Hi jilly5-ga
Wow, starting your own business! How exciting! Having been through the
process myself, I know that business start up can be confusing to say
the least. Having someone to help can really smooth out the process.
You have to look at business start up information from 2 different
angles ----
1) Information that everyone needs to start a business. That is
general information on laws, regulations, forms, business plans,
taxes, zoning, hiring, market research, etc. This kind of information
is usually available from Chambers of Commerce, general how-to books,
and business start-up seminars and workshops.
2) Information that is specific to you and your business. This is
where you need the personal help. A counsellor can help answer
questions like:
“I live in so-and-so neighbourhood, am I allowed to open a donut shop
there?”
“Does the Department of Health have to inspect my donut oven?”
“My daughter is 12 and sprinkles the donuts with sugar. How can I pay
her?”
“How do I figure out what to charge for my donuts?”
What you want to do to use your time valuably, is try to get the
answers for the first type of questions, the general ones, by
attending workshops and reading as much as you can. Then, when you DO
finally meet with a counsellor, you won’t have to use up her time
asking the general questions. You can instead focus on YOUR business.
There are a number of ways you can get help with business start up.
First of all, I would highly recommend the Service Corp of Retired
Executives (SCORE ) ---
SCORE – NORTHERN NEVADA – CHAPTER 415
http://www.score-reno.org/home.cfm
“SCORE® is a nationwide organization of active and retired business
men and women who volunteer their services to assist small businesses
and entrepreneurs. SCORE® provides free business counseling and offers
free and low-cost workshops on a variety of business topics.”
Nevada Small Business Development Center/032
College of Business Administration
University of Nevada, Reno
Reno, NV 89557
Office (775) 784-4436
FAX (775) 784-4337
SCORE Northern Nevada Carson Valley Office
Carson Valley Chamber of Commerce Building
1513 Highway 395
Gardnerville, NV 89410
Office (775) 782-8144
Their website indicates that you can set up a personal appointment by
phone. That would be the best way to start:
“All it takes is a phone call to (775) 784-4436 . You'll be offered a
selection of times and dates and an appointment will be arranged.
Remember there is never any charge for our counseling services.”
Also I would recommend attending some of the introductory workshops.
The free ones will probably be crowded, but the more in-depth ones
that carry a fee usually have fewer attendees and allow for more
personal time with the instructors.
As you can see by the above addresses, SCORE also operates out of the
Carson Valley Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber is another source of
good information. Chambers of Commerce often offer business start up
seminars and “mixers” where you can go and talk with other business
people.
Carson Valley Chamber of Commerce
http://www.carsonvalleynv.org/chamber/default.cfm
Unfortunately, that site is far from useful. You are probably better
off to call them and ask what programs they offer for business start
up.
Then there is the SBA, which you said you already tried, but let’s
take a look at it again ---------
The Nevada Small Business Development Center (NSBDC)
http://www.nsbdc.org/
“.. a business assistance program funded by the U.S. Small Business
Administration and the University of Nevada, Reno. As part of the
Association of Small Business Development Centers, our network of over
1,000 offices provides business assistance nationally.”
You said it was too busy, but I see they do offer one-on-one
counselling. You can call and make an appointment --------
The NSBDC's professional counseling services are available free of
charge to small business owners and prospective small business owners.
While the definition of a small business varies depending on industry,
98% of all firms in the state of Nevada are qualified as small
businesses and therefore, qualify for this program. NSBDC clients are
counseled by professionals who utilize their educational and business
experience to provide practical, relevant advice.
Also, they have online documents that you can download to give you
some good basic information –
NSBDC- DOCUMENTS
http://www.nsbdc.org/resources/documents/
COMMUNITY COLLEGES ---------
Sometimes community colleges offer workshops in business start up. I
know because I’ve been invited to speak at several. Usually the
course runs weekly for 8-10 weeks and everyone is walked through the
process of starting their company, developing a business plan, filing
the papers, writing ads, and more. There are guest lecturers, brain
storming sessions, and small-group counselling sessions. It’s a nice
way to do it because you get to hear what other people are doing and
the weekly sessions help to keep you on track.
Now, all that said, I was unable to find such a course in Reno. I
checked the Truckee Meadows Community College continuing education
courses, but there wasn’t a business start up class listed:
TRUCKEE MEADOWS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
http://commserv.tmcc.edu/search.phtml
But don’t let that stop you! Keep and eye on those listings or call
the college to see if they have anything planned. Also, I wasn’t sure
which other colleges were within an easy drive for you, but you should
check any others that are.
Now, the other thing a community college might provide is an
instructor who wouldn’t mind sitting down with you for an hour or so.
Unlike university professors who have full course loads and research
obligations, many instructors at community colleges are “regular”
folks who teach specific subjects part-time. For example, take a look
at these descriptions ---
TMCC – INSTRUCTORS – CINDY MCMAHEN
http://commserv.tmcc.edu/instructors.phtml?instructor=McMahen,-qq-Cindy
TMCC – INSTRUCTORS – TONY SWAIM
http://commserv.tmcc.edu/instructors.phtml?instructor=Swaim,-qq-Tony
TMCC – INSTRUCTORS – JOHN SPIERS
http://commserv.tmcc.edu/instructors.phtml?instructor=Spiers,-qq-John
The rest of the list is here. I urge you to go through it and see if
anyone else there has background that would help you with your
specific business.
TMCC – INSTRUCTORS
http://commserv.tmcc.edu/instructors.phtml
Even though this is based in Las Vegas, but I would certainly get in
touch with theses people ---
Nevada Women's Business Resource & Assistance Center (NWBRAC)
http://www.nwbrac.com/
“… a nonprofit organization that targets low to moderate income women
to help them learn that they CAN become business owners with the
knowledge and skills necessary to successfully operate and manage a
small business.
NWBRAC offers one-on-one business counseling, by appointment or by
telephone, as well as some educational opportunities.”
And finally, this branch of the SBA may be able to provide you with a
one-on-one mentor ---
Women's Network for Entrepreneurial Training, a program of the SBA's
Office of Women's Business Ownership.
http://www.sba.gov/womeninbusiness/wnet.html
“Mentors are women business owners willing to give back to their
communities by assisting other women ready to grow their businesses.
Mentors can also come from legal, financial or other professions,
providing guidance, advice, and training to new women entrepreneurs.
Mentors are viewed as wise and trusted counsellors, willing to share
their business knowledge, skills, experience, and most importantly,
serve as respected role models.”
So that should all provide you with a good start to finding some help
in getting your new business venture off the ground. Going into
business for yourself is truly exciting! You will never work so hard
in your life, but you will never be more rewarded. Trust me!
Thanks for a great question. If anything I’ve said isn’t clear, please
feel free to ask for a clarification.
--K~
search terms:
SCORE business startup
Reno Nevada community college
Reno Nevada chamber of commerce
Women business organizations |
