Technical assistance for businesses
The term "technical assistance" covers a whole range of business support services, from developing strategies to address temporary business disruption (such as relocation or short-term closure) to help with business operations such as accounting, marketing, or finance.
Rainier Valley Community Development Fund offers limited technical assistance services to its clients. We can also suggest other good resources that provide free or very affordable business technical assistance:
Community Capital Development (CCD)
Community Capital Development offers classes for small business owners and managers on topics such as marketing, writing business plans, financial statements, and bookkeeping. The CCD also offers loans to small businesses.
Jump $tart Fund
Micro Enterprise Development Program
1610 South King Street
Seattle Washington 98144
(206) 323-3152
Jump Start helps refugees and asylees to achieve self-sufficiency through business ownership so that they can contribute to the economic development of their communities.
Seattle SCORE
2401 4th Avenue, Suite 450
Seattle, Washington 98121
(206) 553-7320
Seattle SCORE provides free and confidential one-on-one business consulting for interested individuals. They have volunteer counselors with experience and expertise that can help the owner grow his/her current business or pursue their dreams of business ownership.
Small Business Development Centers (SBDC)
Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) provides management assistance to current and prospective small business owners. SBDCs offers a host of services designed to help you grow your business, achieve higher profits and improve operations. Whether you are well established or just starting out, the SBDC can make a difference for your business.
University of Washington Business and Economic Development Center (BEDC)
www.foster.washington.edu/centers/bedc/Pages/businesscommunity.aspx
The BEDC program provides help with financial planning, marketing, and business planning. It matches business students in its undergraduate and master's degree programs with small businesses in inner-city neighborhoods.
Washington Cash
2100 24th Avenue South Suite #380
Seattle Washington 98144
(206) 352-1945
Washington CASH is a community-supported nonprofit organization dedicated to working with entrepreneurs in low-income situations who are ready to start their own businesses and succeed. Services include a business development training course, microloans from $500-$5,000 provided in a peer lending group format, individual loans from $5,001-$35,000 for more advanced clients and peer support lending groups.