Business Assistance Partners
To provide you with the best business assistance as possible, BDCC works in close partnership with state and federal agencies, many of whom are represented at BDCC’s offices in Brattleboro, Vermont. Here to inform and expedite your company’s needs, these agencies include:
- SCORE
- Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development
- Vermont Agency of Natural Resources
- Vermont Department of Economic Development
- Vermont Manufacturers Extension Center
- Vermont Small Business Development Center
SCORE
Originally launched as the Service Corps of Retired Executives in 1964, SCORE is a nonprofit organization that matches volunteer business people — often Fortune 500 executives and successful entrepreneurs — with business owners who need expert and confidential advice for free. SCORE is a resource partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The mission of SCORE is to provide resources and expertise to maximize the success of existing and emerging small businesses.
SCORE’s online learning center offers many how-to business-oriented articles for free.
SCORE also offers several entrepreneurial tools online, such as templates for start-up business plans, and business quizzes like “Can Internet Sales Help You?”
For more information, visit the SCORE website.
Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development
Vermont businesses have many marketing resources available to them through the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development. The agency consists of three departments: Economic Development, Tourism and Marketing, and Housing and Community Affairs.
In particular, the agency offers the Vermont Business Assistance Network (VBAN) to connect Vermont businesses with customers, vendors, and suppliers.
For more information, visit the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development website.
Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) — Permit Assistance
The Vermont ANR has three departments — the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation — to assist Vermonters in “protecting and improving the health of Vermont’s people and ecosystems and promoting the sustainable use of Vermont’s natural resources,” according to its website. It is through the DEC that businesses can receive assistance with all planning and zoning concerns, such as the Act 250 permit process.
The DEC’s Environmental Permit Information Summary page online is a useful and comprehensive business resource.
Another useful tool is the free informational brochure called, “Do You Need a State Permit” that is available on the DEC’s Permit Assistance page online.
The Vermont Department of Economic Development also has a helpful page online for streamlining state permits and regulations.
For more general information, visit the Vermont ANR website.
Vermont Department of Economic Development
The Vermont Department of Economic Development provides technical and entrepreneurial assistance to Vermont-based businesses. Its mission is to enhance Vermonters' quality of life through expanded economic opportunity.
According to the department’s website, “It is the goal of the Department of Economic Development to support the creation and retention of quality jobs and strengthen the competitiveness of Vermont's businesses and the overall economy.”
One of the numerous helpful tools on the Vermont Department of Economic Development’s website is a list of Vermont State partners and business resources.
For more information, visit the Vermont Department of Economic Development website.
Vermont Manufacturers Extension Center (VMEC)
The Vermont Manufacturers Extension Center is a nonprofit statewide resource for small to medium-sized manufacturers in Vermont. The mission of VMEC is to improve manufacturing in Vermont and strengthen the global competitiveness of the state's smaller manufacturers.
VMEC’s services include a free of charge “first step,” which might entail a site visit and a confidential needs assessment. Additional services include professional consulting, one-on-one coaching, and public/onsite workshops to help Vermont manufacturers increase their productivity, modernize their manufacturing and business processes, adopt advanced technologies, reduce costs, and improve their competitiveness, according to VMEC’s website. VMEC program topics include growth and strategic management (such as needs assessment and market analysis), lean enterprise, supply chain, quality (such as ISO 9001:2000 certification), and the New England Manufacturing Supply Chain (NEMSC), a new resource to connect Vermont manufacturers to the U.S. Department of Defense supply chain.
One of the useful tools found on the VMEC website is a Business Continuity Management Self-Assessment Questionnaire.
For more information, visit the VMEC website.
Vermont Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
The mission of the Vermont SBDC, which is a nonprofit partnership of government, education, and business, is to strengthen existing business entities, and assist start-ups through high-quality, no-cost counseling, and high-quality, affordable training programs. According to the VTSBDC website, its goal is to spur Vermont's economy by helping its small businesses succeed and grow.
For instance, if you are looking for assistance with environmental issues, the Vermont SBDC website offers free tools and tips online.
Another handy tool made available by the SBDC is a free publication outlining how to write a business plan. You can download this tool on the Vermont Department of Economic Development website.
For more information, visit the Vermont Small Business Development Center website.
Additional Business Assistance Resources
Additional resources to help you create, relocate, or grow a business can be found on these BDCC Resources pages: