Resources

Small Business Development Council (SBDC)

floridasbdc.org

The Florida Small Business Development Center at Indian River State College provides confidential consulting, training and information to help businesses succeed and create positive impact for the Florida economy.

Prospera

prosperausa.org

Prospera specializes in providing bilingual assistance to Hispanic entrepreneurs trying to establish or expand their business. They offer a variety of services especially designed for Hispanic small business owners, to empower them through training, consulting, grants and access to capital.

Treasure Coast SCORE

treasurecoast.score.org

The Treasure Coast Service Corp of Retired Executives (SCORE) provides small business entrepreneurs confidential business counseling services at no charge. We also provide local workshops and events to connect small business owners with the people and information they need to start, grow, and maintain their businesses.

US Small Business Administration South Florida District Office

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The US Small Business Administration (SBA) South Florida District Office provides counseling and mentoring, access to capital, government contracting, exporting assistance and training.

weVenture

weventure.fit.edu

The Women's Business Development Center (weVenture) services include start-up assistance and business planning, business coaching and training, mentoring, technical training, networking opportunities, conferences and workshops, referrals to other resources, and a professional network of contacts willing and ready to assist.

African American Entrepreneurs Association

www.aaeassociation.org

The mission of the African American Entrepreneurs Association is to create and nurture a team of like-minded African American entrepreneurs and supporters within our communities by establishing structure, accountability, and utilization of our personal and professional experiences to help one another grow economically, socially, and professionally while mentoring and using these life experiences to provide resources and professional education to aspiring entrepreneurs.

Indian River State College Virtual Incubator

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Indian River State College's Virtual Incubator is an accessible collaboration space for use by entrepreneurs, business owners, inventors, professionals, telecommuters, students and independents. Enjoy professional space where you can copy, collate and work on your presentations and conduct business without being cramped on the kitchen table or in the spare bedroom.

Powering Florida Small Business Tool

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PoweringFlorida combines the power of both Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Planning and Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI) workforce data in one easy-to-use application to help you quickly explore and compare Florida's communities; gain a broad understanding of the labor force statistics, consumer spending, geography, demography and other important data; and identify and evaluate all available sites and buildings in each community.

Small Business Innovation Research

www.sbir.gov

Funding to turn your R&D into products & services with global impact.

BBIF Florida Black Business Investment Fund

bbifflorida.com

BBIF Florida is a is a non-traditional lender that specializes in providing loans to black, minority and underserved small businesses.

City of Port St. Lucie Business Tax Receipts

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Anyone opening a business within the City of Port St Lucie must first obtain a Business Tax Receipt. This applies to any type of business or profession, whether it be operated out of a home or office. The Business Tax is levied on all businesses located in Port St. Lucie and St. Lucie County. All business tax receipts expire September 30 and can be renewed on or after July 1.

St. Lucie County Tax Collector Business Tax Receipts

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A business tax receipt is required when you conduct business in St. Lucie County, Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie or the Village of St. Lucie. You will need one business tax receipt for each location from which you are operating your business and for each category of business you are conducting.

Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation

www.myfloridalicense.com/dbpr

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation is charged with licensing and regulating businesses and professionals in the State of Florida, such as cosmetologists, veterinarians, real estate agents and pari-mutuel wagering facilities.

Florida Division of Corporations Sunbiz

www.sunbiz.org

The Florida Division of Corporations (SunBiz) activities include a variety of business entity filings, trade and service mark registrations, federal lien recordings, judgment lien filings, uniform commercial code financing statements, fictitious name registrations, notary commissions, and cable and video service franchises.

Florida Venture Forum

www.flventure.org

The Florida Venture Forum is a statewide member organization that helps entrepreneurs obtain funding through education, strategic partnering and effective networking. The Forum's educational programs provide in-depth information on topics such as raising debt and equity capital, human resources, finance, management, term sheet negotiation, valuations, marketing and R&D.

IRS Employer Identification Number

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Employer Identification Numbers are issued for the purpose of tax administration and are not intended for participation in any other activities.

CareerSource Research Coast

www.careersourcerc.com

Whether you are looking at hiring, retraining or retaining your staff, CareerSource Research Coast's experienced Business Services staff wants to provide you with customized and dedicated service at no cost.

Florida Medical Manufactures Association

www.floridamedtech.com

The Florida Medical Manufacturers Consortium (FMMC) is a state-wide association of medical device firms, that exists to unite, promote and grow our industry.

Florida Office of Supplier Diversity

www.osd.dms.state.fl.us

The Florida Office of Supplier Diversity is available to help improve business opportunities for Florida-based woman, veteran and minority-owned small businesses.

Florida State Minority Supplier Development Council

www.fsmsdc.org

We link Corporations and Government agencies with Minority Business Enterprises to foster business development and expansion.

FloridaMakes

www.floridamakes.com

FloridaMakes is a nonprofit that works with individual manufacturing companies, to deliver company-centric service with bottom-line results, designed to: help you expand your market opportunities; adopt best practices, advanced technologies and training, and make the best use of existing public and private state and national resources available to enhance and further your company's growth.

GrowFL

www.growfl.com

GrowFL provides strategies, resources and support to second-stage companies for next level growth through Strategic Research and peer-to-peer CEO mentoring. We help companies overcome obstacles to growth and lead them towards prosperity.

Marine Industries of the Treasure Coast

www.miatc.com

The Marine Industries Association of the Treasure Coast, Inc. (MIATC) is a not-for-profit trade association composed of members in Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee counties who are dedicated to the promotion of pleasure boating and its related industries through education of our members and the boating public.

South Florida Manufactures Association

www.sfma.org

SFMA is the only resource for manufacturers in South Florida saving its members time and money through Advocacy. Networking and Resources.

St. Lucie County Chamber of Commerce

stluciechamber.org

The St. Lucie County Chamber of Commerce offers exposure of your business through networking events, ribbon cutting ceremonies, and valuable marketing opportunities at no charge to the business. We also host events throughout the year which help with business to business marketing as well as business to consumer marketing.

Economic Development Council of St. Lucie County

youredc.com

Whether you are new to St. Lucie County or already established, the EDC stands ready to help you take your business to the next level.

Enterprise Florida

www.enterpriseflorida.com

Enterprise Florida recruits new business to the state, and works to retain and expand existing industry and business. We provide site selection services, demographic information, incentive information and much more.

Florida Department of Economic Opportunity

www.floridajobs.org

Here, you will find information about workforce programs, community development opportunities, and economic development initiatives and programs.

Florida Economic Development Council

fedconline.org

Since 1964, the Florida Economic Development Council has promoted economic development throughout the state of Florida. Today we are its primary resource for developing economic development professionals, issues education, networking, and recognition of excellence among members of the profession. 500+ professionals count on FEDC to educate, advocate, and connect on their behalf.

The Business Accelerator Program (BAP) provides business counseling, technical assistance and training for small business owners, and the opportunity to attain an allocation of grant funding for small business growth.

The purpose of the program is to enhance entrepreneurial skills and activities, create jobs and assist in the expansion and growth of our existing business community.

• Register online for the BAP Program

Small Business Development Center (SBDC)

Business Navigator Flyer(PDF, 192KB)

The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) offers entrepreneurial and business development services and plays a vital role in Florida's economic development by assisting entrepreneurs in every stage of the business life cycle.

The SBDC provides the professional expertise, tools and information necessary to help business owners make sound business decisions. The SBDC's core service offerings include business consulting at no-cost, business training and business research. In addition, the SBDC provides a comprehensive toolkit of specialized services for qualifying businesses looking to accelerate market growth, including: Growth Acceleration, International Trade, Government Contracting and Business Continuation.

For more information for programs offered by the Small Business Development Center please call (772) 336-6285 or visit www.floridasbdc.org.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) is an independent agency of the federal government whose mission is to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns and preserve free competitive enterprise, and maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation. The SBA provides assistance primarily through its four programmatic functions:

• Access to Capital: The SBA provides small businesses with an array of financing tailored to their needs. The programs offered range from micro-lending, small business loans to substantial debt and equity investment capital (venture capital).
• Entrepreneurial Development (Education, Information, Technical Assistance & Training): The SBA provides free individual face-to-face, and internet counseling for small businesses, and low-cost training to entrepreneurs and established small businesses.
• Government Contracting (Federal Procurement): SBA's Office of Government Contracting sets goals with other federal departments and agencies to reach the statutory goal of 23 percent in prime contract dollars to small businesses. The SBA also provides small businesses with subcontracting procurement opportunities, outreach programs and training.

For more information on programs provided by the Small Business Administration (SBA) please contact their local office at (772) 466-3176 or visit www.sba.gov.

The City of Port St. Lucie and the St. Lucie County Chamber of Commerce have partnered to offer a free program providing small business assistance.

Through partner organizations, the St. Lucie County Chamber of Commerce gives businesses insight on:

• Building uses
• Permitting
• Government processes
• Business tax receipts
• Demographics

For more information visit www.StLucieChamber.org/SBAP.

The Service Corp of Retired Executives (SCORE) provides business counseling, mentoring and education to new and existing small businesses at no cost. To find out more about programs offered by SCORE and connect with a business mentor please call the Treasure Coast chapter at (772) 489-0548 or visit www.score.org.

CareerSource Research Coast is a private, non-profit, Florida corporation created to manage a workforce development service delivery system responsive to the needs of businesses and career seekers. CareerSource Research Coast provides a system throughout the region (Indian River County, Martin County and St. Lucie County) connecting employers and job seekers. This system offers many programs and services that may be accessed through different gateways, including a virtual network, Career Centers, Mobile Career Centers, community-based partnerships and a toll-free hotline.

For more information on the services provided by CareerSource Treasure Coast please call 772-408-1260 or visit them online at www.careersourcerc.com.

The U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration provides information to U.S. companies interested in exporting products internationally via Export.gov. Export.gov helps companies plan, develop and execute international sales strategies necessary to succeed in today's global marketplace. The U.S. Commercial Service (CS), part of the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration, offers companies a full range of expertise in international trade. The services offered includes strategic planning, promotion and sales.

For more information on the services offered by the U.S. Export Assistance Center please call 407-420-4848 ext. 260 or visit www.export.gov.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) works with lenders to provide loans to small businesses. The SBA doesn't lend money directly to small business owners. Instead, it sets guidelines for loans made by its partnering lenders, community development organizations, and micro-lending institutions. The SBA guarantees these loans will be repaid, which eliminates some risk for the lending partners.

For more information on the SBA's loan guarantee program please visit www.sba.gov.

Accion is the largest nationwide nonprofit lending network in the United States. Accion helps entrepreneurs generate income, build assets, create jobs by providing direct loans tailored to the company's needs.

For more information on the loan products and services offered by Accion please call 866-245-0783 or visit www.us.accion.org.

The Florida Venture Forum is Florida's largest and most prestigious statewide support organization for venture capitalists and entrepreneurs, helping emerging growth companies come together with sources of capital from across the country. The organization provides programs statewide throughout the year in addition to hosting the Florida Venture Conference, the Statewide Collegiate Business Plan Competition and the Florida Early State Capital Conference.

For more information, visit www.flventure.org.

The Bridge Loan assists small businesses affected by a disaster. The program is activated after an Executive Order and Press Release are issued by the Governor declaring a state of emergency. The loans serve as a bridge to other sources of funding from SBA, FEMA, private insurance or other lenders. This loan is only available to qualified businesses within a designated disaster area.

For more information, visit www.floridadisasterloan.org.

SSBCI supports access to capital for small business and entrepreneurs. There are three types of loans offered with this program:

• Loan Participation: Medium to long term financing in the form of term loans. Learn More
• 504 Bridge Loans: Are designed to facilitate the acquisition of capital fixed assets for the purchase of owner occupied commercial real estate and/or fixed machinery and equipment.
• The Florida Venture Capital Program: Is an investment program to fund high growth start up and early stage companies. Learn More

Florida Export Finance Corporation (FEFC) provides Florida businesses with information, technical and consulting assistance and financing for their export transactions.

The Microfinance Guarantee Program was designed to stimulate access to credit for entrepreneurs and small businesses in Florida by providing targeted guarantees to loans made to such entrepreneurs and small businesses. The Microfinance Guarantee Program does not offer grants, and is not a direct loan program, so you do not apply directly to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO). The program is designed to provide loan guarantees to lenders that extend credit to small businesses in Florida.

This program provides loan guarantees to businesses located on a Brownfield property. The Environmental Protection Agency defines as "real property", the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant.