Help is on the Way

They make equity investments, grants and loans to small businesses that do not qualify for financing from traditional sources.

Empire State Development Corporation
Contact: Henry Mund
Regional Director
(631) 435-0717
www.empire.state.ny.us

The ESDC Long Island regional office will work with businesses, providing one-stop access to the entire array of financial and technical assistance programs designed to help your company expand, retain and create jobs and improve its competitiveness. For firms considering locating or expanding in New York State ESDC serves as location specialists, providing businesses with comprehensive site and building information. ESDC analyzes economic, demographic, wage, tax and utility costs and lets incoming firms know about incentive programs and opportunities for joint ventures and strategic alliances with New York companies. Also, ESDC assists and actively promotes the export of products made in the state.

Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency
Contact: Bruce Ferguson
Administrative Director
(631) 853-4802
www.co.suffolk.ny.us

IDAs are empowered to issue bonds to finance projects that are designed to increase local tax and employment base. These projects include facilitating the acquisition, construction and equipping of manufacturing, warehousing, research, commercial, industrial, pollution control and recreation projects.

New York State Small Business Development Centers
Contact: Lucille Wesnofske
Director
Small Business Development Center
Farmingdale State University of New York
(631) 420-2765
www.farmingdale.edu/SBDC

Small Business Development Center
Stony Brook State University of New York
(631) 632-9070
www.nyssbdc.org

Offers management and technical assistance to existing and prospective small business firms. Provides clients with cost free counseling, training and assistance on all aspects of successfully operating on existing business or opening a new business.

Service Corps of Retired Executives-SCORE
Contact: Louis Campanelli
SCORE Chairman
(516) 877-4645
www.score.org

Helps the small business community through no-fee mentoring and counseling.

Suffolk County Community Development Department
The Suffolk County Revolving Loan Fund
Contact: Joseph T. Sanseverino
Director
(631) 853-5705
www.co.suffolk.ny.us

Program created to assist small and mid-sized businesses by providing financial assistance for the construction and renovation of privately owned commercial buildings, for equipment purchases needed to operate a business and in some cases, for working capital.

Suffolk County Department of Economic Development
Contact: Judith M. McEvoy
(631) 853-4800
www.co.suffolk.ny.us

Provides a variety of services and programs designed to enable and enhance the success of your business. The SCDED covers every aspect of business formation, retention and expansion. The staff can assist you with site location, facility and infrastructure development, compliance with environmental regulations, permitting, job creation, financing and many other services.

U.S. Small Business Administration
Contact: SBA Answer Desk
(800))8-ASK-SBA
SBA Branch Manager
(631) 454-0750
www.sba.gov
www.business.gov

Ensures the availability of long term technical assistance and financing for small businesses. The SBA provides Loan Guaranty Programs which can fund the varied financing needs of small businesses where financing is otherwise unavailable through normal lending channels, on reasonable terms.

Community Development Corporation of Long Island, Inc. and CDCLI Funding Corporation, Inc.
Contact: Wilbur Klatsky
President & CEO
(631) 471-1215
www.cdcli.org

Makes equity investments, grants and loans to small businesses that do not qualify for financing from traditional sources.

Long Island Development Corporation
Contact: Roslyn D. Goldmacher
Executive Director
(516) 433-5000
www.lidc.org

Provides financial and technical assistance to small businesses on Long Island. It functions as a regulatory lending agency, making loans to small businesses undergoing capital expansion. Loans may be used to acquire, rehabilitate, expand and/or improve real estate, and machinery and equipment may also be finances LIDC can also provide working capital. LIDC offers small businesses technical assistance, active counseling and interaction with other agencies.

Long Island Forum for Technology
Contact: Patricia Hawley
Executive Director
(631) 969-3700
www.lift.org

Provides technical and business services to any technology-driven manufacturing or knowledge-based company on the Island.

Entrepreneurial Assistance Program at Hofstra University
Scott Skodnek Business Development Center
Contact: Judith Tyne
Acting Assistant Dean
(516) 463-6333
www.hofstra.edu/bdc

Offers workshops, seminars, programs, facilities and training for individual projects. Offered among the services and resources are: The Center for Entrepreneurship and the bi-monthly Economic Report and Market Research and Polling.

Entrepreneurial Assistance Program at Suffolk County Community College
Contact: Daphne M. Gordon
Project Administrator
(631) 851-6206
www.sunysuffolk.edu

Assists entrepreneurs in creating new businesses and provides in-depth assistance to minorities, women and dislocated workers interested in starting a business. EAP provides instruction, training, technical assistance and support services to individuals who have recently started their own business or are interested in starting a business. EAP assists new and aspiring entrepreneurs in developing basic business management skills, refining business concepts and devising early-stage marketing plans and preparation of action plans.

Long Island Venture Group
Contact: Elizabeth O’Toole
Administrator
(516) 463-6326

LIVG provides various opportunities for individual and entrepreneurs to network and obtain or share educational and financial advice from or with potential financing sources, other service providers and each other. LIVG activities center around monthly informative and educational breakfast meetings structured to encourage effective networking.

Black Women Enterprises
Contact: Gina Slater Parker
President & CEO
(516) 485-5900
www.blackwomenenterprises.org

Provides business/technical resources, equal access to financial assistance and access to government and private sector procurement for its members. BWE certifies all women business owners via National Women Business Owners Corporation, which affords procurement opportunities with fortune five hundred companies and government agencies.

Long Island Small Business Assistance Corporation
Contact: Roslyn Goldmacher
President
(516) 433-5000
www.lidc.org

LISBAC’s mission is to make loans to women owned businesses, tied to intensive individual technical assistance and workshops.

National Association of Women Business Owners
Contact: Terri Perniciaro
Administrator
(516) 466-3470
www.nawboli.org

Helps members build increasingly strong and more successful businesses and to support the needs of emerging women business owners. Monthly programs, workshops, group medical program, micro lending program, peer support, vendor discounts, web- site visibility, special advertising opportunities, awards and recognition.

Suffolk County Women’s Business Enterprise Coalition
Contact: Office of Minority Affairs
(631) 853-4738
www.scwbec.org

Guides women-owned businesses through the government procurement process, and ensures that women-owned businesses gain knowledge of the wide variety of government purchasing opportunities.

Melville Chamber of Commerce
631) 777-6260 - PHONE
(631) 777-6261 - FAX
EMAIL: info@mefchamber.com
www.mefchamber.com/

Provides networking opportunities, business to business services and many other programs to create and stimulate business opportunities.