The Fort Myers Regional Partnership, Lee County's Economic Development Office and 14 local banks in Lee County have developed a small-business joint venture initiative called Lee Is Lending, to help promote lending to local businesses and increase economic activity in the county. For information and a list of participating banks, call Sue Noe, business assistance director at the Regional Partnership at (239) 338-3161. Information is also available on the Lee Is Lending website.

The Oil Spill: Help for Small Business Questions and Concerns

Emergency Bridge Loan Program Website

Florida Department of Financial Services Website

Telephone Hotlines

Florida Business BP claims: 800-440-0858

Small Business Administration loans: 800-659-2955

Florida Small Business Development Centers: (Statewide Toll Free) 866-737-7232

Florida Trend Magazine

Florida Trend, a respected source for Florida business news, has a website devoted to Small Business. On this website, you can also subscribe to a weekly newsletter, the Small Business Edge, with news and tips specifically for Small Business. Go to the Florida Trend site

SBA Offers New Online Resources for Small Businesses to Help with Economic Recovery

WASHINGTON - Entrepreneurs can take advantage of new, free online training and other resources offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration to assist them during this period of economic recovery. The SBA offers a variety of online courses to assist small businesses in more effectively managing their firms in the current economy. The new course topics, available directly at www.sba.gov/services/training/onlinecourses, include revising business plans to reposition with current conditions, winning customers in a slowing economy, restructuring existing debt, and diversifying your customer base with federal contracts. Read More.

Small Business Administration

SBA Miami District Office
This link includes information on staff and services of the Miami office, which serves all of South Florida.

Florida SBDC

Map of SBDC Offices
This map shows the location and contact information for each of the more than 30 SBDC offices in Florida.

Federal Tax Information

IRS Tax Center
FGCU's SBDC, in cooperation with the Internal Revenue Service, provides selected links to information on the IRS website.

Local Resources

Employed Worker Training offered by the Career and Service Centers of Southwest Florida

International Trade

U.S. Commercial Service (under the Department of Commerce)
The Export Institute of the United States

Business Loans

Women's Resources

State and Federal Resources

Startup America: A Resource by and for Entrepreneurs
Florida Department of State
MyFlorida.com Business Links
SW Florida Library Network Legislative Links
Social Security Administration
U.S. Department of Labor
Department of Agriculture - Office of Small & Disadvantaged Business Utilization
Business.gov
The official business link to the U.S. Government
FirstGov.gov
The U.S. government's official web portal, Also available in Spanish below
FirstGov En Español

The SBDC at Florida Gulf Coast University is a member of the Florida SBDC Network, a statewide service network funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the US Small Business Administration. All opinions, conclusions, or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.