Are you a small business owner operating in Mercer County? Are you aware of the resources made available to you by Mercer County? Look no further.
Small Business Counseling Program
Mercer County’s chief resource for small businesses is its Small Business Counseling Program. It provides expanded training and technical assistance activities during weekday and evening hours at centralized satellite locations throughout Mercer County. The program is coordinated under the direction of The College of New Jersey Small Business Development Center (SBDC). The goals of the SBDC are to assist established entrepreneurs and start-up small businesses operate and maintain successful businesses.
The SBDC is part of the NJSBDC network, which was established 25 years ago as part of a national network, the Association of Small Business Development Centers. The network provides one-to-one consulting and training in areas such as client needs assessment, business planning, marketing strategy, obtaining financing, e-business, international trade and procurement opportunities. There are 11 state centers, but the TCNJ SBDC location serves only Mercer and Middlesex Counties. Workshops are conducted at satellite locations such as the county library system and local bank branches.
Latino Business Institute
​Latino business owners in Mercer County have access to an informational sharing network via a resource known as the Mercer County Latino Business Institute. The institute also provides services and programs for start-ups to obtain information, guidance and support throughout the entire start-up process. A full-course workshop program is available for future business owners.
In addition to providing the tools and resources necessary for starting a business, workshops serve as training programs to help entrepreneurs learn the basics of creating a business plan, securing financial funding and support and business operations. Instruction is bilingual and encourages participants to engage in their native language so that they can absorb business concepts in English. The business plan component alone consists of 8 workshops. When it is complete, the plan must be presented to a panel of business professionals.
The Mercer County Loan Fund
Mercer County entrepreneurs that cannot access financing from traditional lending sources are able to receive mentoring and loans from the Mercer County Loan Fund, with assistance from the Regional Business Assistance Corporation (RBAC). The Mercer County Loan Fund is a revolving loan fund that offers anywhere from $25,000 to $250,000. Applications can be obtained from the Mercer County Office of Economic Development or can be downloaded from RBAC's website.
The fund’s primary objective is the growth and economic development of the small-business community through small business retention and expansion. Other goals include increasing procurement opportunities for Mercer County-based small businesses, as well as increasing the number of public and private loans processed to their owners. The fund also promotes the benefits and resources provided by county initiatives, municipalities, libraries, business networks and business partners. Last but not not least, the fund aims to increase business and management education for start-up and existing companies.
The Law Office of H. Benjamin Sharlin LLC
is owned and operated by H. Benjamin Sharlin and serves all of Mercer County, New Jersey and the surrounding areas. Mr. Sharlin is a bilingual Spanish-speaking attorney who vigorously represents the interests of all his clients.
Call (609) 585-0606 or click the button below to schedule an appointment