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."

Appalachian Enterprise Center
130 Poplar Grove Connector, Boone, NC 28607
Phone: (828) 264-1613
Fax: (828) 264-1614
E-mail: wcedc@boone.net

Appalachian Enterprise Center is a non-profit organization that provides mentoring, financial/accounting information, networking, help with Access to Loan Funds, international trade, marketing, and R&D Commercialization.

The Ben Craig Center
8701 Mallard Creek Road, Charlotte NC.
Phone: (704) 548-9113
E-mail: cervin@bencraigcenter.com
URL: http://www.bencraigcenter.com/

The Ben Craig Center improves the Charlotte region by fostering entrepreneurship through an incubator program. This program provides accelerated growth for its client companies, using the combination of physical infrastructure, mentoring and advising, staff expertise, an external business network, and access to capital.

City of Greensboro/Minority and Women's Business Enterprise Program
URL: http://www.ci.greensboro.nc.us/mwbe/

Through the MWBE Program, the City of Greensboro has pledged to:

• Provide minorities and women equal opportunity to participate in all aspects of City contracting and purchasing programs, and
• Prohibit discrimination against a person or business in pursuit of these opportunities on the basis of race, color, sex, religion or national origin.

Council for Entrepreneurial Development, CED
PO Box 13353, RTP, NC 27709
Phone: (919) 549-7500, ext. 101
Fax: (919) 549-7405
URL: http://www.cednc.org/

CED was founded in 1984 to stimulate the creations and growth of high impact companies in the greater Research Triangle area. Their website links to many useful resources in terms of entrepreneurial development.

Empowerment Inc.
109 North Graham Street, Suite 200, Chapel Hill, NC 27516
Phone: (919) 967-8779
Fax: (919) 967-0710
E-mail: info@empowerment-inc.org
URL: http://www.empowerment-inc.org/

The Midway Business Center is Chapel Hill-Carrboros first business incubator. The project includes 6,000 square feet of affordable office and retail space, access to shared business equipment and strong support to build locally owned businesses. The Business Center is located in Midway, a historically Black business district connecting Chapel Hill and Carrboro.

Good Work
Suite 211, 115 Market Street, Durham, North Carolina 27701
Phone: (919) 682-8473 or (919) 834-2450
URL: http://www.goodwork.org/

Good Work provides a comprehensive long-term business development program that offers loans, technical assistance, and a network of peer support in the Triangle. Membership in Good Work is free.

Hand Made in America
PO Box 2089, Asheville, North Carolina 28802
Phone (828) 252-0121
Fax: (828) 252-0388
E-mail: info@handmadeinamerica.org
URL: http://www.cantonpapertown.com/html/body_handmade.htm

We offer links to craftspeople, The Craft Registry, financial referrals and craft business workshops and seminars.

Mountain Microenterprise Fund
29 1/2 Page Avenue, Ashville, North Carolina 28801
Phone (704) 253-2834 or (704) 253-2919
Fax: (704) 255-7953
URL: http://www.mtnmicro.org/

Provides technical assistance and small business and small business loans to women, minorities, and low-income people.

NC Cooperative Extension Service
E-mail: webmaster@www.ces.ncsu.edu
URL: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/

North Carolina Institute for Minority Economic Development (NCIMED)
114 West Parrish Street, Durham, NC 27701
Phone: (919) 956-8889
Fax: (919) 688-8478
E-mail: wicw@ncimed.com
URL: http://www.ncimed.com

The North Carolina Institute of Minority Economic Development is a statewide nonprofit organization representing the interest of underdeveloped and underutilized sectors of the state's economic base. The Institute's working philosophy is that--information and business development are critical to wealth creation and to building the asset base among low-wealth sectors of the population. There are two primary ways to accumulate assets in low-resource communities:

• Increase home ownership
• Develop profitable business which have the capacity to reinvest in the community

North Carolina Office of Economic Opportunity
222 North Person Street, Raleigh, NC 27601
Phone: (919) 715-5850
Fax: (919) 715-5855
E-mail: oeomail@dhr.state.nc.us
URL: http://oeo.state.nc.us/

North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center, Inc.
NC Microenterprise Program
4021 Carya Drive, Raleigh, North Carolina 27601
Phone (919) 250-4314
URL: http://www.ncruralcenter.org/

Technical assistance and micro-loans to low and moderate income persons in rural communities of North Carolina. The program provides loans and business services to self-employed individuals and other very small firms. The Microenterprise Loan Program helps rural people become self-sufficient by providing the opportunity for self-employment and small business growth. It provides loans for start-up or expansion of small businesses by individuals who do not qualify for conventional loans. The program serves all 85 rural counties in North Carolina. Specific emphasis is placed on providing services to rural, low-income, female/minority participants.

Microenterprise Loan Program Participants:

East Carolina Microenterprise Fund
315 Turner Street, Beaufort, NC 28516-0090
Phone: (252) 504-2424
Type: Group
Counties: Carteret, Craven, Duplin, Onslow, Pamlico, and Pender

Foothills Microenterprise Loan Program
Route 1, Box 170, Marion, NC 28752
Phone: (828) 652-6021 (ext. 520)
Type: Individual
Counties: Avery, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, and Yancey

Microenterprise Loan Partnership, Lenoir Community College
PO Box 188, Kinston, NC 28502-0188
Phone: (919) 527-6223, ext. 104
Type: Group
Counties: Greene, Jones, and Lenior

Mountain Microenterprise Fund
29½ Page Avenue, Suite E, Asheville, NC 28801
Phone: (888) 389-3089 or (828) 253-2834
Fax: Fax: (828) 255-7953
E-mail: info@mtnmicro.org
URL: http://www.mtnmicro.org/

The Mountain Microenterprise Fund (MMF) is a private, non-profit whose purpose is to help low and moderate income individuals start or expand local small businesses. By providing technical assistance and loans, we act as a resources to entrepreneurs who, although possessing worthy business ideas, lack either the technical skills or capital resources to start a small business.
Counties: Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, Swain, and Transylvania

Orange County Economic Development Commission
200 South Cameron Street, Post Office Box 8181, Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278
Phone: (919) 732-8181
URL: http://www.co.orange.nc.us/

Pitt County Development Commission
111 South Washington Street, Post Office Box 837, Greenville, North Carolina 27835-0837
Phone: (252) 758-1989 or (800) 548-4153
E-mail: pittedc@co.pitt.nc.us
URL: http://www.locateincarolina.com/

Provides business assistance for Pitt County.

REAL Enterprises
North Carolina Rural Entrepreneurship through Action Learning
115 Market Street, Suite 320, Durham, NC 27701
Phone: (919) 688-7325
Fax: (919) 682-7621
URL: http://www.ncreal.org/

REAL is committed to providing a quality hands-on educational experience for each participant. The experiential process helps REAL students to become entrepreneurs and/or prepare to be successful in work and life.

Rural Econonic Development Center
4021 Carya Drive, Raleigh, NC 27610
Phone: (919) 250-4314
Fax: (919) 250-4325
URL: http://www.ncruralcenter.org/

Microenterprise Loan Program: Small Business Loans To Help Big Ideas Grow
In operation since 1989, the Rural Center's nationally award-winning Microenterprise Loan Program provides rural people with small business loans to help them become self-sufficient through business ownership. The Microenterprise Loan Program works with individuals who have sound ideas for starting or expanding a small business but do not qualify for bank loans. These individuals may include women, members of minority groups, people with low incomes and limited assets, and people who live in rural areas. The Microenterprise Loan Program provides loans up to $25,000 in combination with business planning and technical assistance. The technical assistance is offered in partnership with small business centers located at area community colleges and small business technology development centers. The center runs two types of loan programs: 1) Group lending available in selected counties and 2) Individual lending, available in all 85 counties.

Smoky Mountain Development Corporation
100 Industrial Park Drive, Waynesville, NC 28786
Phone: (828) 452-1967
Fax: (828) 452-1352
E-mail: fouts@wcu.edu
URL: http://www.wcu.edu/crd/eda.html

Smoky Mountain Development Corporation, a Certified Development Company, in partnership with the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) provides low down payment, fixed rate, long-term financing to established small businesses for the purchase of fixed assets. The SBA 504 Loan Program is, in fact, economic development financing that helps small businesses grow and increase jobs in their communities.

• Southeastern Community College & Columbus County
  Minority Business Council, PO Box 151, Whiteville, NC 28472
  Phone: (910) 642-7141
  Type: Group
  Counties: Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, and Robeson
• Southern Sandhills Microenterprise Fund
  Sandhills Community College, 2200 Airport Road, Pinehurst, NC 28374
  Phone: (910) 695-3832
  Type: Group
  Counties: Hoke, Montgomery, Moore, Richmond, and Scotland
• Upper Coastal Plains Council of Governments
  PO Drawer 2748, Rocky Mount, NC 27802
  Phone: (252) 446-0411
  Type: Individual
  Counties: Edgecombe and Nash
• Yadkin Valley Economic Development District, Inc.
  POB 309, 3801-E River Road, Boonville, NC 27011
  Phone: (336) 367-7251
  Fax: (336)367-3637
  E-mail: BTodd@Yadtel.Net
  Type: Individual
  Counties: Davie, Stokes, Surry, and Yadkin

Self-Help Ventures Fund
301 West Main Street, PO Box 3619, Durham, NC 27702-3619
Phone: (919) 956-8526
Fax: (919) 688-3615
URL: http://www.self-help.org/

Service Area: Statewide

SUSTAINABLE JOBS FUND, LP
115 Market Street, Suite 211, Durham, NC 27701
Phone: (919) 530-1177
Fax: (919) 530-1178
URL: http://www.sjfund.com

Mission: "Sustainable Jobs Fund, LP (SJF) is a community development venture capital fund that invests in growing companies that create jobs for low-income citizens. SJF invests from $200,000 to $1,000,000 per company, usually with co-investors for financing rounds of up to $5,000,000. SJF specializes in environmental, manufacturing and sustainable enterprises but will consider any business that offers excellent employment and financial returns. Sustainable Jobs Fund operates from offices in Durham, NC and Philadelphia, PA and invests in the Eastern U.S. Business plan submissions, inquiries and referrals are welcome!