Small Business & Entrepreneur Assistance Programs

Whether you are a start-up business or an existing business needing help to grow, get on track with these 3 resources.  Set up an appointment for one-on-one consulting or register for small business training at a nominal charge.  

• U.S. Small Business Administration - Georgia District Office - http://www.sba.gov/localresources/district/ga/  - The Small Business Administration (SBA) offers financing, training and advocacy for small businesses.
• Georgia Small Business Development Center Network (SBDC) http://www.sbdc.uga.edu  - Consulting and educational resources are offered at approximately 19 centers around the state.  SBDC Consultants work with individuals to help develop business plans, provide financial analysis, identify sources of capital and develop marketing strategies.
• SCORE – The Service Corp of Retired Executives – http://www.score.org – Free online and face-to-face business counseling, mentoring, and training.  Business help and advice for small businesses just starting or for existing businesses hoping to grow. SCORE Association is a nonprofit, resource partner with the SBA.
  
  Atlanta Chapter of Score - http://www.scoreatlanta.org
  Columbus Chapter of SCORE – http://www.scorecolumbus.org 
  Savannah Chapter of SCORE – http://www.scoresav.org  

Georgia State and Local Resources

• Georgia Secretary of State –  http://sos.georgia.gov/ 
• Georgia’s First Stop Information Center - http://sos.georgia.gov/firststop/
  A central point of information and contacts for state-regulated requirements for operating a small business in Georgia.
• Resources that Employers Need to Know – Information from the State bar of Georgia - http://sos.georgia.gov/firststop/georgia_employers.htm
• Local Level Resources and Key Contacts - http://sos.georgia.gov/firststop/county_information.htm - a comprehensive county-by-county listing of valuable links for local government agencies and city contacts.
• Business Assistance Links from Georgia.gov website -  http://www.georgia.gov/00/channel_title/0,2408,4802_5033,00.html

Taxes & Reporting

• Georgia Department of Labor Employer’s Website – http://www.dol.state.ga.us/em/
• Unemployment Insurance: The Employer’s Handbook - http://www.dol.state.ga.us/pdf/forms/dol224.pdf  - (pdf) This is a large file and will take a few moments to load.
  
• Georgia Department of Revenue’s Tax Information for Businesses - http://www.etax.dor.ga.gov/Business_Taxes.aspx -