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Where to go for counseling and assistance for your small business

There are a number of locations where you can go in order to take advantage of various counseling and assistance services that are geared specifically for small businesses.

Generally speaking, there are three different types of organizations that offer counseling and assistance to small businesses: commercial services, non-profit organizations, and governmental organizations.All three types of organizations can be very helpful for small business owners; be aware that the majority of non-profit organizations and especially governmental organizations offer their counseling and assistance services for free.

Non-profit organizations
One of the primary sources for business counseling and assistance that is located on the Internet is the Small Business Assistance Center at www.sbacnetwork.org.At this website, you can find a number of different articles and links to different resources that are available to help small business owners.The Small Business Assistance Center is a great place to begin your search for counseling and assistance services for small businesses, particularly if you are looking for resources that are available and that are located online.

Commercial resources
There are a number of different types of professionals whom you can hire to help counsel your business, particularly when it comes to issues that deal with marketing your business and your services or your products, and also when it comes to financial management.Financial advisors and financial planners, along with small business advisors and publicity specialists are relatively easy to find.

There are also a number of commercial resources that are available to small business owners that are located online.One of the best places to start looking for commercial organizations that are dedicated to counseling and assisting small businesses is Business Town, at www.businesstown.com.

Governmental organizations

There are several governmental organizations that are dedicated to counseling and assisting small businesses.The most obvious organization and the most important and easiest place to start looking for information and assistance for your small business is the Small Business Association at www.sba.gov.The Small Business Association offers training, counseling, advice, and more for small business owners.The Small Business Association also works with small businesses and with lenders to help secure loans so that small businesses can find adequate financing.In addition, the Small Business Association has regional offices across the country so that local assistance can be given to small business owners.

While the Small Business Association is one of the best places for small business owners to look for counseling, don't overlook other governmental agencies.OSHA offers numerous advice and assistance for small business owners, particularly those who are trying to keep in line with all of the different governmental regulations.For more information on how OSHA works to assist small businesses, go to https://www.osha.gov/dcsp/osba/index.html.

OSHA offers penalty reductions for employers who own small businesses and violate certain regulations.If you have fewer than 25 employees, then your penalty may be reduced by 60%.26-100 employees may yield a reduction of 40%, and 101-250 employees can garner you a 20% reduction.

Also OSHA has far fewer recordkeeping requirements for very small businesses, particularly those with less than 10 employees.The Consultation department of OSHA offers free consultation services to help employers improve their safety and health management systems, and to control and contain any workplace hazards.

Consultation offers free help in identifying workplace hazards and establishing or improving safety and health management systems corporate-wide. Employers in high-hazard industries or involved in hazardous operations receive priority. Largely funded by OSHA, consultation programs are run by state agencies and offer an array of services.

In conjunction with the free Consultation services, OSHA also offers the Safety Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP), which rewards employers who meet certain qualifications and demonstrate a dedication to a safe working environment.If you qualify, then you can receive a 1 year exemption from OSHA general schedule inspections.The Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) are organizations that promote safety and health in the workplace, and are put in place at businesses that demonstrate exemplary dedication to health and safety in the workplace.

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