STATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES

The Abilities Fund
Centerville Office
410 N 18th St
Centerville, IA 52544-1823
Telephone: 641-856-2173
Toll Free: 888-222-8943
Fax: 641-856-3101

Iowa City Office
332 South Linn Street, Suite #17
Iowa City, IA 52240
Telephone: 319-338-2521
Toll Free: 866-720-3863
Fax: 319-338-2528
URL: http://www.abilitiesfund.org/

"This summer The Abilities Fund, together with a national lending partner, will launch a nationwide direct loan program for entrepreneurs with disabilities. In 45 states, loan guarantees will also be available to as a means to secure loans for entrepreneurs. Flexible terms and competitive interest rates for microloans ranging from $500 - $25,000 will be offered.

In support of new microlending services, The Abilities Fund will be expanding its online presence to include training and technical assistance. Soon, people with disabilities nationwide will have 24-hour access to features such as Feasibility First ©, business plan development, and financial planning for business startup -- all of which are resources designed to prepare entrepreneurs with disabilities for self-employment."

DC Small Business Development Centers Network
Howard University Small Business Development Center*
HOWARD UNIVERSITY
Lead Center*
2600 6th Street, NW. Room 128, Washington, DC 20059
Phone: (202) 806-1550
Fax: (202) 806-1777
URL: http://www.dcsbdc.com/

• Links to Area Centers
  URL: http://www.dcsbdc.com/locations.htm

"The DC SBDC Network is an outreach program, working in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), local universities, and community organizations, to provide free technical assistance and affordable training in all phases of small business development to small, minority-owned, and/or other disadvantaged enterprises. Our trained and skilled business counselors provide one-on-one assistance in a myriad of areas, at no extra cost to the client. Each year, one-on-one counseling is provided to thousands of small business owners and managers. Counseling includes but is not limited to: cash flow analysis and financial forecasting, market research, procurement assistance, proposal cost analysis, overall business assessment, feasibility analysis, business plan assessments, strategic planning, and business start-up information."

DC Business Resource Center
Government of the District of Columbia, John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20004
City-Wide Call Center: (202) 727-1000
URL: http://brc.dc.gov/index.asp

"This online guide helps you "Take the Next Step" toward business ownership. It walks you through the process, from deciding your company's legal structure, to developing a business and marketing plan, to registering your business in DC."

DC Chamber of Commerce
1213 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (202) 347-7201
URL: http://www.dcchamber.org/index.jsp

"The District of Columbia Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to improving the climate for business in D.C. With over 2,000 members, DCCC has a powerful impact on legislation and the business climate."

Development Corporation of Columbia Heights
3419 14th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20010
Phone: (202) 483-4986
URL: http://www.dcch.org/

"The Development Corporation of Columbia Heights is a progressive, independent, non-profit community development corporation. We are dedicated to improving quality of life for residents and business owners in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington, DC."

H Street Development Corporation
URL: http://www.hstreetcdc.org/

• Headquarters Office
  501 H Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002
  Phone: (202) 544-8353
  Fax: (202) 544-3051
• Service Area 4 Office
  2002 Rhode Island Avenue, NE
  Washington, DC 20018
  Phone: (202) 635-2445
  Fax: (202) 635-2433
  

"HSCDC currently serves several Washington, DC neighborhoods through contracts awarded by the DC Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) under the US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant (GDBC) program."

Jubilee Jobs, Inc.
2712 Ontario Road, NW, Washington,DC 20009
Phone: (202) 667-8970
Fax: (202) 667-8833
URL: http://www.charitablechoices.org/charities/JubileeJobs/

"Technical assistance and small business lending to low-income persons in the D.C. metropolitan area."

Latino Economic Development Corporation
2316 18th Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009
Phone: (202) 588-5102
Fax: (202) 588-5204
E-mail: ledc@juno.com
URL: http://www.ledcdc.org/

"Latino Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) is a non-profit organization orginally established in 1991 to help the Latino community of Mount Pleasant. The organization now serves all clientele, regardless of culture, class or language. LEDC's primary focus of effort includes the Mount Pleasant, Adams Morgan and Columbia Heights areas with additional city wide outreach to Latino markets."

Marshall Heights Community Development Organization (Ward 7)
3939 Benning Road, NE, Washington, DC 20019
Phone: (202) 396-1200
Fax: (202) 396-4106
E-mail: info@mhcdo.org
URL: http://www.mhcdo.org/

"The mission of the Marshall Heights Community Development Organization is to promote and expand economic opportunities for citizens 'East of the Anacostia River,' to link our residents with opportunities within the city and region, and to attract human and financial resources to our community."

• MHCDO Service Sites
  URL: http://www.mhcdo.org/sites.htm

National Women's Business Center
1001 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 312, Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 785-4WBC (4922)
Fax: (202) 785-4110
E-mail: info@womensbusinesscenter.org
URL: http://www.womensbusinesscenter.org/

"The National Women's Business Center, Inc. (WBC) is a non-profit organization in public-private partnership with the US Small Business Administration's (SBA) Office of Women's Business Ownership (OWBO). OWBO is the only office in the Federal government established to help women become full partners in economic development through small business ownership."

SCORE Chapter 1
1100 Vermont Avenue, NW, 9th Floor, Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (202) 606-4000, Ext. 287
URL: http://www.scoredc.org/

"SCORE is a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration. A national non-profit association, SCORE has over 10,500 volunteer members in 389 chapters across the United States. The Washington, D.C. Chapter has around fifty members experienced in owning and operating both small and large businesses in many fields. Counselors are located in D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia. We are a group of working and retired executives and business owners, who donate our time and expertise to counsel men and women who plan start-ups or who manage existing small businesses."

Washington, DC Economic Partnership
Resources for starting your business in Washington, DC
URL: http://www.dcmarketingcenter.com/