Entrepreneur resources in Northeastern Pennsylvania

Local and regional:

• Penn State Hazleton provides individualized business and technical assistance to participants in the CAN BE business program through its experienced staff and faculty. Visit Penn State Technology Transfer for information on other services. The Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program (PennTAP) assists business and industry by providing scientific and technical solutions.

• Wilkes University Small Business Development Center provides consulting, training, and educational services to small businesses through its team of business professionals.

• Luzerne County Community College (LCCC) is a public, two-year comprehensive community college for residents of Luzerne County and surrounding areas throughout northeastern Pennsylvania. LCCC's 167-acre main campus includes an Advanced Technology Center to house its state-of-the-art technology programs.

• The City of Hazleton’s Office of Community & Economic Development works with local business to address location and expansion needs, as well as assistance with identifying funding.

• The Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce works to contribute to its members’ business success by providing them valuable information, services and networking opportunities, and by taking active measures to help them improve the business climate and quality of life in Greater Hazleton.

• Luzerne County’s website provides information on county government and services.

• Ben Franklin Technology Partners links early-stage technology firms and established manufacturers with funding, people, technology, universities and other resources to help them prosper.

• Great Valley Technology Alliance is a regional public-private partnership that facilitates the development of a knowledge-based, technology-focused economy for northeastern Pennsylvania.

• Penn’s Northeast is a partnership of public and private economic development agencies dedicated to assisting businesses interested in locating within northeastern Pennsylvania.

• Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance helps coordinate community and economic development activities in northeastern Pennsylvania by offering programs and services for its partners.

• Northeast Pennsylvania Manufacturers & Employers Association is a regionally focused organization that serves more than 250 member companies throughout Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Northumberland and Schuylkill counties.

• Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center, Inc. helps small to mid-sized companies increase their productivity, profitability and competitiveness in the regional and global marketplace.

• "Work and Play in Northeast PA" provides information on career opportunities and the quality of life in the region.

• NEPA POWER (Northeastern Pennsylvania Professionals Organized and Working to Enrich the Region), is a group of professionals who seek to promote the region and shape the community for the better.

• The Mid Atlantic Angel Group Funds I and II were created to bridge the gap between angel funding and institutional venture capital funding serving Greater Philadelphia. The funds seek to leverage various public and private funding resources and networks by providing equity capital to seed and early-stage, technology-based, high-growth companies.

State:

• "Pennsylvania Open for Business" gives entrepreneurs access to business information such as financial options, forms and registrations with the Pennsylvania Departments of Labor and Industry, Revenue and State.

• NewPA.com is the official site of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.

• Pennsylvania Angel Network provides resources and support to the angel community throughout Pennsylvania.

Federal:

• U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) provides information and assistance to small business. SBA strengthens and expands the competitiveness of U.S. small high technology research and development (R&D) businesses in the federal marketplace through its Office of Technology, which also assists in achieving the commercialization of federal R&D initiatives. Download sample business plans, marketing plans and business calculators.

• The Minority Business Development Agency at the U.S. Department of Commerce is dedicated to advancing the establishment and growth of minority-owned firms in the United States.

• Grants.gov allows organizations to find and apply for federal financial assistance online.

• U.S. Internal Revenue Service provides tax information for businesses.

Other resources:

• National Business Incubation Association is the world's leading organization advancing business incubation and entrepreneurship.

• National Venture Capital Association is a trade association that represents the U.S. venture capital industry.

• Venture Capital Access Online is a leading Internet-based marketplace for the venture capital and private equity industry.

• Angel Capital Association is a professional alliance of angel investing groups in North America.

• Venture Capital Journal provides news and analysis of the private equity and venture capital world.

• PrivateEquity.com is a search directory of online information serving the needs of venture capitalists and other professionals involved in the private equity investment market.

• Business.com is a global network providing a myriad of information and tools for business professionals.

• Corante is a trusted source of information on technology, business, law, science and culture that is authored by leading commentators and thinkers.

• Reuters is a global information company providing information tailored for professionals in the financial services, media and corporate markets.

• Kiplinger provides personal finance and business management information, products and services.

• Entrepreneur.com features solutions for new and growing businesses.

• The Entrepreneur Network provides information, contacts and counsel to inventors and entrepreneurs.