ECC SBC offers free, confidential, one-on-one business counseling and a wide variety of low-cost or free seminars and workshops. These resources are designed to assist both prospective and existing small business owners with planning, development, and growth.
Our workshops cover essential topics for small businesses, including “How to Start a Small Business,” “Marketing for Success,” “Basics of Bookkeeping,” and more. Check our website for a full list of upcoming events.
There is a Small Business Center located at every community college across the state. ECC SBC is located on the Tarboro Campus, in the Barnhill-Jenkins Center for Innovation. The address is 2009 W. Wilson St Tarboro, NC. You can find your local center’s contact information on the official SBCN website.
Confidential business counseling and access to our resource library are completely free of charge. Some specialized seminars or workshops may have a minimal registration fee, but many are also offered for free.
ECC SBC does not provide direct loans or grants, but we offer counseling on preparing a professional loan package, identifying potential sources of capital (like CDFIs and local lenders), and analyzing your start-up cost and cash flow needs.
Your first step should be to schedule a free, confidential counseling session with your local SBC Director. They can help you assess your entrepreneurial readiness, evaluate your business idea’s feasibility, and guide you through the initial steps like business planning and legal structure.
Yes, a business plan is essential for success and is often required for financing. ECC SBC provides counseling, templates, and workshops specifically dedicated to helping you develop a comprehensive, well-structured business plan.
Absolutely. We offer counseling and seminars focused on growth strategies, including marketing plans, social media, branding, financial analysis, management, and human resources guidance for existing small businesses.
The best structure depends on factors like your risk tolerance, tax situation, and financial condition. While SBC counselors are not attorneys or CPAs, they can discuss the pros and cons of each structure and provide referrals to the necessary state and federal resources for registration.
Requirements vary based on your business type and location (city/county). ECC SBC can help direct you to the appropriate federal, state, and local agencies—such as the NC Department of Revenue and the Register of Deeds—to determine your specific licensing, permitting, and tax identification (e.g. Sales & Use Tax number) obligations.
Yes, absolutely. A core component of the North Carolina Small Business Center Network’s mission is to provide free, one-on-one counseling that is strictly confidential. Your business idea, financial data, and other sensitive information will not be shared with outside parties without your explicit permission.
The SBCN is a state-funded program through the NC Community College System. We collect general (and sometimes anonymous or aggregated) data—such as the number of businesses counseled, jobs created/retained, and capital formation—for reporting purposes to the state legislature and federal partners. This data is used to demonstrate the network’s economic impact, which helps us continue offering free services, but it never includes your confidential business specifics.
