Louisiana
New Orleans
Catapult Fund-(Jazz & Heritage Foundation)
A program of the Jazz & Heritage Foundation offering business training for small businesses in the culinary arts. Program duration is 16 sessions over a four-month period, culminating in access to a pool of $75,000 in grants.
https://www.jazzandheritage.org/
Provides business development services to minority- and women-owned businesses throughout a 15-parish region in Southeast Louisiana. Services include administrative support from accounting to access to computers, credit counseling, one-on-one technical assistance, and training classes. Programs also include specific support for food entrepreneurs, artists, low-income or disadvantaged entrepreneurs running small-scale businesses, and female business owners.
An initiative of Thrive New Orleans that helps underserved urban entrepreneurs with revenues of $0-$50,000 gain the competency, confidence, capital and connections necessary to start and grow their own small businesses through a 14-week Business Academy, mentorship, technical assistance, and by walking with them over two years to provide additional coaching and support.
Louisiana Small Business Development Center-SBA
Provides free consulting for Louisiana small businesses, with a focus on helping entrepreneurs find access to capital. The Center also helps with websites, acquiring customers, certifications, as well as disaster preparedness and sustainability planning.
https://www.sba.gov/district/louisiana
Provides free educational programs, technical assistance, and other support services to existing female business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. Walk-ins are welcome, appointments preferred.
https://urbanleaguela.org/who-we-are/
Women’s Business Enterprise Council South
Women’s Business Enterprise Council South provides trainings, assistance accessing capital, networking, and procurement opportunities especially for minority women-owned business enterprises.
https://www.mbda.gov/business-center/grant-recipient-womens-business-enterprise-council-south
Baton Rouge
CORE Baton Rouge is a nonprofit association providing free and confidential business counseling tailored to meet the needs of small business and their personal objectives.
https://batonrougearea.score.org/
Nexus-LA.org is one of the newest and most comprehensive resources available to Louisiana entrepreneurs. On the NexusLA portal, some resources you will find include handy databases of funding sources, entrepreneurial support organizations, professional service firms and more. There’s also a calendar of events, a blog roll of news, and a news feed of entrepreneurship success stories in case you need a burst of positive energy.
GeauxBIZ is your one-stop site for launching your new business in the state of Louisiana. After creating an account, you can: Create a checklist to help plan, make key financial decisions, complete legal activities prior to launching your new business, and reserve a business name for your new business. Register your business with the Louisiana Secretary of State, the Louisiana Department of Revenue, and the Louisiana Workforce Commission, and file amendments, such as annual reports, with the Louisiana Secretary of State
The Microbusiness Enterprise Corporation of Ascension (MBECA)
The Microbusiness Enterprise Corporation of Ascension (MBECA) is an entrepreneurship development center that offers a variety of specialized training and technical assistance programs to individuals interested in starting a business, improving an existing business, or gaining management training to improve their marketability in the workplace.
LSU Innovation Park offers specialized business assistance to help companies further and formulate their ideas. We have a prototyping center, designated LSU student program, and available office and lab space. Innovation Park strives to assist small businesses and entrepreneurs in strategic planning, raising capital, improving operations and increasing sales. From concept to well established businesses, our highly trained staff will create a custom solution for your business needs.
https://lsu.edu/innovationpark/about/index.php
Southern University and A&M College
Southern University operates an entrepreneurship institute for developing an entrepreneurship curriculum focused on innovation, technology and leadership education through academic courses, workshops, conferences, and electronic media.
https://www.mbda.gov/business-center/southern-university-and-am-college
Louisiana MBDA Business Center
This organization serves existing minority-owned businesses generating approximately $500,000 or more in annual revenue that are looking for ways to develop their businesses and increase capacity further. The Louisiana MBDA Business Center helps businesses secure contract opportunities, improve competitiveness, and achieve MBE certifications.
Shreveport
CoHab is a non-profit hub that provides entrepreneurs and businesses the traction they need to achieve success.
LSUS Small Business Development Center
The LSUS SBDC is sponsored by the Small Business Administration and the Louisiana Department of Economic Development to identify the specialized management and technical needs of the small business community. The SBDC provides counseling, serves as an informational resource center, and coordinates and conducts continuing education programs.
https://www.louisianasbdc.org/
Southern University at Shreveport Center for Business and Community Development
SUSLA business incubator program provides services to entrepreneurs and small businesses in the Shreveport Bossier region. Services include but are not limited to information on financing and loans, credit, business plan development, completion of articles of incorporation, application for employer identification number (EIN) and the provision of directions on city and parish licensing requirements.
http://www.susla.edu/page/community-workforce-development
The ICE Institute-Inner City Entrepreneur Institute
City Entrepreneur Institute (ICE) provides technical assistance and referrals for entrepreneurs and small businesses located or wishing to locate within the City of Shreveport’s inner city.
The Louisiana Small Business Development Center (LSBDC Network) provides low- or no-cost guidance and training for small business owners and potential owners.
Monroe
The University of Louisiana at Monroe Small Business Development Center
The ULM SBDC provides services such as development of business plans, manufacturing assistance, financial packaging assistance, contracting assistance and international trade assistance. Special emphasis areas include e-commerce, technology transfer, IRS, EPA and OSHA regulatory compliance, research and development, Defense Economic Transition Assistance, disaster recovery assistance and market research. Based on client needs, the ULM SDBC tailors their services to meet the evolving needs of the local small business community.
https://monroela.us/government/departments-divisions/economic-development/small-business-help
For over 50 years, SCORE has served as America’s premier source of free business mentoring and education.
One of the South’s premier business incubators providing high-tech start-up companies with the resources to bring their products and services to market faster and more effectively. The Louisiana Technology Park’s business incubator provides the resources to help foster young start-up companies’ growth so they can enter the “real world” prepared.
https://www.latechpark.com/incubator
Northeast Louisiana Business and Community Development Center (NLBCDC)
The purpose of the Northeast Louisiana Business and Community Development Center (NLBCDC) is to advance entrepreneurship and to support economic and community development in the northeast Louisiana Delta region. The NLBCDC offers business owners resources and services designed to support and sustain a successful business. The small business incubator provides facilities and administrative assistance to fledgling companies thus allowing them to focus on the development or expansion of their business. Training and opportunities that directly impact the quality of life and stimulate economic growth will be offered in communities comprising the targeted region.
LSBDC at University of Louisiana Monroe
The Center provides business consulting at no cost to entrepreneurs who want to start new ventures and to small business owners who want to improve their business. LSBDC at ULM also provides low-cost, continuing education programs and technical assistance at no cost.
https://www.louisianasbdc.org/lsbdc-at-university-of-louisiana-monroe