Q. I am considering starting my own business and have heard about government grants that don't have to be paid back. How can I find out more? -- P.M.
A.Although a few government grants may be out there, the average person starting a small business is not likely to get one, says Jill Atherton of the Greater Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce. Atherton said that such grants are usually reserved for not-for-profit organizations and businesses doing highly technical research that the government is interested in buying.
However, plenty of free and low-cost resources are available locally to help get your business up and running. The Forsyth Tech Small Business Center, , 601 W. Fourth St., in downtown Winston-Salem, offers many services for free, and a variety of workshops and seminars are available for fees as low as $5. One seminar explains traditional and nontraditional sources of business financing. For information, call 631-1320, or go to www.forsythtech.edu/business-advancement/small-business-center.
The N.C. Small Business and Technology Development Center offers an online guide for starting a business, and its publication "Capital Opportunities for Small Business Guide" describes financing options available to companies in North Carolina. Find these and other resources at www.sbtdc.org. The agency's Forsyth County office is on the ninth floor of Winston Towers, 301 N. Main St., Winston-Salem. Contact it at 779-7340 or wssu@sbtdc.org.
Information about other business-development programs is available from the chamber. Call 728-9200, or go to www.winstonsalem.com.
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