The
following links are to non-profit organizations that offer
assistance to companies for free or a discounted price.
The assistance includes financing, business planning, demographics,
statistics, technical assistance, job training, professional
development, among much more. If you know of organizations
or web pages that should be added to this page or have come
across a dead link, please send an e-mail using the button
to the left.
Ben
Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania
- provides seed capital to start-up technology companies,
a microloan program for disadvantaged businesses, services
to help companies find solutions to their technical problems,
and job training programs.
Ben
Franklin Venture Investment Forum The mission
of the Ben Franklin Venture Investment Forum is to prepare
entrepreneurs to raise equity capital. A major focus is
creating venues in which entrepreneurs and investors can
interact.
Delaware
Valley Industrial Resource Center - improves
the competitiveness of small and medium sized manufacturers
in the region through the implementation of World Class
Manufacturing practices.
Delaware
Valley Regional Planning Commission - provides
access to regional census data, population and employment
statistics and forecasts, land use and travel data, mapping,
aerial photography, data bulletins regarding development,
planning and policy reports and technical memoranda.
Delaware
River Port Authority - provides market research
and export counseling to small and medium sized companies
in the Greater Philadelphia region.
Entreworld.com
- EntreWorld is designed to increase your productivity by
getting you essential information as quickly and easily
as possible. Its search engine delivers the best and most
useful information, guidance and contacts for you, the entrepreneur.
It actively seeks out and provides quality content -- more
than 1,000 articles, audio clips, tools, databases and even
town-to-town small business event listings -- to put the
most essential entrepreneurial resources immediately at
your fingertips. We add to this content dozens of original
management articles written especially for EntreWorld visitors
-- candid features from entrepreneurial icons such as 1-800-FLOWERS
¨' Jim McCann, Lillian Vernon, Guy Kawasaki of Garage.com
and other successful business founders. EntreWorld eliminates
the need for you to research and bookmark great Web-based
resources. It does the legwork for you -- centralizing the
most important entrepreneurial resources from the best sites,
combining it with our own top-quality content, and making
all the information easy to find.
The
Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce
- promotes a legislative and regulatory climate that stimulates
business development, provides a forum for business, finance
and the professions to work together to develop the region,
and represents members by speaking on their behalf.
Greater
Philadelphia First - works to improve the
business climate, generate employment by attracting new
investment, and market the region both nationally and internationally.
It provides economic, demographic and labor force data and
assists small and medium sized companies with export assistance.
Greater
Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation
- promotes Greater Philadelphia as a tourist destination
by focusing on the interests of leisure travelers. In addition
to offering hotel packages and shopping discounts, the organization
provides useful information and links to the area's five
regional convention and visitor bureaus on its web site.
Greater
Philadelphia Venture Group -The Greater Philadelphia
Venture Group is the umbrella organization for venture capital
firms in the region. The GPVG's primary goal is to facilitate
communication among venture capitalists and professional
service providers in order to foster the creation and growth
of entrepreneurial companies. The GPVG, a council of the
Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, whose members
have $7.9 billion under management, serves Eastern Pennsylvania,
Southern New Jersey and Delaware.
infoworth.com
- This site is a unique virtual family of business and management
experts. The site features recognized and published authors
that can give advice and make recommendations to those seeking
guidance and hands-on arena of small business management.
Kauffman
Center For Entrepreneurial Leadership - The
Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is an operating and grantmaking
foundation that works toward the vision of self-sufficient
people in healthy communities. Our mission is to research
and identify unfulfilled needs of society and to develop,
implement and/or fund breakthrough solutions that have a
lasting impact and offer people a choice and hope for the
future. The Kauffman Foundation's work is focused on two
areas: youth development and entrepreneurship.
Mayor's
Business Action Team (Philadelphia) - is
dedicated to assisting and supporting Philadelphia business.
MBAT works to ensure full delivery of City services by guiding
companies with questions to appropriate City departments
and agencies. MBAT also offers assistance with financing
programs, start-up information, licensing, and business
expansion and relocation.
National
Council of Entrepreneurism - The National
Commission on Entrepreneurship was created to focus public
policy on the role of entrepreneurship in the national economy
and to articulate policies that will foster its continued
growth. The NCOE is a resource for anyone interested in
entrepreneurship and public policy.
New
Jersey Economic Development Authority - is
a self-supporting, independent state financing and development
agency serving New Jersey's business community. Since it
was founded in 1974, the EDA has provided more than $12.7
billion to help eligible businesses and not-for-profit groups
undertake worthwhile projects. The EDA works with businesses
of all sizes and types--from sole entrepreneurs to world-wide
corporations. More than 6,000 manufacturers, distributors,
service providers and retailers have been assisted by the
EDA.
Pennsylvania
Governor's Action Team - For companies expanding
or locating in Pennsylvania, the Governor's Action Team
provides a wealth of services, and they work directly with
you to provide the necessary assistance to ensure a successful
project.
Pennsylvania
Private Investors Group - Philadelphia-based
angel network. Angels are private investors who seek to
invest in early stage, high risk companies that can possibly
return multiples of the investment made.
Pennsylvania
Small Business Development Centers - Provides
lots of content and links to content to help entrepreneurs.
Philadelphia
Convention & Visitors' Bureau - is the central
agency for free information on visiting and meeting in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia
Industrial Development Corporation - PIDC
enjoys a national reputation as one of the most innovative
and responsive development corporations in the country.
PIDC promotes economic growth in a variety of ways. It has
money to lend, land to sell, and development expertise to
help clients of all sizes reach their development goals.
Regional
Entrepreneurship Catalyst - Entrepreneurship is increasingly
recognized as a catalyst for regional economic growth and
development. There is still, however, a need for deeper
understanding about the policies, strategies and practices
that foster entrepreneurial activity. The Regional Entrepreneurship
Catalyst is designed to help meet this need. The Catalyst's
purpose is to help close this entrepreneurship policy gap
in an effort to stimulate greater individual opportunity,
healthier communities and more vital regions.
Small
Business Administration - The U.S. Small
Business Administration, established in 1953, provides financial,
technical and management assistance to help Americans start,
run, and grow their businesses. With a portfolio of business
loans, loan guarantees and disaster loans worth more than
$45 billion, SBA is the nation's largest single financial
backer of small businesses. Last year, the SBA offered management
and technical assistance to more than one million small
business owners. The SBA also plays a major role in the
government's disaster relief efforts by making low-interest
recovery loans to both homeowners and businesses.
The
Technology Council of Greater Philadelphia
- serves leaders of technology-oriented companies by providing
valuable contacts, capital, and information with a variety
of events, publications and innovative services.
