Frequently Asked Questions

To get started, please be sure to register through our online intake link. Once this form is completed, your information will be sent to an advisor to further discuss your small business inquiry. 

There's an entire ecosystem of local, city and state agencies, non-profits, lenders and resource partners who work together to grow the small business community. Not one of us can do it all, but we can each do our part for the greater good. We see each other as partners, not competitors and this mindset is a key driver of Austin's thriving entrepreneurial community.

SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) Austin have offices across the nation with 10,000+ volunteer mentors. Our local chapter just happens to be one of the very best in the nation. Check out Austin.SCORE.org to access 75+ volunteer mentors, a calendar packed with live workshops and webinars

City of Austin's Small Business Program offers a full calendar of training and events including regularly scheduled BizAid Business Orientation classes and sessions on many topics from business taxes to QuickBooks to hiring the right people. 

Economic Growth Business Incubator (EGBI). A non-profit organization, EGBI provides training, coaching, and support to aspiring and existing business owners who face barriers to growing a successful business. 

One of the most comprehensive handbooks for entrepreneurs in Texas is the Governor's Small Business Handbook. It's a large document (150+ pages) that's not available in print but can be downloaded. It's updated regularly and an excellent guide for entrepreneurs wanting to do business in Texas.

We get this question a lot and unfortunately, the reality is there are no grants to start a business. However, there are grants for small businesses who are developing cutting-edge technology that could be used by the military or other government agencies who received Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding. Learn more about America's Seed Fund here!

Thanks to funding provided by the State of Texas and the Small Business Administration, there is never a cost to meet with an SBDC advisor. 

Absolutely! We spend a lot of time getting to know the local lenders, what types of loans they are making and what causes red flags to fly when they review new loan applications. 

Always get and review your credit reports, which you can do at no cost to you at www.AnnualCreditReport.com.

We have a bi-lingual SBDC advisor, Orlando Colmenero, who serves the Austin and surrounding area.

We have several tools to help you identify new customer segments and revenue streams and we can also help you reduce costs and increase efficiency. We use the Business Model Canvas, Lean Launchpad, Profit Mastery, Reference USA and various databases to help you develop a growth plan. 

Our advisors are able to review your financials and help you develop a strategy to consolidate your debt and manage your cash flow in order to save your business. 

Several certification programs are available through city, state and federal agencies. SBDC advisors can help you through the process.

It depends on the business structure. See this page on the governor's website for detailed information.

The best source of information we have found for small business taxes, licenses and permits is the governor's Go Big in Texas website.

Business valuation is one of the many ways our SBDC advisors can assist you when you are considering buying a business or franchise or selling a business.

We cannot give legal advice but there are a few sources that we feel comfortable sharing with you: The Lawyer Referral Service of Central Texas is a nonprofit public service offered by the Austin Bar Association. There are also services such as LegalShield and LegalZoom that provide low cost legal services to small business owners. EGBI offers free legal clinics. Check their calendar for upcoming sessions.

If you have a new technology or innovation that you're developing we'll be glad to help you through the process and refer you to an attorney if necessary. Call the main office at 512.420.9379 or email us as sbdc@txstate.edu.

We get this question a lot. Thankfully, we have a Technology Commercialization Center at our regional SBDC office in San Antonio whose team has been trained to evaluate product/market fit and guide entrepreneurs through the technology commercialization process. 

Selling to the government is very different from selling in the private sector. SBDC advisors can help you with local, state and federal contracting. We also have a specialty center in San Antonio called the Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC). PTAC advisors are available to help you through the whole process. 

SBDC advisors have access to SBDCNet which is a national clearinghouse of market research data such as ring studies, industry reports, articles and archives. Our advisors also have access to university databases such as Reference USA and federal databases like the US Census Bureau.

Two of our SBDC advisors are NASBITE-certified Global Business Professionals: Orlando Colmenero (oc11@txstate.edu) and Rex Steele (rex.steele@txstate.edu). Email Orlando or Rex and one of these guys will help you get started!

The Small Business Administration is your best source for resources needed after a natural disaster. Here's the SBA link. 

SBDC advisors have extensive experience analyzing small business financials and they are also certified Profit Mastery instructors.