Resource guide

Many agencies and organizations in Southern California offer advice and expertise to small companies and to those hoping to start a business. Here’s a sample of what’s available:

Small Business Administration

www.sba.gov

This federal agency offers information on starting, financing and managing a small business, as well as tips for finding business opportunities.

Los Angeles district office: (818) 552-3215

Central Contractor Registration

www.ccr.gov

Small businesses interested in landing federal government contracts should register here.

(888) 227-2423

California State Contracts Register

www.cscr.dgs.ca.gov/cscr

View available state contracts at this site.

(800) 559-5529

State of California

www.pd.dgs.ca.gov/sell

Small businesses interested in selling services or products to the state can find more information here.

(800) 559-5529

Office of Small Business and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Services: (916) 375-4940

Small Business California

smallbusinesscalifornia.org

A lobbying group for small businesses in the state.

(415) 680-2188

Internal Revenue Service

www.irs.gov/businesses/small

Information on tax rules, deductions, accounting and record keeping for small businesses.

Small Business Knowledge Base

www.bizmove.com

Information on business plans, loans, sales and marketing, starting a business and creating or dissolving a partnership.

Service Corps of Retired Executives

www.score.org

A counseling service for small businesses, offering guidance and advice from retired professionals.

(800) 634-0245

Small Business Development Center Network for Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties

econdev.lbcc.edu/SBDC

A program of the Long Beach Community College District, it offers free business counseling as well as fee-based seminars and training programs.

(562) 938-5020

Business Technology Center of Los Angeles County

www.labtc.org

This center, located in Altadena, assists start-up and early-stage technology companies by offering access to financing, consulting and mentoring.

(626) 296-6300

Tri-County Lead Small Business Development Center

www.leadsbdc.org

Based at Cal State Fullerton, this center offers consulting, training and technical assistance to small businesses in Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

(714) 278-2719

Small Business Training Network

www.sba.gov/training

An online “campus” offering free training courses, workshops and instructional materials designed to assist entrepreneurs.

Charo Community Development Corp.

www.charocorp.org

This nonprofit aimed at Los Angeles’ Latino community offers assistance to financial, training and contract procurement services to small businesses.

(323) 269-0751

Inland Empire Center

for Entrepreneurship

iece.csusb.edu

This center, at Cal State San Bernardino, offers training, information and support to small businesses and entrepreneurs in the Inland Empire.

(909) 537-3708

Inland Empire Women’s Business Center

www.iewbc.org

This center offers counseling, workshops and other resources to women business owners in the Inland Empire.

(909) 890-1242

California Small Business Assn.

www.csba.com

This nonprofit organization lobbies on behalf of small businesses with state and federal agencies.

(800) 350-2722

PACE Business Development Center

www.pacela.org/bdc

This Los Angeles-based program, launched by the Pacific Asian Consortium in Employment, offers business consulting and entrepreneurial training.

(213) 353-9400

SoCalWorks

socalworks.co.la.ca.us

This Los Angeles County entity brings together various agencies and companies to provide small businesses a no-cost staffing service, assistance with employer tax benefits and customized training programs.

(888) 236-7569

California Manufacturing Technology Consulting

www.cmtc.com

This nonprofit organization aims to help Southern California’s small and medium-sized manufacturers improve competitiveness by offering guidance on reducing costs, boosting sales, retaining employees and remaining in business.

(310) 263-3060

Small Business Development Center

www.elcamino.edu/commadv/sbdc/

This El Camino College program, based in Hawthorne, offers small businesses free and low-cost workshops, one-on-one consultations with business experts and assistance with applying for business loans.

(310) 973-3177

California Employment Development Department

www.edd.ca.gov/employer.htm

This agency offers small businesses help in finding skilled workers and training employees.

Los Angeles County Office of Small Business

www.laosb.org

This office offers small businesses information on contracting opportunities, government certification and financing. It also serves as the County Procurement Technical Assistance Center, funded by the U.S. Defense Department, to help small businesses get contracts with prime defense contractors.

(323) 881-3964

Women’s Business Center

www.trivalleywbc.org

This is a Small Business Administration program aimed at promoting the creation and growth of businesses owned by women and minority entrepreneurs in the Santa Clarita Valley, Antelope Valley and Pacoima areas.

(818) 907-9922

AccelTech

www.acceltech.csupomona.edu

This program, part of Cal Poly Pomona, provides selected small technology companies with workshops and consultations as well as office and light-industrial space.

(909) 869-4441

Pasadena Enterprise Center

www.pec-sbi.org

This program offers small-business owners office space, copy service, conference rooms, consulting services and access to capital.

Southern California Edison Economic and Business Development

www.sce.com/DoingBusiness/ecobizdevelopment

This program of the electricity provider offers educational materials and referrals to assist small and medium-size businesses in the areas of international trade, capital access, legal issues and market expansion.

Compiled by Scott J. Wilson