Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development
Interested in starting your own business or need help addressing some pain points in your business growth and development? The following resources are here to help you on your path to economic well-being.
The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is located on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, business development professionals at the WI SBDC provide consulting services to clients at various stages of business development at no cost. A free, web-based course is available online which examines the entrepreneurial mindset, business idea, financial readiness, and next steps. Non-credit courses are also available to educate on how to start, manage and grow your business. Please visit the SBDC website for more information.
Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC) provides women, people of color, and low-income individuals interested in starting, strengthening or expanding businesses with tools and resources to increase financial capability such as capital, one-on-one technical business assistance and education. Their South Central office is located in Madison, WI. For more information, please visit their website.
The Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) provides free business mentoring services for for-profit and non-profit businesses in Dane, Columbia, Sauk, Richland, Iowa, Vernon, Grant, Lafayette, Rock, Green and Crawford counties. In the Madison SCORE, there are over 45 Certified Mentors. Please visit their website for more information.
Workforce Development
The Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin works with businesses and the labor force in Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Jefferson, Marquette and Sauk counties. Their mission is "to build public and private partnerships that support innovation and excellence in workforce development." Business services focus on the development and maximization of a talented workforce in order to facilitate business growth and expansion.
The Department of Workforce Development provides employers with data and resources. The Job Center of Wisconsin is a data base of available employment opportunities and available labor force.