So You Want to Start a Small Business? Let’s Talk Funding!
If there’s one thing everyone knows about forging the path toward starting a business it’s that it costs money—and usually not a small amount. What many first-time entrepreneurs might not know is that there is more than one way to fund their new business venture. It’s important for new business owners to have a solid […]
Federal Contracting & Small Businesses: A Perfect Pair
Last month the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) released fiscal data for 2022 that showed that the federal government spent $162.9 billion contract dollars with small businesses in the United States. While that is a staggering amount of money—and more than ever before—the overall percentage of dollars that went to small businesses actually declined by […]
Government Contracting 101: Top SBA Programs to Help Small Businesses Grow
One of the challenges of small business ownership is market competition—this is no secret. Many small business owners confront this challenge by expanding the services they offer, releasing new products, or developing incentive programs to attract new customers. These are all GREAT ways to grow your business, but there is one more strategy that is […]
Small Business Programs from the Department of Defense
The Department of Defense’s (DoD) Office of Small Business Programs focuses many of their efforts on building connections between small businesses and national security efforts. Their mission is to maximize how much of the United States’ combat and economic power remains within the country’s borders. In order to achieve this mission, the DoD has several […]
Inclusive Economic Development and the Role of CDCs
When it comes to economic development, we would be lying if we said that it was fair and equitable across the nation. In fact, Brookings made this fact public in 2020 with its roadmap to inclusive development report. This report distills down into one poignant, unmistakable thought—economic growth in and of itself is not enough […]
Securing Non-Profit Funding Options to Promote Growth
Spring is a time of renewal and growth, and we’re not just talking about our lawns and gardens! Now is the perfect time to be thinking about new ways that you might want to grow and change your business—that will likely require some funding. This month we’re outlining how to go about locating and securing […]
Finding & Working with the Certified Development Company That’s Right for Your Business
Small businesses seeking certain types of funding—like 504 loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)—are required to work with a Certified Development Company (CDC) in order to navigate the funding process. Here at Growth Capital, we’ve been doing this work for over 40 years in Northeast Ohio, but we know that we’re not the […]
3 Mistakes to Avoid When Starting Your Small Business
We know how exciting starting a small business is—seeing your passion project become a reality is an indescribable experience. However, the journey to launching a business is one that often has pitfalls that are easy to fall into, even if you’re not new to the field. We’re here to walk through some common mistakes that […]
Economic Survival—Funding Small Business Startups
This month we’re here to talk to you about the necessary—but often stressful—part of new business planning—funding. Last month was all about crafting a business plan and really solidifying how you hope to launch and grow your business. Now, we need to talk dollars and cents. There are many options at your disposal for securing […]