plans and offers advice and other planning tools. CCH Business Owner’s Toolkit has templates to help examine financial issues as well as other model business documents, checklists and government forms.

North Carolina’s Business ServiCenter, operated by the N.C. Department of Commerce, may help you untangle the web of state licensing requirements. Or, instead of relying on the web, you can call 1-800-228-8443 and talk directly with a Commerce Department specialist.

Also utilize the free, but invaluable resources here in Surry County. The Small Business Center at Surry Community College in Dobson provides help and advice and also sets up regular seminars where you can meet other people working on small-business startups. The Surry County Economic Development Partnership, also based in Dobson, specializes in helping companies involved in manufacturing and distribution. The local chambers of commerce (Greater Mount Airy CoC in Mount Airy and Yadkin Valley CoC in Elkin) can help you plug into the retail community. The Mount Airy city government’s web site has an excellent FAQ on municipal, county and state business licenses.

And, of course, you can write to us here at SurryBusiness.com and let us know about your new company.

Tags: Businesses · Economic development

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