Central Vermont
Business Support

As part of its commitment to launching a successful Central Vermont Revolving Loan Fund, the Community Action Council has compiled a preliminary summary of Central Vermont's technical assistance providers.

A directory of small business support services can be a valuable asset not only to loan recipients, but also to other owners and managers ­ regardless of business size.

The following information is taken from the preliminary report. Readers who know of service providers not mentioned here are urged to contact the author at the Central Vermont Community Action Council office so that the information can be included in the directory.

Small Business Development Center / 223-4654
PO Box 1439 / National Life Drive / Montpelier, VT 05602

A resource center complete with publications, references, computer tools, videos, and other resources to assist the business owner in business planning, operations, and development.

Central Vermont Economic Development Corp. (CVEDC) / 223-4654
PO Box 1439 / National Life Drive / Montpelier, VT 05602

Besides housing the Small Business Development Center for the region, CVEDC offers financing assistance for area business through programs such as the Small business Administration's 504 Program, assistance in developing business projects and industrial parks and with permitting and regulatory processes, and helping to locate or provide development funds for whole industries or larger businesses. No fees except for application and administration of loans.

Central Vermont Community Action / 800-639-1053 or 479-1053 Fax 479-5353
Micro Business Development Program
195 US Route 302- Berlin, / Barre, VT 05641

Offers assistance in writing business plans, marketing strategies, and accessing financing for individuals seeking to start up or expand a small business. Assistance is offered through a number of forums including individual counseling, classes, and peer support, in Washington, Lamoille, and Orange counties. Program designed for low-to-moderate income entrepreneurs, as well as refugees and those living with disabilities

Customized workshops on topics such as cash flow, credit repair and low cost marketing are offered. Additionally, specialized programs such as the Child Care Business Initiative are offered periodically that focus on a particular type of business, and individuals are encouraged to call with questions. No fee for services for those who meet our guidelines.

Business Advisory Service / 229-5711
CV Chamber of Commerce
PO Box 336 / Barre, VT 05641

Direct assistance to business is provided by the Business Assistance Team consisting of volunteers with expertise in banking, accounting, marketing, and legal strategies. business owners and managers receive personal and confidential guidance aimed specifically at their own firm. business plans to management, startup to financing, or expansion to marketing can be the focus of assistance. Fee: $25.

Chamber also has extensive, free library of audio and video tapes on a wide range of personal and professional topics. More than 50 business book summaries on audio cassettes.

Small Business Network
PO Box 353 / Montpelier, VT 05601

Networking for small business owners for peer support, experience, and education. Small groups available that meet more or less often than monthly. Quarterly conferences on timely topics. A forum for sharing the experiences and challenges of running a small business Sponsors:

School of Small Business Practice / 223-6326
Box 50, HCR 34 / Montpelier, VT 05602

Fifteen-week night sessions taught by a series of business owners for business owners. The course covers the writing of a business plan for start up and/or young, established businesses in Central Vermont. Moderate fee; some scholarships available.

Senior Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) / 828-4422
Montpelier Chapter / 87 State Street
PO Box 60 / Montpelier, VT 05601

Volunteers bring their own experience in a wide variety of businesses and organizations to advising sessions that run the gamut from complete start up businesses to specific problems within existing businesses. No fee.

Northeast Employment and Training Organization (NETO) 1(800)639-3212
PO Box 584 / Newport, VT 05855

Offers 12 week Entrepreneurial Training Program on weekdays which includes modules on business assessment, financing, business planning, marketing, personnel, financial controls, taxes, regulations, and computer literacy. Available through Vermont Interactive Television sites throughout the state, in Central Vermont in Waterbury and Randolph. No fee to income eligible students, some scholarships available, and program fee for those over income.

Barre Area Development Corp. (BADC) / 476-0660
PO Box 265 / Barre, VT 05641

BADC promotes economic development for Barre City and Barre Town with the charge of implementing the goals of both municipalities, acting as a confidential point of contact for the communities, seeking buyers of commercial and industrial properties, and assisting the municipalities in furthering their economic development goals.

Women's Small Business Program / (802) 846-7160
208 Colchester Avenue Burlington, Vermont 05401
URL:www.wsbp.org | EMAIL: wsbp@trinityvt.edu

Vermont Women's Business Center (VWBC) / (802) 229-2181 fax: (802) 229-2141
660 Elm Street Montpelier, VT 05602

Offering resources, training, and networking opportunities for women state wide to achieve business success. The VWBC offers access to free services such as: one-on-one business counseling for startup and expansion; state wide referrals to connect women with the service organizations and lenders best suited to their needs; networking events with varied speakers for learning and sharing; lending library with business books, video and cassette tapes, and start-up guides on business. The Center also offers state wide classes with cost based on a sliding scale: e-business seminars, marketing workshops, cash flow classes. We invite you to stop by and visit us!

"This U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Cooperative Agreement is partially funded by the SBA. SBA's funding is not an endorsement of any products, opinions, or services. All SBA funded programs are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis."

The Vermont Women's Business Center is a project of Central Vermont Community Action Council, Inc.

UVM Extension System / 223-2380
RR 4, Box 2298 / Montpelier, VT 05602-8927

The regional office of the Extension is a service within the Department of Community Development and Applied Economics, College of Agriculture. It houses specialists in specific areas such as tourism, agricultural products and methods, marketing, exporting, wood products and forest management, and nutrition and food safety.

Women's Agricultural Network / 656-0312
UVM Extension System / 590 Main Street
University of Vermont / Burlington, VT 05405

A collaborative effort of the UVM Extension System, the Women's Small Business Project, and the UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture with the purpose of assisting women starting or expanding a farm or agriculturally related business, such as foods or fibers.

Services include seminars on starting ag-related businesses, access to courses offered through the Women's Small business Project, financial awards, one-on-one technical assistance from regional Outreach Assistants.

Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR) / 655-4300
PO Box 462 / Burlington, VT 05402

A membership organization founded to combine financially profitable business practices with accountability for the business' impact on the surrounding natural environment, people, and community. VBSR sponsors educational seminars, a newsletter, regional business Circles, an annual spring business conference, and public influence presence. Membership and program fees, sliding scale.

Other resources for business including state agency assistance are detailed in The Vermonter's Guide to Doing Business: A Publication of the Vermont Department of Economic Development, available through the Department at 109 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05602, 828-3221.