Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) provide free business counseling on issues such as business planning and marketing assistance and also hold seminars for a nominal fee. The SBDCs serving Southwestern PA are:
- Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Lawrence Counties: Duquesne University
- Allegheny, Washington and Greene Counties: University of Pittsburgh
- Westmoreland and Fayette Counties: St. Vincent College
- Indiana County: Indiana University of PA
The Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) is a national organization whose counselors from the Pittsburgh chapter meet with clients at the DBRC. SCORE counselors are available to you as a sounding board for your ideas, for brainstorming new ideas, or just solid business advice.
The U.S. Small Business Administration has a Pittsburgh district office that serves business owners located in the 27 counties of western PA. Last year, the Pittsburgh District Office assisted hundreds of people through training, counseling and business development programs.
For veterans in this region, the Massey Center for Business Innovation and Development at Robert Morris University houses the Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC). The VBOC provides focused business support and ongoing entrepreneurial education.
A new comprehensive web portal is available from Helping Entrepreneurs Learn from Peers (HELP) that provides a single point of access for entrepreneurial support.
The Internal Revenue Service has a webpage dedicated to tax planning and other tax issues affecting small business owners.
