5 Great Places To Get Good Small Business Advice – For Free

You have questions, but where do you get the right answers? Who you talk to matters. Here’s where you can find experts to help.

When you’re running a small business, you may find that everyone in your life has an opinion on how you should run your business. You probably don’t need more advice. You need good advice.

It’s tempting to follow experts online. There’s nothing wrong with that. Just know that most of those experts have something to sell you. Again, there’s nothing wrong with that. But if you want one-on-one help, those experts will charge you…a lot!

Fortunately, there are several reputable places you can turn to for free. These are all in the United States.

Small Business Administration (SBA.gov)

You’ve probably heard of the SBA. They’re most known for providing disaster relief loans and other small business loans. But they also offer excellent training at little or no cost. Some of that training is in-person, and some is online.

Most states have one or more physical SBA offices. If you are close enough to visit one, get to know the team there. They may have a small number of employees. Most SBA offices work with other nonprofit organizations that also help the local small business community. Those groups are covered in this blog post.

If you are starting your business or just starting to ramp it up, take a look at their website. The SBA has a lot of great training resources for all types of businesses.

SCORE (SCORE.org)

Another way to free business advice is through SCORE.org. SCORE is a nonprofit association dedicated to helping small businesses get started and grow. It’s funded in part by the SBA and in part by local donations and sponsors. They have a network of more than 10,000 volunteer business mentors who provide free mentoring and counseling services to small businesses.

These mentors have a wide range of their own business experience. And they get additional training from SCORE. You can schedule free mentoring sessions with a volunteer who will work with you one-on-one to help you get to where you want to be with your business. 

You can have just one or two mentoring sessions. Or you can work with a SCORE mentor on an ongoing basis. In either case, those mentoring sessions are always completely free to you. SCORE mentors are prohibited from doing any for-profit business with their clients. 

Do keep in mind that the people at SCORE are volunteers. They all have different amounts of experience. If you talk with one SCORE mentor and you feel that person just doesn’t “get” you. Schedule a time to speak with someone else. In the past, SCORE mentoring sessions were all face-to-face. Now, most of them are online. That means if there isn’t anyone in your local area with the experience you need, they can help you find someone in another part of the United States who might be a better fit.

America’s Small Business Development Centers (americassbdc.org)

Another excellent resource for free business advice is America’s Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs). SBDCs are also partially funded by the SBA and offer professional counseling services to small businesses. You can find your nearest SBDC by visiting their website at americassbdc.org.

Most SBDCs are tied to a local college or university. They are staffed with paid employees. Many of them have advanced degrees and can get deep with you into the ins and outs of your business finances, planning, etc. If there is an SBDC near you, you may also be able to work with their staff on a one-to-one basis, again, completely free of charge.

Women’s Business Centers (awbc.org)

Women’s Business Centers (WBCs) are an excellent resource for female entrepreneurs who need business advice. The SBA partially funds WBCs, and they offer training, counseling, and other services to help women start and grow their businesses. 

There tend to be fewer WBCs than there are SBDCs or SCORE chapters. But if there is one close to you, definitely get to know them.  

Just so you know, you don’t have to be a woman to get help with a WBC. Though, they often have special programs for women in historically male-dominated industries like contracting.

Business Incubators

Finally, you may also want to look for business incubators in your community. Business incubators are programs that provide support services and resources to startup businesses. They typically offer office space, mentoring, and access to funding sources. If you’re unsure whether a business incubator exists in your area, you can search for them online.

While the other groups in this post are all tied to the SBA and follow federal guidelines, business incubators aren’t. 

If you find a business incubator in your community, do some due diligence to check them out. Look for one that is a nonprofit and gets its funding from local or national sponsors…not from people like you.

You don’t have to work alone.

There are many ways to get good, personalized, and free business advice if you’re a small business owner or entrepreneur. The SBA, SCORE, America’s Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs), Women’s Business Centers (WBCs), and business incubators are all great resources for getting quality advice without spending a lot of money. So if you need some help getting your business off the ground, be sure to check out one or more of these fantastic resources today!