(updated 7-7-09 with a resource on franchising information)

Alliance of Independent Store Owners & Professionals (AISOP) (nonprofit)
33 South Sixth Street, Suite 4040 
Minneapolis, MN 55402
Phone: (612) 340-9855  

American Management Association
1601 Broadway
New York, NY 10019
Phone: (212) 586-8100
www.amanet.org  

Association of Collegiate Entrepreneurs (ACE) 
Wichita State University
Box 40A
Wichita, KS 67206  
 
Better Business Bureau, Grand Rapids & Southfield
Carmel Weems
Phone: (248) 644-9100
Phone: (800) 684-3222 
 
Central Michigan University , LaBelle Entrepreneurial Center 
ABSC 164
Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859
Phone: (989) 774-3515
Fax: (989) 774-7992
E-mail: Charles.Fitzpatrick@cmich.edu  
 
US Chamber of Commerce  (nonprofit)
1615 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20062
Phone: (202) 659-6000
www.uschamber.com

Employee Benefit Research Institute  
2121 K Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20037-1896
Phone: (202) 659-0670
www.ebri.org

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Ariel Rios Building
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, D.C. 20460
Phone: (800) 368-5888
www.epa.gov

Detroit Score Chapter 18
477 Michigan Avenue , Room 515
Detroit , MI   48826
Phone: (313) 226-7947
Website: www.scoredetroit.org
SCORE provides no-cost business counseling and advice.  For more than 40 years, SCORE retired professionals have volunteered to help new generations of business owners and managers take their business further - and make their dreams come true - when starting or growing their business.

International Council for Small Business
www.icsb.org

International Franchise Association
1501 K Street NW, Suite 350
Washington, D.C. 20005
Phone: (202) 628-8000
www.franchise.org

Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living MicroEnterprise Works
2568 Packard Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Phone: (734) 971-0277
Website:   www.aacil.org/wwd_mew.shtml
The AACIL MicroEnterprise Works is a program that helps people with disabilities who are considering starting a small business. The program helps people evaluate their business ideas and whether they are personally ready to start a small business or be self-employed. If a business idea looks promising, this program can assist the client in preparing the business plan and financial analysis necessary to receive financial support and start the business.

Michigan Association of Business Executives with Disabilities (MABED)
3225 W. St. Joseph
Lansing, MI 48917
Phone: (517) 327-9207
Fax: (517) 321-0495

University Of Montana Rural Institute: Center for Excellence in Disability Education, Research, and Service
52 Corbin Hall
Missoula, MT 59812
(406)-243-5467 Voice/TTY
(406)-243-4730 Fax
(800)-732-0323 Voice/TTY Toll-Free
www.ruralinstitute.umt.edu   

MEDC - Smart Labor Force
Michigan Economic Development Corporation
Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth
300 N. Washington Square
Lansing, MI 48913
Phone: (517) 373-9808
www.michigan.org/medc/services/startups

Michigan Small Business Development Centers
Contact: Dave Gillis
Region I (Upper Peninsula)
2415 14th Avenue, South
Escanaba, MI 49829
Phone: (906) 786-9234
Michigan Only: (800) 562-9828
E-mail: 1ststep@chartermi.net
Website: www.cuppad.org/firststep.php   

Michigan Statewide Minority Business Center
Minority Business Development Agency
U.S. Department of Commerce
Phone: (313) 259-5400
Website: www.mbda.gov
  (not a funding source)

National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) (nonprofit)
P.O. Box 612067
DFW Airport, Dallas, TX 75261-2067
Phone: (800) 232-6273
Website: www.nase.org

National Association of Manufacturers ( NAM ) (nonprofit)
1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Suite 600
Washington, D.C. 20004-1790
Phone: (202) 637-3000 or (800) 814-8468
Website: www.nam.org

National Business League (NBL)
1511 K Street, NW
Suite 432
Washington, DC 20005
Website: www.thenbl.com
Eliminating the isolation of the African-American business community by stimulating civic pride, eliminating racial prejudice and discrimination; and preventing the continued deterioration of African-American occupied areas by improving the business skills and knowledge of present and future African-American business persons through education; and encouraging and aiding all persons seeking and taking advantage of business opportunities wherever such opportunities may be found; and being the chief advocate for African-American businesses.

National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)
53 Century Boulevard, Suite 250
Nashville, TN 37214
Phone: (800) 634-2669
Website: www.nfib.com

Office of Minority Enterprise Development
Phone: (202) 205-6410
Website: www.sba.gov/8abd

Office of Women's Business Ownership (OWBO)
Phone: (202) 205-6673
Website: www.onlinewbc.gov

One Stop Capital Shop (OSCS)
Detroit, MI
Phone: (313) 965-1100
OSCS is Detroit's Empowerment Zone's major economic development program for small businesses.  It offers comprehensive business information and a full range of business services.  Contact OSCS regarding details.

Office of International Trade, SBA
Phone: (202) 205-6720
Website: www.sba.gov/international

Northern Initiatives (NI)
Marquette, MI
Phone: (906) 228-5571
Website: www.niupnorth.org
NI provides business counseling, consultation and a variety of programs and seminars geared toward business start-up and business maintenance.  Contact NI regarding details about services and cost.

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)
409 Third Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20416
Phone: (800) 827-5722
Website: www.sba.gov

U.S. SBA Office of Advocacy
Phone: (202) 205-6533

Office of Rural Affairs & Economic Development
Phone: (202) 205-6485

Social Security Administration
Contact:  Karen Larsen (616) 381-2590
E-mail: Karen.Larsen@ssa.gov
SSA provides program information for small business and business start-up.

SBA Michigan District Office
Detroit District Office
477 Michigan Avenue
Suite 515, McNamara Building
Detroit, Michigan 48226
(313) 226-6075
Website: http://www.sba.gov/localresources/district/mi/index.html

SBA--Starting Your Business
Website:  www.sba.gov/smallbusinessplanner/index.html

Small Business Development Centers , SBA
Sponsored by the Small Business Administration, with sites located in 23 states.
MI-SBTDC State Headquarters
Grand Valley State University
Seidman College of Business
510 W. Fulton Street
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Phone: (616) 331-7480
Fax: (616) 331-7485
Email: sbtdchq@gvsu.edu  
Michigan Website: http://www.gvsu.edu/misbtdc/

U.S. Department of Commerce
Hubert C. Hoover Bldg.
1401 Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20230
Phone: (202) 482-2000
Website: www.commerce.gov

Small Business Association of Michigan (SBAM)
222 North Washington Square, Suite 100
Lansing, MI 48901-6158
Phone: (888) 438-7226 or (800) 362-5461
E-mail: www.sbam.org

FINANCING

Lansing Community Microenterprise Fund
Contact: Denise Peek
Phone: (517) 483-4051
316 N. Capitol Ave
Lansing, MI 48933
Website: www.lansingmicrofund.org

Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living
2568 Packard Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Phone: (734) 971-0277
Rick Weir, Ext. 26
Marcia Crocetto, Ext. 48

Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) Small Business Department
Traverse City Office--John Bailey, (517) 335-1828 or (616) 941-4590
Lansing Office--Donna Wegryn, (517) 373-7485; Greg Wallace, (517) 373-8431 or 1-888-522-0103
The Small Business Department has an ongoing relationship with a variety of small business associations, organizations, corporations, chambers of commerce, and programs that provide services to small business owners, minority business owners, women business owners, and business owners with disabilities.

MENTORING SERVICES BY BUSINESS OWNERS WITH DISABILITIES

Personal Ability
Marcia Boehm
Oak Park, MI
Phone: (810) 828-3121

Ran Del Enterprises
Randy Graise, President
P. O. Box 3179
Southfield, MI 48037-3179
Phone: (248) 827-7716
Website:  http://www.randel.com/page/page/386668.htm

Small Business Administration
Detroit District Office
477 Michigan Avenue
Suite 515, McNamara Building
Detroit, Michigan 48226
(313) 226-6075
Website: http://www.sba.gov/localresources/district/mi/index.html
E-mail: cathern.gase@sba.gov or leslie.gierke@sba.gov
SBA provides an array of business services and contacts which include:  women business centers, pre-loan consultation, business start-up loan information and types, preferred lenders list, Pre-Qualification Loan Program, micro loan information, business start-up information, and business finance consultation.

Farm Service Agency (formerly the Farmers Home Administration)
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Washington, D.C. 20250
Website: www.fsa.usda.gov

VIDEOS & BOOKS

American Foundation for the Blind Press
P.O. Box 1020
Sewickley, PA 15143-1020
Telephone: (800) 232-3044 or (412) 741-1398
E-mail: afborder@abdintl.com
Website: www.afb.org/store

Business Owners Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired  , by Deborah Kendrick
Website:  http://www.afb.org/store

Give 'em the Pickle  , by Robert E. Farrell
Website: www.giveemthepickle.com

Journal of Small Business Management  , Bureau of Business Research
Website: www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0047-2778&site=1

Looking to Learn: Promoting Literacy for Students with Low Vision  , by Frances Mary D'Andrea & Carol Farrenkopf
Website: www.afb.org/store

The Law (in Plain English) for Small Businesses  , by Leonard D. DuBoff
Allworth Press
10 East 23rd Street
New York, NY 10010
212-777-8395 or 800-491-2808
Website: www.allworth.com

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY SOURCES

Best of the Web-Information on Franchising
Website:   http://botw.org/top/Business/Business_to_Business/Business_Opportunities/Franchising

Entrepreneur Magazine
Website: http://www.entrepreneur.com/bizopportunities/index.html

Small Business Sourcebook
Thomson Gale
P.O. Box 9187
Farmington Hills, MI 48333-9187
Phone: 1-800-877-GALE (Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST)
Fax: 1-800-414-5043
E-mail: gale.galeord@thomson.com
Website:  www.gale.com

Self Employment: Steps for Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors: Helping a Consumer Start a Business  , by Arnold, N. et. al. 2003.
Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities
The University of Montana Rural Institute
Website:  http://selfemploymenttraining.ruralinstitute.umt.edu/TOC.htm

The Business Planning Guide  , by David H. Bangs and William R. Osgood
Upstart Publishing Company
Dearborn Financial Publishing, Inc.
30 South Wacker Drive, Ste. 2500
Chicago, IL 60606
Phone: (312) 836-4400
Phone: (800) 621-9621, Ext. 3270

How to Prepare and Present a Business Plan  , by Joseph Mancuso
Center for Entrepreneurial Management
457 Washington Street
New York, NY 10014
Phone: (212) 633-0060

REFERENCE BOOKS

Unlikely Entrepreneurs, A Business Start-Up Guide for People with Disabilities and Chronic Health Conditions  , by Roseanne Herzog, North Peak Publishing, 2000, ISBN 096648620X.

Self-Employment: From Dream to Reality!    An interactive workbook for starting your small business, by Linda D. Gilkerson & Theresia M. Paauwe, JIST Works, 1998, ISBN 1563704439.

Institute on Rehabilitation Issues 1998 -- People with Disabilities Developing Self-Employment and Small Business Opportunities
Copies of this document may be obtained from:
Region VI Rehabilitation Continuing Education Program
P.O. Box 1358
Hot Springs, AK 71902
Telephone: 501-623-7700
Fax: 501-624-6250
Online order form:  http://www.rcep6.org/iri/orderforms/IRIO24.htm