Counseling
Explore local resources, expert guides, tools, training, and events designed to help small entrepreneurs start and grow businesses, win federal contracts, and branch into exporting.
SBA supports small businesses and entrepreneurs at every stage. Our training programs combine practical guidance with real-world experience to help small business owners, service members & military spouses, executives, and businesses looking to grow through government contracting build sustainable, compliant, and competitive organizations. Train online, or search for upcoming events in your area.
Local assistance
SBA and our network of partners offer free or low-cost counseling and resources, targeted support and export assistance. Find an SBA Resource Partner near you.
Resource Partners
- Small Business Development Centers (SBDC)
- SCORE Business Mentoring
- Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOC)
- Women’s Business Centers
Targeted support and services
- Small Business Development Centers (SBDC)
- SCORE Business Mentoring
- Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOC)
- Women’s Business Centers
Export and trade assistance
- Finance Managers
- U.S. Export Assistance Centers
Business guide
SBA’s helpful guide walks you through the process of starting and growing your small business.
Plan your business
- Market research and competitive analysis
- Write your business plan
- Calculate your startup costs
- Establish business credit
- Fund your business
- Buy an existing business or franchise
Launch your business
- Pick your business location
- Choose a business structure
- Choose your business name
- Register your business
- Get federal and state tax ID numbers
- Apply for licenses and permits
- Open a business bank account
- Get business insurance
Manage your business
- Manage your finances
- Hire and manage employees
- Pay taxes
- Stay legally compliant
- Buy assets and equipment
- Marketing and sales
- AI for small business
- Strengthen your cybersecurity
- Protect yourself from fraud
- Prepare for emergencies
- Recover from disasters
- Close or sell your business
- Hire employees with disabilities
Grow your business
- Get more funding
- Expand to new locations
- Merge and acquire businesses
- Become a federal contractor
- Export products
- Women-owned businesses
- Native American-owned businesses
- Veteran-owned businesses
- Military spouse businesses
- Rural businesses
- Minority-owned businesses
Contracting guide
Learn the steps to sell your small business products and services to the largest customer in the world: the U.S. government.
Get started
- Assess your business
- Basic requirements
- Size standards
How to win contracts
- Types of contracts
Governing rules and responsibilities
Prime and subcontracting
Contracting counseling and help
Get free guidance from SBA experts and partners to navigate federal contracting and grow your small business.
Procurement Center Representatives
Procurement Center Representatives (PCRs) are SBA professionals who serves as the SBA’s front-line advocate to ensure that all qualified small businesses are afforded the maximum opportunity to compete for federal contracting.
Commercial Market Representatives
Commercial Market Representatives (CMRs) ensure small businesses get their fair share of opportunities as subcontractors. They monitor and support compliance with small-business subcontracting plans, along with teaching agencies and primes about these requirements.
Need help?
- Get help with prime contracting at technicalassistance@usasba.online
- Get help with the subcontracting program at technicalassistance@usasba.online
Additional resources
- Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs): One-on-one and low-cost training on contracting, market research, and program support (e.g., 8(a)).
- Subcontracting Program Assistance (SPA): Tools and guidance to match primes with small subcontractors and help navigate subcontracting relationships.
- SBA Learning Center: Free online courses and videos to build contracting know-how.
- APEX Accelerators (formerly PTACs): Help determine readiness, register for procurement systems, pursue opportunities, and find bids.
- SCORE: Free counseling and workshops from volunteer business mentors.
Development and growth opportunities
Explore SBA programs that provide training to help your existing business grow.
SBA learning platform
Courses from SBA to help start, pivot, or grow your small business.
Boots to Business
Boots to Business (B2B) is an entrepreneurial education and training program. B2B is open to service members (including National Guard and Reserve) and military spouses.
Empower to Grow
Individualized coaching and training to help disadvantaged small businesses and others grow with government contracts.
Trade tools for international sales
Find out how to turn your small business into an export company, grow profits, and access two-thirds of the world’s purchasing power with SBA programs, research, tips and training. SBA Trade Tools helps you learn about our export finance programs, how to develop your export plan, identify your market, and know the laws and regulations of your exporting country. You can find training on international trade from a variety of government and non-governmental sources.
Upcoming events
SBA offers online, in-person, and hybrid training events all year round.