Community Capital Development (CCD)

The Seattle Business Assistance Center, maintained by CCD, provides services for small businesses at every level, from start-up, to rapid expansion, to controlled growth, to sustained profitability. The Business Assistance Center also has available counselors on site to provide personal support to entrepreneurs.

The Business Assistance Center may be accessed online at: http://www.seattleccd.com/businessassistance.htm or may be contacted by calling (206) 324-4330.

Office of Economic Development – Seattle Business Advocate

In 2003, the city of Seattle’s Office of Economic Development (OED) launched the Mayor’s Business Advocate service to assist small businesses. The Advocate, Kris Effertz, acts as a voice for small and medium-sized businesses needing help with City policies and regulations. Kris works with businesses on a case-by-case basis to troubleshoot concerns and resolve problems. She is available as your first point of contact to understand and navigate City processes, regulations and policies - and gain access to needed resources.

• In her first two years of service, Kris Effertz assisted over 500 businesses. Among her accomplishments were the facilitation of the brownfields clean-up of the Despi’s Delite Bakery site on Beacon Hill, and the re-establishment of Charlie’s Produce, for which she was honored by the Manufacturing and Industrial Council for her outstanding work.

• Kris Effertz can be reached by email at kris.effertz@seattle.gov or by calling: 206-684-BIZZ (206-684-2499).

• OED also provides an online resource answering entrepreneurs’ most commonly-asked questions: http://www.seattle.gov/economicdevelopment/pages/doing_biz.htm.

enterpriseSeattle

enterpriseSeattle provides free, customized assistance to businesses expanding or relocating into King County. enterpriseSeattle also provides demographic and economic information, permit troubleshooting, financing information, help with siting, workforce training materials, and details on local taxes and incentives.
enterpriseSeattle maintains a website accessible at http://www.enterpriseseattle.org/ or may be contacted at (206) 389-8650.

SCORE

The Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) is a national non-profit association dedicated to entrepreneur education and the formation, growth and success of the nation’s small business. SCORE is a resource partner with the Small Business Administration. The Seattle Chapter of SCORE has more than 100 volunteers who donate their expertise as counselors, mentors and workshop presenters. Further information on counseling locations, business briefings, and upcoming workshops is available at: http://www.seattlescore.org/

The Seattle Chapter of SCORE may be contacted at (206) 553-7320.

Women’s Network for Entrepreneurial Training (WNET)

The Women’s Network for Entrepreneurial Training (WNET) is administered by the SBA and offers local training options for both men and women. WNET links new business owners with mentors who can provide practical advice related to running a business. Monthly breakfast roundtable sessions, led by former business owners and experts, are hosted throughout Puget Sound.

Further information about WNET is available at: http://www.sba.gov/wa/seattle/seawnet.html

WNET may be contacted at (206) 553-7316.