Founded more than forty years ago, the U.S. Small Business Administration, or SBA, (http://sba.gov) has offices in 100 cities across the United States and a charter to help small businesses start and grow. The SBA offers counseling and booklets on business topics, and administers a small business loan guarantee program. To find your area's SBA office, check the white pages of metropolitan telephone books in your region under “United States Government, Small Business Administration.”

Answer Desk

The SBA also operates the Small Business Answer Desk, a toll-free response line (800-827-5722) that answers questions about SBA services. The e-mail address is answerdesk@sba.gov. In addition, the SBA sponsors the 13,000 Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) volunteers, Active Corps of Executives (ACE) volunteers, Business Development Centers, and Technology Access Centers listed online at http://sba.gov.

SCORE (www.score.org) is a national nonprofit association with the goal of helping small businesses. SCORE is sponsored by the SBA and offices are usually in or near the local SBA office. SCORE members, who are retired men and women, and ACE members, who are still active in their own business, donate their time and experience to counseling individuals regarding small business.

Publications

The SBA offers numerous publications, services, and videos for starting and managing small businesses. Publications are available on products/ ideas/inventions, financial management, management and planning, marketing, crime prevention, personnel management, and other topics. The booklets can be purchased at SBA offices; from SBA Publications, P.O. Box 30, Denver, CO 80201; or for free online at http://sba.gov. Ask first for SBA Form 115A, The Small Business Directory, which lists available publications and includes an order form.

SBDC

The 700 Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) are regional centers funded by the SBA and managed in conjunction with regional colleges. An SBDC offers free and confidential counseling for small business owners and managers, new businesses, home-based businesses, and people with ideas concerning retail, service, wholesale, manufacturing, and farm businesses. SBDCs sponsor seminars on business topics, assist in developing business and marketing plans, inform entrepreneurs of employer requirements, and teach cash flow budgeting and management. SBDCs also gather information sources, assist in locating business resources, and make referrals.

SBI

Small Business Institutes are partnerships between the SBA and nearly 500 colleges offering counseling services to area businesses. SBIs conduct market research, develop business and marketing plans, and help small businesses work out manufacturing problems. Contact your regional SBA office to find out if a local college has such a program. You could get free or low-cost assistance from the college's business faculty and students.