All businesses need help sometimes.
Even independent community pharmacies that have been around a while.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) offers a nationwide network of business resources in each state to counsel, mentor and train small business owners. With more than 1,000 locations across the nation, chances are you can find a business resource that offers help to improve your pharmacy.
And you wouldn’t be alone.
More than 1 million small business owners receive business counseling and assistance each year through the SBA’s counseling and training programs.
7 Business Resources Your Pharmacy Can Use to Improve
These resources can help businesses like your pharmacy hit their next big milestone.
Maybe that means finding financing to open a new pharmacy location. Or, getting marketing help to grow your prescription sales. Or, finding opportunities to network with area businesses at local small business events.
Whatever your goal, find the support to grow your business with these seven business resources from the SBA.
1. SCORE Business Mentor
This nonprofit association educates entrepreneurs and helps small businesses through mentoring. It works in partnership with the SBA’s Small Business Development Center.
Comprised of volunteer business counselors, SCORE offers free business advice to aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners.
Ways to connect with a SCORE mentor:
Email a mentor
Pick a mentor online and get answers to your business questions virtually. You can search for mentors based on your state or zip code. And you’ll see the mentor’s areas of expertise, education and industry experience. Email a mentor.
Visit a Local SCORE office
Make an appointment with a local mentor for in-person advice. SCORE offers more than 320 offices across the nation. Find a location near you.
Join an online workshop
SCORE offers free business workshops. These include local workshops, live webinars, recorded webinars and courses on demand. Topics range from business planning to marketing to financing.
Subscribe to e-newsletters
Get free business tips sent straight to your inbox. Besides business advice, SCORE’s e-newsletters also offer interviews with small business experts.
2. Women’s Business Center
Women’s Business Centers represent a national network of more than 100 educational centers designed to assist women in starting and growing small businesses.
They seek to help the women entrepreneurs who still face unique obstacles in the business world today.
SBA’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership (OWBO) oversees the WBC network. It provides entrepreneurs, especially economically or socially disadvantaged women, with comprehensive business training and counseling.
Search for a WBC in your state.
3. SBA District Offices
SBA’s district offices handle delivering the programs and services SBA offers.
Some of the services offered include:
- Free counseling, advice and information on starting a business through SCORE
- Financial assistance for new or existing businesses through guaranteed loans made by area bank and non-bank lenders
- Free consulting services through the network of Small Business Development Centers
- Assistance to businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals through the Minority Enterprise Development Program
- Getting in touch with Women’s Business Ownership representatives to advise women business owners
- Guaranteed loans for credit-worthy veterans
Find your state’s district office.
4. SBA Regional Offices
The regional offices support local district offices and work to advocate for economic development, growth and competitiveness within their geographic area. The retional offices also host special events and training in their regions.
Ten regional offices exist across the U.S.
Find your area’s regional office.
5. Disaster Field Office
Disaster field offices offer counseling and financial assistance to businesses rebuilding after a natural disaster, such as by providing low-interest disaster loans.
While you may think your pharmacy will never need a business resource like this, it doesn’t hurt to get prepared.
Find your area’s disaster field office.
6. ScaleUp America Communities
The ScaleUp America Communities initiative from the SBA helps small businesses with high potential grow their businesses through intensive entrepreneurial training programs.
The idea behind the initiative is that high-potential businesses help the local economy and provide more job opportunities, which benefits everyone.
The initiative provides funding and helps to:
- Deliver a proven entrepreneurship education curriculum for growth-oriented entrepreneurs and small businesses
- Provide on-going one-on-one support
- Provide mentoring and technical assistance
- Facilitate connections to growth capital
- Identify opportunities to build and strengthen connections and networks in their community
Well-established independent pharmacies could potentially take part in the initiative.
Find your area’s ScaleUp office.
7. SBA Learning Center
Want an easy—and free—way to brush up on copyright law or social media marketing?
The SBA Learning Center provides free online training for small businesses.
The training covers topics like:
- Financing
- Government contracting
- Business management
- Marketing
- Starting a business
The tools provided are for businesses at all stages of growth.
The training includes self-guided online training courses, quick videos, web chats and more.
You can sort courses by content type and topic.
Some of the online training courses offered include:
- Buying a Business
- Competitive Advantage
- Cybersecurity for Small Businesses
- Introduction to Human Resources
- Marketing 101: A Guide to Winning Customers
- Sales: A Guide for the Small Business Owner
Now’s a prime time to take steps to improve your pharmacy business. Get an outside perspective with mentoring and counseling from these business resources.
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