Business Development Links


Assistance for Artists in Business

A website designed to help artists become more business savvy, featuring interviews with professionals, links to jobsites, and advice. Visit:  www.paartistentrepreneur.com

Business Assistance & Resources

For free business advice from reliable, recognized online specialists, including answers to environmental and safety workplace safety compliance, innovation, finances, and human resources questions, visit the Business Reference Desk or Ask the Experts at:  www.pachamber.org

The Invent PA website is the official compilation of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED). The mission of DCED is to foster opportunities for businesses and communities to succeed and thrive in a global economy, enabling Pennsylvanians to achieve a superior quality of life. Visit this website at:  www.inventpa.com

The goal of PA’s Open for Business website is to make Pennsylvania the easiest place to start, sustain and expand a business. This website gives entrepreneurs “one door” access to business information, including financial incentives, resources, forms and publications, and online business registration, at:  www.paopen4business.state.pa.us

The Treasury Business Outlet offers information on state contracts, financing, fraud prevention, and resources, at:  www.patreasury.org

Corporate Philanthropy

To learn how you can join with leading corporations in the region who recognize the business value of good citizenship, visit:  www.dvg.org

Downtown Issues

The PA Downtown Center is the state’s only statewide nonprofit organization dedicated solely to downtown issues. It provides technical assistance and education, primarily utilizing the National Main Street’s Four Point Approach, to communities interested in downtown and central business district revitalization. For information, visit:  www.padowntown.org

Employment Resources

For a one-stop resource for recruitment, hiring, education and training services visit:  www.pacareerlink.state.pa.us

For a one-stop resource for employment background screening:  www.firstcontacthr.com

For information on the state’s implementation of the federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998, visit:  www.paworkforce.state.pa.us

Environmental Resources for Small Business

EnviroHelp provides free, confidential services to small businesses in PA to help them understand and comply with local, state and federal environmental regulations. EnviroHelp provides assistance with: air, waste, and water quality regulations at the county, state and federal levels; pollution prevention; energy efficiency; environmental self-audits; and environmental financing. Visit EnviroHelp at:  www.pa-envirohelp.org

EMAP (Environmental Management Assistance Program) is a free and confidential service for PA small businesses, run by the PA Small Business Development Centers. For environmental news and information, visit:  www.pasbdc.org/emap

Family Business Resources

For information for family businesses on family meetings, strategic business planning, mediation of sustained conflict, outside board development, team building, success planning,and mentoring successors, visit:  www.dvfambus.com

Health and Human Services

A web-based resource directory of health and human service information to help the public and agencies find information about services they may need.  www.infolinkpa.org

Industrial Development Resources

For information on the county’s Industrial Development Corporation, the key resource for economic assistance and development for business, including an inventory of manufacturing/warehouse facilities, industrial/flex facilities, office/retail facilities and land sites, visit:  www.mcidc.com

Manufacturing Resources

The Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center (DVIRC) is an economic development organization dedicated to helping small and medium-sized manufacturers in the Philadelphia region compete and grow. To learn about their complete selection of business and operational services, visit:  www.dvirc.org

Montgomery County

The Montgomery County website provides information on county services and programs, including Health and Human Services, MontcoWorks Resources, the Courts, Consumer Awareness, Parks and Historic Sites, Business Assistance and Economic Development, Recycling, plus lots more. Visit:  www.montcopa.org

Montgomery County Bad Check Restitution Program

Cut your losses with the Montgomery County Bad Check Restitution Program and recover 100% of the face value of the check with no minimum dollar restriction. Contact the Bad Check Restitution Program at 1-866-292-3593 for a crime report or visit the website at www.checkprogram.com/montgomerycountypa

Doing Business with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Imagine PA is the website that streamlines and standardizes key administrative business processes in procurement, accounting, budgeting, payroll and human resources to make it easier to do business with the Commonwealth. Visit this website at:  www.imaginepa.state.pa.us

Regional Business Issues

The Pennsylvania Economy League is a more than 60 year old public policy research and development organization whose mission is to support private sector leadership by promoting better government and a more competitive Pennsylvania. Visit the League at:  www.peleast.org

The Metropolitan Philadelphia Policy Center develops bold initiatives to strengthen the economic vitality of the region, and ensures that the Metropolitan Philadelphia area offers the highest quality of life for all who live there. Visit the Policy Center at:  www.metropolicy.org

Regional Planning

The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission is an interstate, inter-county and inter-city agency that provides continuing, comprehensive and coordinated planning for the orderly growth and development of the Delaware Valley region. For more information, visit:  www.dvrpc.org

Site Location Resources

For information on the region for business leaders, corporate real estate executives, site selection consultants, developers and commercial real estate brokers making site location decisions. Site includes demographic information, labor force statistics, wage rates, information on taxes and incentives, education, transportation, utilities, major employers and industry trends. Visit:  www.positivelyphiladelphia.com

Small Business Assistance & Resources

For local resource partners including Small Business Development Centers, SCORE, One Stop Capital Shops and Business Information Centers, visit the Small Business Administration (SBA) Philadelphia District Office website:  www.sba.gov/pa/phil

Check out the SBA’s E-Business Institute, a virtual campus offering free tutorials, workshops and educational resources. The Institute offers a range of online business training and counseling tools to assist entrepreneurs with business start-up, from developing marketing strategies to effective employee management. Visit the site below and click on Training:  www.sba.gov/training

Learn more about SCORE, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping the small business community through no-fee mentoring, business counseling and low-cost workshops at:  www.score513.org

The Temple University Small Business Development Center (SBDC) helps small businesses grow and succeed. The SBDC provides high quality business management consulting and training for aspiring entrepreneurs and small emerging growth companies in Southeastern Pennsylvania. For information, visit:  www.temple.edu/SBDC

For small business owners seeking to tap into international markets, this website, sponsored by the US Small Business Administration, American International Group (AIG), and the US Chamber of Commerce, provides information on what insurable exposures small businesses may encounter in doing business overseas. To gain the knowledge to expand and protect your business on an international scale, visit:  www.AssessYourInternationalRisk.org

The US Small Business Administration Office of Veterans Business Development has created a new website with information for small business owners with key employees who are members of the Reserve or National Guard. Visit:  www.sba.gov/vets

Small Business Signage Resources

For information on new and innovative ways for small businesses to communicate information about their products and services, visit the SBA Office of Business & Community Initiatives new signage section, a joint project of the SBA and the Signage Foundation for Communication Excellence, at:  www.sba.gov/starting/signage/index.htm

Tax Assistance for Small Businesses

The Taxpayer Advocate Service protects individual and business taxpayers. For information, visit their website at:  www.irs.gov/advocate

Technology Assistance & Resources

For information and access to risk capital, mentoring and third-party resources for start-up technology businesses, visit:  www.BenFranklin.org

The Innovation Partnership of Pennsylvania works provides assistance to help increase the number of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants awarded to Pennsylvania companies. For information and access to risk capital, mentoring and third-party resources for start-up technology businesses, visit:  www.BenFranklin.org

Women’s Business Resources

For information on key issues for women entrepreneurs including access to capital, health insurance, government procurement, retirement security and technology, this is the official site for federal government resources for women, launched by the Small Business Administration and the Department of Labor. Visit:  www.women-21.gov