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In this Report

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Who We Are

About the EDPNCOur TeamsOur BoardInvestors & Financials

Our Impact

Business Recruitment & Existing IndustryBusiness DevelopmentInternational TradeSmall BusinessMarketing & ResearchTourism & Film

Features

Responding to Hurricane HeleneFueling the Biopharma BoomEDPNC Celebrates 10 Years

Small Business

Helping North Carolina Small Businesses Start, Grow, and Succeed

Supporting Small Businesses and Startups—At No Cost

The EDPNC’s Small Business Advisors provide small business owners, startups, and entrepreneurs with free assistance and one-on-one phone counseling regarding regulatory and licensing requirements, financial resources, training, and more. The advisors, who serve both English and Spanish-speaking clients, can also assist businesses with finding additional information they need from other state and local resources.

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Educational Trainings to Boost Business Growth

In addition to the one-on-one support advisors offer to clients, the team partners with state and federal agencies for a series of webinars. This year, the Small Business Advisors joined the IRS, the North Carolina Department of Revenue, the North Carolina Secretary of State, the US Small Business Administration and the NC Small Business Center Network for the “Doing Business in North Carolina Joint Agency Webinar Series.” The team also teaches a “How to Start a Business” series, presented in both English and Spanish, at several community small business centers.

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Our Impact

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12,072

Small Businesses Served

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4,935

Minority-, Women-, or Veteran-owned

Businesses Supported

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8,717

Startups Supported

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100

Counties Served by the SBA Team

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97%

Customer Satisfaction Rating

Small Business Highlight

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Customized Music and Gifts by Jennifer

Jennifer Pardue made a custom song set to footage from her wedding as a gift to her husband for their anniversary. As friends and family saw the final product, they began to request songs and videos to celebrate special occasions. Jennifer realized that this idea could turn into something special. With the support of her family and resources at her local small business center at Surry Community College, she started Customized Music and Gifts by Jennifer. She eventually expanded her offerings to include laser-engraved gifts with lyrics and scannable codes. Needing assistance to navigate the startup process, she reached out to the EDPNC. 

“Balancing a small business with a full-time job is challenging, but the Small Business Advisors team at EDPNC provided me with an easy-to-follow guide for the startup process,” said Jennifer. “My advisor covered everything from registering as an LLC, establishing an EIN, and collecting sales tax.” 

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