The Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network's
Northeast Regional Office provides free and
confidential business counseling to prospective and existing small
businesses.
Located at the Enterprise Center—a
regional business incubator and
conference center located at Salem
State College—the
SBDC is a partnership of the U.S. Small
Business Administration and the
Massachusetts Department of Business
Development and is a program of Salem
State College.
Certified SBDC business advisors provide counseling
services at the SBDC’s office in Salem at the Enterprise Center and at chambers of commerce and community colleges in Amesbury,
Gloucester, Lawrence, Malden, Melrose, North Andover, Stoneham and Woburn.
You can make counseling appointments directly through an offsite business
counseling center. Click here for a listing of
telephone numbers.
Since the beginning of its affiliation with Salem State
College in 1992, the Northeast Regional Office has worked with over 11,000
entrepreneurs. During that time, the SBDC has assisted entrepreneurs to
raise over $65 million in loans. Advisors work
with business owners to help them “package” their loans, develop their
business plan and financial projections, and assemble other documents
required by lenders.
The SBDC works closely with the SBA, bankers and government
and non-profit lenders to help connect clients with a wide range of
financial resources. Business workshops are offered for free or for a
nominal fee, and are held monthly in Beverly, Salem, North Andover and
Woburn. Many programs are cosponsored with Chambers of Commerce, banks,
local colleges and universities, community development organizations and
trade associations.
Business advising and workshop topics cover a wide array
of management concerns. They may include business plan development, preventure feasibility, buying or selling a business, financing, cash flow
analysis, marketing and personnel issues. Special programs include
assistance with international trade, minority business assistance, and state and federal government
contracting.
