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Business Assistance Guide – Development Assistance Agencies
With the advent of the numerous resources available on the Internet, small businesses enjoy a wealth of information that sometimes can be overwhelming and at times even contradictory. It is also difficult to nail down the basics for your particular business in your particular area from all the resources available. Usually it is best to start with local sources for help in starting or operating a business and make use of their referrals to other community assistance agencies.
Almost every town of any size in California has economic or community development agencies that can point you in the right direction. Most have Chambers of Commerce that can recommend who to contact for services you may require. Many have visitor or convention bureaus that may have information important to your business development. County, state and federal agencies also provide a broad range of small business information and service.
Small Business Assistance Centers
Small business development centers also abound. These types of centers can take you through the rudiments of starting and operating a business up to helping you obtain financing for expansion. Often, public libraries, junior colleges and universities, and service and professional associations offer small business resources pertinent to the local community, including local referrals to data and research that is not easily obtained otherwise.
- Redwood Empire Small Business Development Center: In Santa Rosa hosted on the Santa Rosa Junior College web site.
- Small Business Administration: The Small Business Administration homepage.
- SCORE: The Service Corp of Retired Executives home page with a link to the Sonoma County chapter.
- Sonoma County Public Library: The Sonoma County Public Library system offers a wide variety of information for small businesses.