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General Business Assistance Guide

Browse this guide for general business assistance information. If you can't find the information you need, please call Louisiana Economic Development entrepreneurial services at 225.342.4320.

BUSINESS START-UP, EXPANSION AND RETENTION INFORMATION

  • Louisiana Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs), universities and consultants in Louisiana's rural and urban areas: Click here to see a list.
  • Service Corp of Retired Executives (SCORE): Visit www.score.org to view sample business plans and access an interactive financial forecast model.
  • Baton Rouge SCORE website, www.scorebr.org, or 225.381.7130
  • Small Business Administration (SBA): Visit www.sba.gov/la to download a start-up kit or www.bplans.com/samples/sba.cfm to access sample business plans for various industries. Call 504.589.6685 for assistance.
  • LSU AgCenter: www.lsuagcenter.com

LICENSING & PERMITS

  • Starting a Business in Louisiana: www.GeauxBiz.com (formerly First Stop Shop)
  • Day Care Center: contact Bureau of Licensing at 225.922.0015
  • Articles of Incorporation forms, and information on existing corporations: www.sos.louisiana.gov or 225.925.4704
  • Baton Rouge Area Chamber: www.brac.org
  • Federal Tax ID: 800.829.3676; State Tax ID: www.revenue.louisiana.gov, click online business registration, then click Start the Online Application Process

MINORITY & WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES
NOTE: The state does not certify businesses as minority/woman owned

  • Minority Certification:
    Louisiana Minority Business Council: www.lambc.org
    Phala Mire: New Orleans- 504.523.7110 or Baton Rouge- 225.296.0770
  • Department of Transportation & Development (DOTD): DOTD-DBE Certification (Minority & Women-owned Businesses) Staci Messina, 225.379.1382 or www.dotd.la.gov
  • SBA's Minority Enterprise Development - 8(a) Certification Program: 504.589.6688 (Louisiana District Office)
  • NewCorp Business Assistance Center: 504.945.5345; Assists minority & women-owned businesses to grow and prosper
  • Woman Owned Certification: Call the Women's Business Council at 504.680.1886 or visit www.wbcgulfcoast.org

FINANCING & GRANT INFORMATION
NOTE: There are no LED grants to start up a business.

  • Federal grant information: available at a local library or online, www.cfda.gov, www.grants.gov and www.sba.gov/expanding/grants.html
  • Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Grant: Assists small businesses in developing technological potential and facilitating commercialization. Call Roy Keller or Bryan Greenwood at 225.578.7555. In Northwest Louisiana, contact Diana Simek, 318.671.1050.
  • SBA's Loan Guaranty Programs: Visit www.sba.gov/la or call 504.589.6685 -Available through banks only.
  • LEDC Loan Guarantee Programs: Click here -Available through banks only.
  • USDA Rural Development: Visit www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs or call 318.473.7960. Provides financial backing for businesses in rural areas.
  • Federal government loans: www.govloans.gov

STATE BUSINESS INCENTIVES PROGRAMS

GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS

  • State Purchasing (LaPAC) Procurement, www.doa.louisiana.gov/osp for vendor certification, or contact Rosemary Jackson, 225.342.8012
  • Dept. of Transportation & Development (DOTD): Carla Parent, 225.379.1444, www.dotd.louisiana.gov and DOTD-DBE certification (Minority & Women-owned Businesses) Contractors (DOTD) – Staci Messina, 225.379.1382
  • Louisiana Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC): Visit http://www.la-ptac.org or call 800.206.3545 or 337.482.6422 for more information on government contracts and bid lists  

INVENTIONS, PATENTS AND LICENSING

  • LBTC: Visit www.lib.lsu.edu/sci/ptdl/index.htm or call Roy Keller or Bryan Greenwood, 225.578.7555. In Northwest Louisiana call Diana Simek at the Metro/Regional Business Incubator, 318.671.1050.
  • Louisiana Partnership for Technology and Innovation: www.louisianapartnership.com or 225.922.9189
  • LSU Library: Government Documents section conducts a patent-searching class, 225.578.4019
  • US Patent and Trademark Office: www.uspto.gov

MANUFACTURING ASSISTANCE

  • Manufacturing Extension Partnership of LA. (MEPoL): Visit www.mepol.org or call 800.433.6965 for assistance with increased productivity and business and technical needs.

LOCAL LIBRARY

  • Visit www.statelib.la.us or call 225.342.4913 for assistance with business resources and research.

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

  • Small Business Assistance Program: Visit www.deq.state.la.us or call 800.259.2890  for assistance with understanding and complying with environmental regulations.

GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OF DISABILITY AFFAIRS

  • Governor's Office of Disability Affairs: 877.668.2722 (toll free) or 225.219.7550.

GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OF INDIAN AFFAIRS

  • Governor's Office of Indian Affairs: Pat Arnould, 800.863.0098 or 225.219.7556.

VETERANS BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT (SBA)

  • Veterans Business Development (SBA): 504.589.2847, Federal Veterans' Business website: www.vetbiz.gov


NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION INFORMATION

  • Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations (LANO): 225/343-5266
  • Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Mid South Delta: www.lisc.org or 662.335.3318
  • TEEM Research & Community Development: 504.208.9114, ejreilly@teemedu.org, www.teemedu.org


CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY INFORMATION


SMALL BUSINESS INCUBATORS

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE IN LOUISIANA

Alexandria: Alexandria Metropolitan Foundation: Ms. Johnie Varnardo 318.442.3593, or Elton Pody of CENLA 318.442.6671.

Baton Rouge:
-Baton Rouge Area Chamber: Meg Mahoney 225.381.7137, www.brac.org
-Baton Rouge Black Chamber: Eric Lewis 225.261.0424 or Kathy Fletcher 225.907.3253
-Dixie Business Development Center: (Denham Springs) John Ware 225.665.0809
-Hispanic American Networking Organization of LA: Maria Edwards 225.756.4123 (provides networking opportunities)
-Louisiana Technology Transfer Office (LTTO) fosters business relationships between industry and federal laboratories with research capabilities with the commercial development potential of the private sector and Small Business Innovation Research Grants (SBIR): Roy Keller or Bryan Greenwood 225.578.7555

Bayou Region: South Louisiana Economic Council (SLEC): Susan Arcement, 985.448.4485, sarcement@slec.org

Hammond: Bill Joubert, Southeastern Louisiana University, 985.549.3831

Iberia Parish: Mike Tarantino at IDF, 337.367.0834

Lafayette and Acadiana:
-ULL SBDC: 337.262.5344
-Acadian Regional Development District: Stan McGee, 337.896.2009
-AccessLouisiana: Nick Ruiz, 337.482.0629

Lake Charles and SW LA:
-SW LA Partnership for Economic Development: George Swift
-City of Lake Charles: Adrian Wallace, 337.433.3632, ext. 206

Minden:
-Northwest Louisiana Economic Development Foundation, Jon Maynard, VP Business Development, 318.382.8233

Monroe:
-Ouachita Economic Development Corporation, 318.387.0787
-Northeast Louisiana Economic Alliance, 318.757.3033

New Orleans:
-SBA Micro-Loan Program - Newcorp Business Assistance Center: 504.945.5345
-City of New Orleans Economic Development: 504.658.4200
-JEDCO: Gaye Frederic, 504.833.1881, www.jedco.org
-TEEM Educational Foundation Business Development: 504.208.9114, ejreilly@teemedu.org

St. Martin Parish: Beth R. Guidry, 337.394.2200, ext. 262.

Shreveport/Bossier:
-Northwest Louisiana Economic Development Foundation: Liz McCain, VP Business Development, 318.677.2511 and Tim Miles, VP Business Development, 318.677.2508
-Metro/Regional Business Incubator: Diana Simek, 318.671.1050, Business Resource Guide
-The Coordinating and Development Corp: www.cdconline.org/business_resource_guides.htm#Louisiana
-Greater Bossier Economic Development Foundation: David Rockett, 318.742.6043

SMALL AND EMERGING BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT INTERMEDIARIES

For a full list, click here.

LED REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES

MICROENTERPRISE INTERMEDIARIES