Running a small business is no easy feat – you’re often wearing multiple hats at once, from marketing manager to financial planner to customer service lead. The good news? You don’t have to do it all alone. There are countless resources out there designed to help small businesses grow, thrive, and overcome challenges.
By tapping into these resources, you’ll gain access to valuable knowledge, support networks, and cost-effective solutions that can save you time and help your business reach the next level. Think of this as your one-stop shop for discovering new ways to strengthen and scale your small business.
This post is updated periodically, so check back regularly for the latest additions and updates.
ACE historically has served 68 Georgia counties, including all of North Georgia and metropolitan Atlanta, with satellite offices (by appointment) in Atlanta, Cleveland, and Norcross. Our Atlanta office is in the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurship (RICE) building, in a community designated an Opportunity Zone.
The ACE Women’s Business Center (WBC) provides business development support to women-owned businesses and low-to-moderate income business owners and is located in Gwinnett County.
The Atlanta Women’s Foundation is a metro-Atlanta nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls by acting as a strategic funder, educator, and connector. Its mission focuses on catalyzing lasting change through collective impact grantmaking, research, leadership development, and community engagement that address economic empowerment, education, life skills, and health disparities. Since 1998, AWF has invested millions in evidence-based programs and nonprofit partners to lift women out of poverty and strengthen families and communities. Their model amplifies local organizations’ effectiveness, making the foundation a key resource for anyone interested in women’s economic and social advancement in the region.
The Cobb County Business Bootcamp offers practical resources such as education, community, and consulting services that help build a sustainable business. Courses are exclusively created by their subject matter experts and tailored to Cobb County businesses. And yes this program is strictly for Cobb county residents and also offers free scholarships to their program so don’t forget to apply!
For more than twenty years, the EDGE has provided business education, training, mentorship, and coaching for business owners. As an innovative non-profit microenterprise and small business development agency, we’ve also gone beyond educating to create a rich community of small business owners and founders and an extensive network of supporters and corporate partners. With their support, we implement an effective and sustainable economic development strategy for the people we serve and the communities in which they live.
At the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, we inspire and lead our region toward equity and shared prosperity for all. We work with — and for — all our neighbors across the community, making our region more equitable and prosperous for everyone who calls this great city home. Thanks to the communication and collaboration between donors, community stakeholders, civic leaders, nonprofits and others working together, we solve Atlanta’s challenges by activating social, moral, relational and financial capital.
Invest Atlanta is the official economic development authority for the City of Atlanta. Its purpose is to strengthen Atlanta’s economy and global competitiveness to create increased opportunity and prosperity for the people of Atlanta. Invest Atlanta creates programs and initiatives focused on developing and fostering public-private partnerships to accelerate job creation/economic growth, neighborhood revitalization/investment, and innovation/entrepreneurship. Invest Atlanta’s economic tools include bond financing, revolving loan funds, housing financing, tax increment financing and tax credits.
Marddy’s mission is to Preserve and Promote Culinary Culture. They focus on economic inclusion, business development and growth opportunities for local food entrepreneurs. The primary service groups are people of color, women and other marginalized populations.
They provide a licensed facility for cooks to prepare and distribute their offerings.
The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) provides tools, training and resources to help small businesses grow and succeed. The SBDC has 18 offices ranging from Rome to Valdosta to serve the needs of Georgia’s business community. services range from training, to consulting and international trade. Services are available to both beginning entrepreneurs and experienced business owners looking to grow their business.
This SBA office provides help with SBA services including funding programs, counseling, federal contracting certifications, and disaster recovery. They can also connect you to our partner organizations, lenders, and other community groups that help small businesses succeed.
SCORE Atlanta is a powerhouse resource for entrepreneurs and small business owners, offering free mentorship, business education, and practical tools to help you grow with confidence. Supported by experienced volunteer mentors, SCORE provides workshops, startup guidance, and personalized support for every stage of your business journey. Whether you’re refining your strategy, launching a new venture, or scaling an existing one, SCORE Atlanta is a trusted partner for business success.
The Entrepreneurship Center (TEC) was designed to assist entrepreneurs with starting and growing successful and sustainable businesses in the Metro Atlanta community. They are providing entrepreneurs with: Training Classes, Resources, and One on One Coaching Sessions. Current accelerator programs consist of multiple areas including: exports, retail, start-ups, growth, capital readiness, Wells Fargo Appraisers, DeKalb County and Cobb County.
The Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative (WEI) is a 9-month accelerator program powered by the City of Atlanta and Invest Atlanta. Designed for early-stage women entrepreneurs, WEI offers hands-on support through our four pillars: Strategic Analysis, Leadership Development, Partnerships, and Funding Opportunities.