Small Business Resources

There are many public and private organizations and public agencies within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that help business owners, and some of those organizations specifically focus on providing assistance to businesses that are minority and women-owned. Below is a list of some of these organizations with a live link to their website.

Artist/Maker-Focused Organizations

• Essex Cultural Council (grant funding)
• Essex County Community Foundation
• Etsy’s “Learn How to Sell on Etsy”
• New England Foundation for the Arts

Business Networking and Information

• Essex Merchants Group
• Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce
• North Shore Chamber of Commerce

Disabled Persons Business Resources

• Disability Resource Center
• Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission
• Northeast ARC Office of Innovation and Strategy

Downtown Essex Business Resource

• Essex Merchants Group

Employment and Training

•  Commonwealth Corporation
•  MASSHIRE

Financing, Grants, and Other Support

• Massachusetts Growth Capital Corp.
• MassDevelopment - See their 1/24/23 presentation to Cape Ann to serve Businesses, Developers, Housing, Manufacturers, Municipalities, Non Profits and Banks.  Also, find loans and guarantees funded through the State Small Business Credit Initiative
• Commonwealth of Massachusetts Small Business Resources
• Federal Government Small Business Resources

Incubators - Local

• North Shore Innoventures

Legal Advice (Free)

• Lawyers for Civil Rights
• Massachusetts Bar Association Dial-A-Lawyer Program

Life Science Business Support/Financing

• Massachusetts Life Science Center

Minority-Focused Organizations and Agencies

• Coalition for an Equitable Economy
•  U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency

Older Adult Employment

• AARP
• National Council on Aging

Small Business Development Resources

• Enterprise Center at Salem State University - Serving entrepreneurs on the North Shore, an entrepreneurial hub that offers business owners office space, education, and access/ connections to small business resources
• Massachusetts Small Business Development Center
• SCORE

State Permitting and Licensing

• Massachusetts Permit Regulatory Office

State Tax Incentive Program

• Massachusetts Office of Business Development
• Commonwealth of Massachusetts Small Business Resources

State Tax Payments and Registration

• Massachusetts Department of Revenue

Veteran-Focused Organizations

• New England Veterans Chamber of Commerce
• Second Service Foundation for entrepreneurs 
• StreetShares Foundation and Loans
• US Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization
• US Small Business Administration Office of Veterans Business Development

Women-Focused Organizations

• Center for Women and Enterprise
• Girls Who Code
• MassChallenge

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