Communities Unlimited, Inc. Communities Unlimited offers the SBA Microloan Program to support entrepreneurs and small businesses in need of financial assistance. This program is particularly designed to help women, low-income, veteran, and minority business owners. The Communities Unlimited SBA Microloan Program provides funds for various business purposes, including working capital, salaries, office expenses, equipment and inventory purchases, and start-up costs. Loan criteria include obtaining credit approval, providing collateral and a personal guaranty, and having an alternative source o ..read more

Wish Local Empowerment Program The Wish Local Empowerment Program, provided by Wish, is a grant program designed to support Black-owned small businesses in the United States. With a $2M fund, Wish aims to provide financial assistance to approximately 4,000 small business partners, promoting equality and diversity in American business. Selected recipients will receive between $500 and $2,000, which can be used for various business expenses such as employee retention, rent, inventory costs, customer acquisition, or community opportunities. Eligible businesses must be Black-owned, have 20 or fe ..read more

Starting and growing a small business often requires financial resources. Despite the popular belief that there are many grants for small businesses, this is not as common as many entrepreneurs might hope. It’s important to be cautious when searching for grant information, as there are many scams that prey on individuals who believe there is an abundance of free money available for starting a business. If you are asked to provide money or personal information, such as your bank account or credit card number, in exchange for grant information, it is likely a scam. Related: Guide to starting a b ..read more

As teenagers, me and my brothers knew that whenever we arrived home, whatever refuse we may have accumulated outside our home was to be wiped off, so to speak, on the door mat before we entered. Although our well-disciplined, military-trained dad was referring to any unacceptable behaviors we had engaged with friends in the neighborhood while away from home, this was an early lesson in the function of floor mats. Patrick (Pat) Sullivan, owner and founder of Baltimore-based Grizzly Mats, magnified mine and my brothers understanding of the functionality of the floor mat to an entirely different ..read more

Small businesses are important to Alabama’s economy, creating jobs, fostering innovation, and strengthening communities throughout the state. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses account for 99.4% of all businesses in Alabama and employ nearly half of the state’s private workforce, which equates to approximately 774,000 individuals.1 Whether you’re in the early stages of developing your business plan or seeking to expand your existing operation in Alabama, there are a number of free and low-cost programs to provide advice, resources, and ongoing support to help ..read more

A Louisiana Charter Number is a unique number assigned by the Louisiana Secretary of State to a business entity, such as a corporation, Limited Liability Company (LLC), or nonprofit.  This number is assigned after the successful filing of the business’s formation documents, such as the Articles of Incorporation for a corporation or the Articles of Organization for an LLC. This number will be used for various purposes, including: Identification: The charter number helps identify the business in the state’s records. Filing annual reports: Businesses are required to file annual reports with ..read more

One requirement of maintaining a corporation in South Carolina is filing an Annual Report. The Annual Report confirms and updates the company’s information each year with the South Carolina Department of Revenue (SCDOR). Related: How to start a corporation in South Carolina Who Needs to File a South Carolina Annual Report? Domestic and foreign corporations are required to file an annual report every other year after the year the company was formed. Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) aren’t required to file an Annual Report. If you would rather use a service that guarantees the annual repo ..read more

Starting January 1, 2024, many U.S. companies will be required to report their beneficial owners’ information to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), a U.S. Department of the Treasury bureau, under the federal Corporate Transparency Act (CTA). Beneficial owners are individuals who ultimately own or control the company. In this guide, we’ll provide you with the information to help you understand and comply with these new regulations. Who Needs to File the BOI Report? Companies required to report are called reporting companies. Your company may be a reporting company if it is: A c ..read more

According to a February 2024 report by CNBC, “Black women are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in the U.S. They make up less than 10% of the U.S. population, but they’ve emerged as the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs.” U.S. Census figures show African-American women have majority ownership in more than 1.5 million businesses with over $42 billion in sales. This ground-breaking entrepreneurial trend describes Cincinnati small businesswoman Shawnte Barker, owner of Stylish LeNese Boutique, located on the recently revitalized commercial thoroughfare of Whetsel Avenue in the hist ..read more

As a professional in the Healthcare/IT space in corporate management who holds a master’s degree in informatics, Jasmine Davis was advised by her doctor that the high stress of her commanding job was likely affecting her maternal fertility and that she may want to consider a career change if starting a family was in her future. Two weeks later, Jasmine made the decision to transition from the office to the kitchen to find her professional sweet spot. As a talented artist who also enjoyed baking, Ms. Davis decided to indulge her creative passions by developing Sweet Jazz Treats in her hometown ..read more