Get Connected!
SBDC Business Hotline:
925-646-5377
Can't find what you need on-line?
Call the SBDC Business Hotline. We'll get you connected to the information, resources, services or expertise you need. The Business Hotline is available
9 am to 5 pm, weekdays.
ContraCostaMeansBusiness.com is
designed to be your one-stop source
for business informtion, resources, services and expertise in Contra Costa County. Through this portal, you can easily get connected to the BESTeam - the agencies and organizations that serve businesses in Contra Costa as well as to many useful and informative websites.
This site is a co-production of the
Contra Costa Small Business Develop-ment Center (SBDC), the Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County (WDB), and the Contra Costa County Library, funded in part by the
Small Business Administration (SBA)
and the State of California.
Your comments and suggestions are welcome and encouraged.
Click, Call, Connect!
This web portal is designed to be your primary link to the information, resources, services and expertise you need to launch and grow your business in Contra Costa County.Click - Click on the panels below - familiarize yourself with how this site is organized and what it has to offer ... bookmark this site for future reference.
Call - If you need more personalized assistance, call the SBDC Business Hotline at 925-646-5377 to speak with an SBDC consultant.
Connect - Take advantage of the services from the BESTeam partners ... drop a note to Ask an Expert, contact the Contra Costa SBDC to schedule a free consulting session, or call one of the BESTeam business services providers (see Organizations below).
Key Steps Before You Start ...
1. Research Your Market
The Contra Costa County Library has a wealth of information of particular value for doing market research, including numerous databases and GIS data. See Market Data under Resources below.
Also see County Economic Information.
2. Evaluate the Opportunity
Model your income and expenses using
this Business Simulator (Excel).
See Free Tools and Software below for useful calculators and research tools.
3. Write Your Business Plan
Read this Section-by-Section Guide
Look for detailed information about specific business topics under Information by Industry and Topic below.
4. Do Your Financial Planning
Overview of Financial Statements
Sample Income Statement
Sample Balance Sheet
Sample Cash Flow Report
Also see Free Tools and Software below for useful financial planning tools.
5. Protect Your Business
Fictitious Name SearchFictitious Name Filing
Trademarks
6. Form Your Business
Select a Business Structure
Get Permits & Licensing
Check Codes & Charters
Check Compliance Requirements
Tax Information
Also see City Information below
Learn How to Start Your Business
The Contra Costa SBDC offers basic business management training through New Venture Training, a 12-week program designed to help you develop your business plan.
More about New Venture Training
Also check our All-in-One Calendar for upcoming business seminars, events, etc.
Our local Colleges and Universities also offer excellent courses on a wide range of business-related subjects - see below.
Also Check Out These Useful Portals for Start-ups and Entrepreneurs
All About Franchises - Contra Costa County Library
An excellent set of resources for researching franchise opportunities.
Industry/Business Profiles, Tax Tips, Statistics - IRS Business Portal
Topical Business Advice - AllBusiness.SFGate.com
Topic-specific definitions, descriptions and discussions on many aspects of
starting and running a business.
Entrepreneurship: The Kauffman Foundation / Center for Entrepreneurship
Excellent knowledge bank for first-time and experienced entrepreneurs.
Information by Industry
The Contra Costa SBDC Business Resource wiki provides valuable information and links to information, resources, services and expertise grouped by industry or topic.For Restaurant Owners
For Retail Business Owners
More industry resources coming soon ...
Information by Topic
Contra Costa SBDC's QuickFactsLinks to useful websites by topic
Your Business on the Web
Information about building your site, e-commerce, web analytics, etc.
Useful Business Portals
We've identified a number of useful business portals sponsored by various state and federal agencies as well as private organizations. If you have a portal that you would like to recommend, please let us know.A comprehensive library of up-to-date on-line articles on many business topics.
Funding: The Capital Formation Institute
CPI is a portal for early stage angel investors and regional venture fund managers.
Small Business Television: SBDC
On-line videos and interviews on business topics.
Small Business One-Stop Center: IRS
Valuable information about federal tax laws, regulations, filings and forms.
Business Resources Center: Inc.com
Timely topical articles and insights from business and industry specialists.
Best Practices/Decision-making: WillItFly.com
An interesting set of tools and guidelines for decision-making.
Contra Costa County
County
Overview
County Profile
Demographic Profile
Population
& Housing
Maps
Interactive Map
Land Use
& Zoning
Supervisorial
Districts
Zip Codes
Urban
Limit Lines
The Workforce
Workforce Profile
Workforce Development
Staffing Assistance
Business Locations
Incentive Zones
Infrastructure
Educational Institutions
Transportation
Broadband
Utilities
Contra Costa County Economy
Economic Profile, Performance & Trends
Market Profile
County Business Patterns by Zip Code
Coming soon ... links to more county-specific economic data.
Links to City Business Pages
Get Connected to Micro-Loans
Federal, state and local programs and community banks offer a wide variety of small business loans. Sometimes a little money can help a lot. For information about micro-loan opportunities, call the SBDC Business Hotline at 925-646-5377. An SBDC consultant will help guide you to the program that best fits your needs and financial circumstances.Free Financial Check-up - Are you looking for a bank loan or seeking private investment money? Be prepared to make "The Ask" - don't waste your time and effort or risk the embarrassment of getting turned down.
Get a free financial check-up from an SBDC Financial Specialist BEFORE you approach a bank or investor - call 925-646-5377.
The Library's Business Decisions system helps small to medium-sized businesses grow by providing extensive consumer household and demographic data combined with GIS (Geographic Information Systems) mapping technology. Find new customers, evaluate competitors, and identify new locations using the same consumer and demographic data used by the nation's top companies.
Click to Visit The Business Connection
Get Connected
to Skilled Workers
Learn more about local hiring incentives, employee training programs and business services for employers:Workforce Development Programs
Get Connected
to Student Interns
ContraCostaInterns.com - A free on-line job board where companies can post internship opportunities and students can post resumes and apply for internships. Any business may post any number of internships. Students range in level from high school through post-graduate.
Financial Calculators
Eight Useful Business Calculatorsfrom the SBA and Palo Alto Software
including starting costs, cash flow and discounted cash flow calculators, etc.
For on-line businesses: e-mail ROI, pay-per-click ROI and conversion rate calculator.
Breakeven Calculator
Includes definitions of key input data. Look for the calculator at the bottom of the page ... also displays a breakeven chart.
Financial Ratios Calculator
Calculate all of your critical business ratios
fast - have your income statement and
balance sheet figures ready!
Research Tools
Business BenchmarksBusiness stats and benchmark info for a myriad of business categories.
Business Leads & Mapping
Use InfoUSA's excellent business mapping system for market research.
Free Business Software
Links to popular free open-source software:OpenOffice - A very popular multi-platform office suite that is fully compatible with all other major office suites. Includes Writer, Calc, Impress (presentations), Draw, Base (database) and Math (equations)
GanttProject - A full-power project and resource management tool for Gantt and Pert charting.
Skype - Very popular free on-line voice calling and multi-line conferencing plus webcam video conferencing.
Gimp - An elegant, yet powerful graphics and photo processing program.
SyncBack - A high-rated freeware automated data backup program.
FirstClass - An excellent on-line collaboration system and e-mail/web server and more. Requires a dedicated server. Software is free with five free user licenses.
Opentaps - A well-regarded free open source ERP+CRM+eCommerce system.
Business Contacts
Contra Costa Council's Business PortalBusiness Contacts and Local Business Services Directory
Financial Services
Business Services
Real Estate
Local Business Marketplace
The Local Business Marketplace is a community-supported wiki-based directory of links to local business-to-business service providers. You may add your business to the Marketplace ...Click here to learn more about how to contribute to the wiki.
Rapid Response Services
Rapid Response Services are designed 1) to help growing companies access an available pool of skilled workers from other companies that are downsizing or who have been trained in the skills your company needs to be competitive, and 2) to mitigate the impact of layoffs and plant closings by quickly coordinating services and providing immediate aid to companies and their affected workers. More about Rapid Response ServicesRapid Response Coordinator for Direct Services:
Susie O'Bryant, 925-671-4542
Rapid Response Coordinator:
Tracey Brown-Carter, 925-646-5023
Support Resources Business Resources
Getting professional guidance as you grow your business is a critical part of assuring success. Our team of professional management consultants is at your service to help you with the opportunities and issues related with growing your business. This service is free to all owners of existing businesses and entrepreneurs who are actively launching their business.
More about the SBDC's Professional Consulting
More about CAE's Services for Business Owners
More about SCORE's Services for Business Owners
Directory of
Chambers of Commerce
Antioch Chamber of Commerce
324 G Street
Antioch, CA 94509
Phone: 925-757-1800 Fax: 925-757-5286
General e-mail: acoc@antiochchamber.com
www.antiochchamber.com
Bethel Island Area Chamber of Commerce
6163 Bethel Island Rd.
P.O. Box 263
Bethel Island, CA 94511
Phone: 925-684-3220
General e-mail: bicc@cctrap.com
www.bethelisland-chamber.com
Brentwood Chamber of Commerce
240 Oak Street
Brentwood, CA 94513
Phone: 925-634-3344
General e-mail: bcoc240@sbcglobal.net
www.brentwoodchamber.com
Byron Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 368
Byron, CA 94514
Concord Chamber of Commerce
2280 Diamond Blvd. Ste 200
Concord, CA 94520
Phone: 925-685-1181 Fax: 925-685-5623
General e-mail: info@concordchamber.com
www.concordchamber.com
Crockett Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 191
Crockett, CA 94525
Phone: 510-787-1155
www.crockettca-chamber.org
Danville Area Chamber of Commerce
117-E Town & Country Dr.
Danville, CA 94526
Phone: 925-837-4400 Fax: 925-837-5709
General e-mail: danvillecachamber@danvillecachamber.com
www.danvillecachamber.com
El Cerrito Chamber of Commerce
10848 San Pablo Avenue
El Cerrito, CA 94530
Phone: 510-233-7040 Fax: 510-232-0796
www.elcerritochamber.org
El Sobrante Chamber of Commerce
3550 San Pablo Dam Rd Box 330
El Sobrante, CA 94803
Phone: 510-223-0757
Hercules Chamber of Commerce
108 Civic Drive
P.O. Box 5282
Hercules, CA 94547
Phone: 510-799-0282 Fax: 510-799-6874
General e-mail: chamber@herculescc.com
www.herculescc.com
Hispanic Chamber of commerce
P.O. Box 23964
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
Phone: 925-281-2623 Fax: 925-281-2623
General e-mail: info@h5c.org
www.h5c.org
Lafayette Chamber of Commerce
100 Lafayette Circle Ste 103
Lafayette, CA 94549
Phone: 925-284-7404 Fax: 925-284-3109
General e-mail: info@lafayettechamber.org
www.lafayettechamber.org
Martinez Chamber of Commerce
603 Marina Vista
Martinez, CA 94553
Phone: 925-228-2345 Fax: 925-228-2356
General e-mail: mail@martinezchamber.com
www.martinezchamber.com
Moraga Chamber of Commerce
455 Moraga Rd. Ste 1
Moraga, CA 94556
Phone: 925-376-0150
General e-mail: chamber1@silcon.com
Oakley Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 1340
Oakley, CA 94561
Phone: 925-625-1035 Fax: 925-625-4051
General e-mail: Oakley@ecis.com
www.oakleychamber.com
Orinda Chamber of Commerce
2 Theatre Sq #137
Orinda, CA 94564
PMB 315 21-C Orinda Way, Orinda, CA 94563
Phone: 925-254-3909 Fax: 925-254-1635
General e-mail: Orinda@silcon.com
www.orindachamber.org
Pinole Chamber of Commerce
200 San Pablo Ave #201
P.O. Box 1
Pinole, CA 94564
Phone: 510-724-4484 Fax: 510-724-4408
General e-mail: pinolechamber@msn.com
www.pinolechamber.org
Pittsburg Chamber of Commerce
485 Railroad Ave
Pittsburg, CA 94565
Phone: 925-432-7301 Fax: 925-427-5555
General e-mail: chamber@pittsburg.org
www.pittsburg.org
Pleasant Hill Chamber of Commerce
91 Gregory Lane #11
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
Phone: 925-687-0700 Fax: 925-676-7422
General e-mail: info@pleasanthillchamber.com
www.pleasanthillchamber.com
Richmond Chamber of Commerce
3925 Macdonald Avenue
Richmond, CA 94805
Phone: 510-234-3512 Fax: 510-234-3540
General e-mail: staff@rcoc.com
www.rcoc.com
Rodeo Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 548
Rodeo, CA 94572
Phone: 510-799-7351
General e-mail: new_pacific@msn.com
San Pablo Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 6204
San Pablo, CA 94806-0204
Phone: 510234-2067 Fax: 510-233-1461
San Ramon Chamber of Commerce
2355 San Ramon Valley Blvd. #101
San Ramon, CA 94583
Phone: 925-831-9500 Fax: 925-831-8840
General e-mail: info@sanramon.org
www.sanramon.org
Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce
1501 N. Broadway #100
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Phone: 925-93-2007 Fax: 925-934-2404
e-mail: jhoyer@walnut-creek.com
www.walnut-creek.com
Directory of
Business Organizations
and Associations
Business organizations and associations offer a variety of excellent events and resources for business owners and entrepreneurs. We encourage you to visit their websites for more information and for details about upcoming events. Business Organizations
Downtown Business Associations
Organizations for Business Women
Business Incubators and Support Services
Click here for links to Colleges and Universities
Success Stories
Take a Break ...
Quality Music, Close to Home
CommunityConcerts.com
Arts & Culture Commission
of Contra Costa County
Music, Theater, Dance & Art
This website is supported by the Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County,
the State of California, the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Contra Costa SBDC,
Northern California SBDC, and Humboldt State University Sponsored Programs Foundation.
Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations on linked websites are those of
the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the WDB, the State of California,
SBA, NCSBDC or HSU Sponsored Programs Foundation.
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