Baltimore County Small Business Resource Center

The SBRC is a free service to help you establish, grow and improve your business through one-on-one sessions.

About

The Baltimore County Small Business Resource Center (SBRC) is a cooperative effort between the Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce and the Baltimore County Department of Economic Development. The SBRC was established in 1983 as a way to improve the Chamber’s ability to serve the business community, particularly the small business community.

The SBRC is a free service to help you establish, grow, and improve your business. The center’s counselors have had real world experience and success within the small business arena, equipping them to offer you expert advice. For more than 30 years, the SBRC has served more than 6,000 clients and assisted more than 700 businesses get started.

Services offered include:

Business Plan Development

A well-developed business plan is the most important step in establishing a business. It helps you focus on the goals necessary to get your business up and running. It is also a necessary tool for marketing yourself to potential lenders. SBRC counselors can help with business plan templates, give guidance on how and where to conduct the necessary research and help fine tune your plan.

Marketing Advice

A business cannot be successful if no one knows about it. The SBRC can help you determine the best marketing strategy for your business by pointing you to the resources needed to conduct market research.

Financial Assistance

Locating funding can be one of the most difficult tasks when trying to establish or expand a business. The SBRC can point you to a variety of public and private financial resources. Resources include loan programs run by the Baltimore County Department of Economic Development, Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and the banking system Over the past 20 years, the SBRC has helped businesses find $60 million in loan assistance.

Minority Business Enterprise Certification

The SBRC is committed to ensuring equal procurement opportunities and to encouraging all vendors to ensure equal opportunity in employment and subcontracting. SBRC counselors can assist you with documentation for the MBE Certification application.

Services Provided

Public Policy and Government Relations

  • African American Business
  • Hispanic Business
  • Business Issues Related to a Specific City
  • Small Business Policy
  • Women’s Business
  • LGBT Business
  • Maryland Business Issues
  • Native American Business

Business Planning

  • Business Plan Consulting, Development and Review
  • Market Plan Development
  • Market Research
  • Forming a Business

Management Issues

  • Human Resources
  • Insurance Requirements

Financial Resources and Assistance

  • Obtaining Debt Funding
  • Obtaining Equity Funding
  • Obtaining Government Funding
  • Bookkeeping/Accounting Software Training
  • Technology Grants
  • Insurance Requirements
  • Loan Providers
  • Tax Credits
  • Budget, Financial Statement and Cash Flow Training
  • Real Estate Finance
  • Angel Investment Providers
  • Venture Capital Equity Providers
  • Micro Loans
  • Project Based Funding
  • Crowd funding

Import and Export Assistance

  • Import/Export Certification and Licensing
  • Networking/Exploring Exporting
  • Trade Education and Training
  • Financial Assistance for Exporting Activities

Legal Services

  • Contract Review
  • Forming a Business
  • Lease Review
  • Patent, Trademark & Copyright Information

Libraries and Research Organizations

  • Business Research Resources
  • Demographic/Census Data

Marketing/Sales

  • Advertising/Brochure Design
  • Demographics/Census Data
  • E-Commerce/Internet Marketing
  • Feasibility Studies
  • Market Plan Development and Training
  • Market Research

Networking Organizations

  • Geographically Based
  • Small Business/General

Selling to the Government and Large Corporations

  • Bid Matching and Preparation
  • Women, Minority & Business Disadvantaged Certification
  • Government & Military Specifications
  • Registration Assistance
  • Selling to Foreign Governments & Businesses
  • Obtaining Government Contracts
  • Obtaining Corporate Contracts

Office, Incubator, Laboratory, Kitchen and Meeting Space

  • Conference/Meeting and Event Space
  • Office Space
  • Retail Space
  • Site Location
  • Commercial Kitchen Facilities
  • Lease Review
  • Accelerator / Incubator / CoWorking / Makerspace

Economic and Site Development

  • Revitalization
  • Site Location Assistance
  • Tax Credits
  • Lease Review

Regulatory Compliance

  • Codes
  • Environmental Compliance
  • Government Requirements
  • Registration, Licenses and Permits
  • Patent Information
  • Trademark & Copyright Information
  • International Regulatory Compliance
  • Insurance Requirements

Tax Services

  • Tax Credits

Product Development

  • Patent Information

Buying or Selling a Business

  • Buying or Selling a Franchise
  • Valuation
  • Purchasing an Existing Business

Human Resources

  • Employee Development, Hiring and Policies
  • Retention
  • Workforce Incentives

Starting a Business

  • Business Research Resources
  • Forming a Business
  • Registration, Licenses and Permits
  • Site Location
  • Startup Business Counseling
  • Startup Classes

Mentoring

  • One-on-One Counseling

Registration, License and Permits

  • Registration, License and Permits