Step by step
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1
Marketing
To run a successful business it is critical to have a thorough understanding of your market. Small Business Center Network (SBCN) helps you understand: Who are my Customers? Who are my Competitors? What are the trends within the industry? SBCN can help you with your Marketing Plan.
The Small Business & Technology Development Center (SBTDC) has an experienced team of marketing analysts to help your business grow through better data and analysis. SBTDC can help you with your Marketing Plan. SBTDC has put together a Marketing Plan worksheet to guide you through the writing and organization of an effective marketing plan
AccordionTab/Accordion ItemsCheck out upcoming events and webinars offered by Entrepreneurship Hub that include topics like Kickstart your Business in 4 weeks, Time Management for Small Business Owners, How to Finance your Small Business, Marketing your Business with Social Media, Basics of Bookkeeping.
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2
Financing
AccordionTab/Accordion ItemsSmall Business & Technology Development Center (SBTDC) counselors can work with you to perform a quick, no-cost financial analysis of your business. They can provide practical advice and solutions to improve your financial situation.
Small Business Centers provide local, confidential, experienced counselors as advisors for new and existing businesses at no-cost to you. They can work with you to perform a quick, no-cost financial analysis of your business. They can provide practical advice and solutions to improve your financial situation.
Questions about Funding Resources? - EDPNC Small Business Advisors can help answer your questions.
Small Business Center Network (SBCN) provides some very good resources for you to review as you start determining how you might want to finance your business.
The Small Business & Technology Development Center SBTDC’s Capital Opportunities for Small Businesses provides information about financial resources available to small businesses in North Carolina.
The Entrepreneurship Hub provides information about financial resources available to small businesses in North Carolina.
Find federal funding opportunities to support research and development projects through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. SBTDC can help you navigate these grant programs.
Community development financial institutions (CDFIs) specialize in financing to underserved communities and businesses — including nonprofits. If you’re located in a low-income or rural area, or you’re a member of a historically disadvantaged group, you might be able to get approved for more competitive terms with these lenders than elsewhere.
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3
Training and Employee Management
Are your employees and managers as efficient and productive as they should be? The SBTDC has the experience and tool sets to help you.
AccordionTab/Accordion ItemsNCWorks.gov is North Carolina’s official, free job search website that gives employers the ability to search for candidates, post job listings, review potential candidates, find and review resumes, track applicants, and access labor market data.
Small Business Centers offer year round a wide variety of free seminars and workshops to help small businesses be successful. Some of the topics include: Bookkeeping and Taxes, Marketing for Success, Build Your Business Through Business Networking, Understanding Business Financial Statements.
Entrepreneurship Hub offers Skills Workshops in Marketing, Sales, QuickBooks, 8A, Govt Contracts, GAP Training, Networking. Check out upcoming events and webinars.
Employers can receive support to help pay for the training of eligible employees through different programs:
- On-the-Job Training (OJT) reimburses companies for a certain percentage of a relatively new employee’s wages during the time of the training.
- Incumbent Worker Training grants reimburse companies for the cost of training their existing workforce, helping to improve the skills of employees and the company’s competitiveness.
- Apprenticeships prepare individuals for an industry through a combination of classroom instruction and On-the-Job Training.
- NCEdge Customized Training, offered through the state’s system of 58 community colleges, is tailored to meet an eligible company’s specific needs.
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4
Pay Applicable Business Taxes
Small business taxes and employer requirements can be simple or complex depending on the size and structure of your business. In addition, specific tax liability for each type of business is different. We have information on: Sales & Use Tax, Privilege License Tax, State & Local Tax, State Withholding Taxes, Federal Taxes
AccordionTab/Accordion ItemsCheck out upcoming events and webinars offered by NC Department of Revenue (NC DOR) that include topics like Business Tax essentials, Withholding Tax basics, Sales & Use Tax Basics, Privilege License Tax Webinar.
Small Business & Technology Development Center (SBTDC) offers free online training to help small businesses be successful. Some of the topics include: Pre-Venture Training Series, SBIR/STTR Grant eligibility and proposal process Training, Government Contracting, Safety and Health Management, Small Business Tax workshop.
Check out upcoming free seminars and workshops offered by Small Business & Technology Development Center (SBTDC) to help small businesses be successful. Some of the popular topics include: Business and Income Tax Seminars, Think like a Lender, Kickstart your business in 4 weeks, Supply Chain Management.
Small Business Centers offer year round a wide variety of free seminars and workshops to help small businesses be successful. Some of the topics include: How to Start a Business, How to write a Business Plan, Financing Your Business, Bookkeeping and Taxes, Marketing for Success.
Who Should Register for Sales and Use Tax? Check out the North Carolina Department of Revenue page to find out more.
North Carolina Department of Revenue provides tutorial videos on how to complete the most common sales & use tax forms and how to register for a sales & use account.
How you can apply for Sales & Use Tax - Watch a video on how you can apply for Sales & Use Tax with NC Department of Revenue (NCDOR).
State privilege license taxes are imposed for the privilege of carrying on the business, exercising the privilege or doing the act named in Article 2, Schedule B of the Revenue Laws of North Carolina. These privilege license taxes are in addition to any regulatory or qualification requirements to engage in the practice of a profession, business or trade.
NC Department of Revenue (NCDOR) online business registration allows you to electronically register for an account ID number for income tax withholding, sales and use tax, and other taxes and Service Charge instead of submitting Form NC-BR.
Watch a Video on how you can apply for Income Tax Withholding with NC Department of Revenue (NCDOR).
Are you required to pay Unemployment Insurance Tax? Check out the North Carolina Division of Employment Security page to find out more.
The form of business you operate determines what Federal taxes you must pay and how you pay them. The following are the five general types of business taxes: Income Tax, Estimated Taxes, Self-Employment Tax, Employment Taxes and Excise Tax.
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5
Comply with Regulations, as applicable
Reach out to private Insurance Providers to see if it makes sense to protect your business from Hazards and Liability Claims.
AccordionTab/Accordion ItemsBusinesses in North Carolina are required to file their Annual Report with the NC Department of the Secretary of State.
For questions about which license or permit your business needs, contact EDPNC Small Business Advisors at 1-800-228-8443.
NC Department of Labor (NCDOL) helps the employer determine which Occupational Safety and Health Standards apply to them as it pertains to recordkeeping, general industry, construction, agriculture, shipyard employment (public sector) and marine terminals (public sector). This includes North Carolina state-specific standards.
NC Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) lists all rules and regulations for Air Quality, Coastal Management, Energy, Mineral and Land Resources, Mining, Marine Fisheries, Waste Management, Water Resources.
Do Environmental Regulations Apply to your business? Contact the Small Business Advisors at the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina(EDPNC) helpline.
Federal and state law requires employers to report newly hired and re-hired employees in North Carolina to the North Carolina New Hire Directory.
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6
Protect Intellectual Property
Small Business & Technology Development Center (SBTDC) has developed an Intellectual Property Guide to help small businesses and inventors in the development of their inventions and in the maintenance of their intellectual property rights.
AccordionTab/Accordion ItemsAdvisors at the Entrepreneurship Hub can work with you to determine if your intellectual property is protectable.
View Frequently Asked Questions on protecting your intellectual property in North Carolina from the Secretary of State Office.
Protect your intellectual property by registering for a Trademark or Service Mark in North Carolina.