/Growing a Business Updated on: March 31, 2017
Carolina Small Business Development Fund believes that when small businesses succeed, everyone benefits. They support communities by helping entrepreneurs build the businesses of their dreams, creating economic opportunities across North Carolina. Grow your business with Carolina Small Business Development Fund.
Charlotte Mecklenburg BLACK CHAMBER of Commerce offers opportunities for you to connect and build the relationships you need to grow your business. Visit the CMBCC online to learn more, or join today.
If you’re a woman entrepreneur and are ready to take the next step in growing your business, NAWBO is the only member-based organization designed to serve, support and strengthen women entrepreneurs in Charlotte. Learn more about the benefits of becoming a member of NAWBO Charlotte!
The LACCC is committed to giving growing businesses the support they need! Through guided programs, networking events, and mentoring opportunities, the LACCC might just be the resource your business needs to take it to the next step!
Mecklenburg County is helping growing businesses by giving them the tools they need to grow successfully. If you’re looking for information on growing your business, find out how the County can help!
The Charlotte Chamber hosts a variety of events and seminars designed to benefit the growth of your business.
When it’s time to take your business to the next level, the Library can help connect you to the information you need. Use Reference USA to learn more about competitors in your industry and ABI/INFORM to discover industry trends. And with SimplyMap, you can learn more about the demographics in your area.
Charlotte’s growing, and with the City of Charlotte, our business community is growing with it. Find the tools and information you need to grow your business successfully with the City of Charlotte!
When it’s time to expand or relocate your business, Charlotte Works will be there to provide real-time, sector-focused labor market information; grants to train or retrain your workforce; and collaboration with local, state and federal partners.
If you’re a UNC Charlotte entrepreneurial student or faculty member with a big idea, be sure to check out the National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps Site Program at UNC Charlotte which is operated by Ventureprise, as well as the Ventureprise Launch program. Both of these programs support UNC Charlotte’s students and faculty members by guiding their ideas through the commercialization process. Learn more about commercializing your technology with Ventureprise!
SCORE Charlotte helps growing businesses in a variety of ways. In particular, their free, confidential one-on-one mentoring is available for business owners to speak directly to successful entrepreneurs about the greatest challenges of growing a business.
The SBTDC understands the challenges facing growing businesses. With products and services designed to maximize the success of your company, the SBTDC is here to help you grow and succeed!
Are you ready to expand your business? Planning and preparing for new challenges is a crucial step in the process. Find out from the SBA how you can successfully grow your company.
Growing businesses often need capital! The SBA 504 program offered by BEFCOR can finance real estate, machinery and equipment to help companies increase revenue, productivity, employees and profit. Contact BEFCOR for more details!
Your business is growing, which means your team is growing with it. The Employers Association is available to answer your human resources questions and connect you to resources that will help your business grow.
CPCC’s Small Business Center offers one-on-one business counseling and professional development programs to help ease the growing pains of any business. Visit https://www.cpcc.edu/sbc to find the help you’ve been looking for!
The North Carolina Retail Merchants Association (NCRMA) is the leading advocate and business resource dedicated to promoting a positive legislative and regulatory environment for the retail industry – enhancing members’ opportunities for success.
Owning a business can be overwhelming. Membership in NCRMA ensures that you have the resources, support and facts you need to make running your business easier and more profitable. The Association has grown to be the go-to source when our members are facing an issue. Not only are we dedicated to our members’ success, we are also working hard every day to ensure that North Carolina is one of the best places in the United States to do business.
We are a nonprofit trade association that was organized in 1902 to improve the business climate for retail merchants in our state. Over 100 years later, NCRMA is still the voice of the retail industry in North Carolina. The Association’s membership includes more than 25,000 stores from across the state, representing 75 percent of North Carolina’s retail sales volume. NCRMA serves both large and small retailers from multi-state chains to independents, and all types of merchants such as antique, apparel, art, automotive, book, carpet, department, drug, electronics, floral, furniture, grocery, hardware, jewelry, paint and variety stores.
The CPCC Corporate Learning Center works one-on-one with businesses to develop and meet the training needs of your employees in the following areas: training and development, organization effectiveness and workplace learning. Learn more about group training today!
Starting
Find the resources and information you need to help you start your business. From assessing your readiness to be an entrepreneur to launching your business and everything in between, Charlotte has the resources to help you position your business for success.
Below, you’ll find several resources for starting your business. Click on each image to expand and learn more.
Contracting Services
Explore the resources on this page to learn about opportunities that may exist for you and your business. From contracting with local, state and federal governments to contracting with major corporations in the private sector, there are many opportunities to do business in the Charlotte region. Explore the resources below to learn about opportunities that may exist for you and your business.
Direct links to City of Charlotte Projects, Mecklenburg Country Projects and the North Carolina Interactive Purchasing System are all available on this page. You’ll also find the contracting resources organized into the following categories: Opportunities, Resources and Vendor Registration. Click on each image to expand their profiles and learn more.
Training and Development
Keeping current with today business trends is the keystone to sustainability. Luckily, Charlotte has a number of resources available to help you position your business for long-term success. Browse the topics and pages below to get familiar with the partners that will help you to grow yourself and grow your business.
Choose between the two categories below (Legal Assistance and Local Resources) to further refine your search and help navigate the growth of your business. And don’t forget to check out the Calendar of Events for upcoming training, networking and other local business events!
Site Selection
Find the resources you need to locate and set up your business. There are many factors you need to consider before you choose the location for your business. From zoning to demographics, the resources below will help you find where your business will be at home.
On this page, you’ll find resources organized in the following categories: Avoiding Mistakes, Market & Demographic Data, Real Estate Search and Zoning. Choose from one of these topics to refine your search and to find more information about choosing the perfect location.
High Growth Entrepreneurship
The resources on this page provide technical expertise, counseling and capital to support Charlotte’s high-growth entrepreneurial culture. The ability to develop and execute an idea into a scalable commercially-viable venture is the hallmark of an entrepreneur, and Charlotte has just the right ecosystem to support this vital role.
On this page, you’ll first notice local organizations that offer regional efforts and resources for high growth entrepreneurship. These include Charlotte Regional Fund for Entrepreneurship (CRFE), a report featuring a map of Charlotte’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, and a report showcasing Charlotte’s strategy for high growth entrepreneurship.
Further down on the page, you’ll find even more resources for high growth entrepreneurship. Refine your search and find the resources you need by choosing from the following categories: Annual Events, Business Advisory & Incubation, Financial Resources and Training & Networking. From there, click on each image to expand and learn more about the local resources available to help your high-growth venture.
Exporting
On this page, you’ll find the resources you need for export assistance and financing. Exporting goods is a great way to expand your business and take part in the global economy. In fact, data has shown that companies that do business internationally grow faster and fail less often than companies that don’t.
The categories listed on this page include Export Assistance, Research & Statistics, Export Financing and Local Resources. To refine your search, select the category that best describes the help you need, and click on the images to expand and learn more about each resource.
Patents
The resources on this page will help you begin to understand everything you need to know about copyrights, patents and trademarks.
On this page, you’ll find various organizations and resources that can assist you with all of your patenting needs. Simply click on the images to expand and learn more about each.
Franchise
The resources on this page will give you insight into what you should consider before becoming a franchise owner. Want to back your business smarts with a brand name? Franchising might be right for you.
On this page, you’ll find a few of the best resources available in Charlotte to assist with all of your franchising needs. Click on each image to expand their profile and learn more.
Non-Profit Resources
Starting a non-profit? Non-profits are businesses, too Find everything you need to know about starting a non-profit and funding on this page. Charlotte offers a variety of resources that can help non-profits and social ventures alike be best positioned to reach their organizational goals.
This page is organized into the following three categories: Funding, Local Resources and Starting a Non-Profit. To refine your search, select the category that best describes your needs, and click on each image to learn more about the resources available to you.
Networking
On this page, check out the networking opportunities available through our partners, including business associations, contractor associations, and Chamber of Commerce events, as well as industry specific events. Networking is an essential skill for successful business people, and it will help you identify new revenue opportunities and potential strategic partnerships.
Not quite what you’re looking for? You can find more networking opportunities in the Charlotte Business Resources community; check out the Calendar of Events!
To refine your search, pick from one of the categories on this page, which include Business Associations, Chamber of Commerce, Contractor Opportunities and Industry Specific. From there, click on the images to learn more about each resource available to you.
Overcoming Obstacles
Find the resources you need for overcoming obstacles, from confidential and expert one-on-one business advising to human resource assistance and more. Business obstacles are inevitable and can take many forms.
Choose from the categories to refine your search and find the resources you need.
Traning and Development
On this page, you’ll find the training and development resources you need, including those for legal assistance. Charlotte has a number of resources available to help you position your business for long-term success.
The filterable topics on this page include Human Resources, One-On-One Business Advising and Online Resources. Click on the topic that best meets your needs, and explore the local resources available to your business.
Workforce
Find the employment and training services your business needs on this page, including services for financing, training and your workforce.
The topics featured on this page include Financial Incentives, Training Programs, Workforce Data and Workforce Services. To refine your search, click on the topic that best describes what you’re looking for. From there, take a moment to check out the resources available to you; be sure to click on their images to expand the profiles and learn more.
Environmental Sustainability
Going green can give your company a competitive advantage, improve your business efficiency and potentially lower operating costs. Explore the resources featured on this page to find everything you need to know about promoting environmental sustainability at work.
The topics featured on this page include Financial Programs & Incentives, Local Initiatives and Tools to Green Your Business. To refine your search, click on the topic that best describes your needs, and take a moment to browse the resources available to you. Click on the images of the resources that interest you to expand their profiles and learn more.
Exporting
On this page, you’ll find the resources you need for export assistance and financing. Exporting goods is a great way to expand your business and take part in the global economy. In fact, data has shown that companies that do business internationally grow faster and fail less often than companies that don’t.
The categories listed on this page include Export Assistance, Research & Statistics, Export Financing and Local Resources. To refine your search, select the category that best describes the help you need, and click on the images to expand and learn more about each resource.
Patents
The resources on this page will help you begin to understand everything you need to know about copyrights, patents and trademarks.
On this page, you’ll find various organizations and resources that can assist you with all of your patenting needs. Simply click on the images to expand and learn more about each.
Transitioning Ownership
Finding what you need when exiting your business is just as important as finding what you needed when you started. The resources on this page can guide you through the execution of your exit strategy.
The topics featured on this page include Legal Assistance, Local Resources and Resources on the Web. Click on the topic that best meets your needs, and discover all of the resources available to you. To learn more about each resource, be sure to click on each image to expand their profiles.
Networking
On this page, check out the networking opportunities available through our partners, including business associations, contractor associations, and Chamber of Commerce events, as well as industry specific events. Networking is an essential skill for successful business people, and it will help you identify new revenue opportunities and potential strategic partnerships.
Not quite what you’re looking for? You can find more networking opportunities in the Charlotte Business Resources community; check out the Calendar of Events!
To refine your search, pick from one of the categories on this page, which include Business Associations, Chamber of Commerce, Contractor Opportunities and Industry Specific. From there, click on the images to learn more about each resource available to you.
Certifications
Access the most valuable certification resources for your business on this page. Being certified in your trade can give you an unparalleled advantage when being considered for contracting opportunities. Don’t let your lack of certifications hinder your business growth.
If you’re looking for increased opportunities to do business with local, state and federal government; as well as, with major corporations, you should explore becoming certified by each applicable agency.
The resources on this page are organized into the two following categories: Government and Private Sector. Click on the category that best fits your needs, and click on each image to learn more.
Bonding
Find the resources you need that can help with your business bonding needs. On this page, you’ll find access to bond programs, as well as the resources you need to prepare for a bond. It is not uncommon for businesses, and particularly those in the construction field, to need some form of surety bond in order to receive government and other contracts.
The resources on this page are organized into two categories: Bond Programs and Preparing for a Bond. Click on the category that best fits your needs, and click on each image to learn more.
Bidding
The bidding resources on this page will help you understand the bidding process and put you on a path to throwing a compliant, competitive hat into any ring. Bidding on contracts can be an overwhelming process, so it’s best to be informed and do your research.
For more information on the local tools available to you, click on the topics on this page to expand their profiles and learn more.
