Do you already own a business? Do you have a desire to start a business? Below are some resources available to assist one in starting or maintaining one's dream.
- University of North Florida Small Business Development Center (UNF SBDC) helps businesses become more successful and meet the challenges of tomorrow. UNF SBDC can help one with starting a business, buying a business, growing a business, selling a business or looking for financing.
- Small Business Administration (SBA) offers various programs and services to help one start, manage, expand, increase and support one's business.
- Beaver Street Enterprise Center is a full-service business incubator, which provides professional office space, receptionist services and technical assistance with preparing marketing strategies, implementing business plans and assisting with professional networking opportunities to client tenants.
- Other ARRA Information:
- The act temporarily raises guarantees to up to 90% on SBA's 7(a) loan program, through calendar year 2009, or until the funds are exhausted. This increase in guarantee levels will help provide banks with greater confidence to extend credit during the current recession and will mean more capital available to small business owners.
- The act temporarily eliminates fees for borrowers on SBA 7(a) loans and for both borrowers and lenders on 504 Certified Development Company loans, through calendar year 2009, or until the funds are exhausted. This will mean more capital available to small businesses at a lower cost. The fee elimination is retroactive to Feb. 17, 2009, the day the Recovery Act was signed. SBA is developing a mechanism for refunding fees paid on loans since then.
- The act creates a new SBA business stabilization loan program providing deferred-payment loans up to $35,000 to viable small businesses to make payments on existing, qualifying loans for up to six months. Loans will be 100% guaranteed by SBA. Repayment begins 12 months after the loan is fully disbursed. The act provides $285 million for this new program.