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

Business Planning

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

Marketing/Sales

  • Advertising/Brochure Design
  • Market Plan Development and Training
  • Market Research

Networking Organizations

  • Geographically Based
  • Small Business/General

Regulatory Compliance

  • Government Requirements
  • Insurance Requirements

Selling to the Government and Large Corporations

  • Women, Minority & Business Disadvantaged Certification

Starting a Business

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

Libraries and Research Organizations

  • Business Research Resources
  • Demographic/Census Data

Business Planning

  • Forming a Business

Buying or Selling a Business

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

Economic and Site Development

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

Financial Resources and Assistance

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

Human Resources

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

Import and Export Assistance

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

Legal Services

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

Management Issues

  • Human Resources
  • Insurance Requirements

Marketing/Sales

  • Demographics/Census Data
  • E-Commerce/Internet Marketing
  • Feasibility Studies

Mentoring

  • One-on-One Counseling

Office, Incubator, Laboratory, Kitchen and Meeting Space

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

Product Development

  • Patent Information

Public Policy and Government Relations

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

Regulatory Compliance

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

Selling to the Government and Large Corporations

  • Bid Matching and Preparation
  • Government & Military Specifications
  • Obtaining Corporate Contracts
  • Obtaining Government Contracts
  • Registration Assistance
  • Selling to Foreign Governments & Businesses

Tax Services

  • Tax Credits

Registration, License and Permits

  • Registration, License and Permits