Underrepresented Business Resources
Our Business Start-Up Guide is designed to help entrepreneurs navigate the start-up process in The City of Frederick as efficiently and effectively as possible. Read through the steps to learn about local business resources, potential tax credits & financial assistance, important real estate considerations, required licenses & permits, promotional opportunities, and more!
A translation of the Business Start Up Guide in Spanish is available here.
The Frederick County EmPower Program provides a supportive environment for all small businesses and opens doors to government, public, and private resources. The program features monthly networking events, educational opportunities, blogs, an employer resource toolkit, one-on-one counseling, and a mentorship program for entrepreneurs. Learn more here.
The Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) program supports the City’s desire to strengthen its policies related to minority and women-owned business participation in City procurement. A set of annual aspirational goals for MWBE participation in City contracts serves as the benchmark against which to measure the overall effectiveness of the MWBE Program in increasing MWBE participation in City procurement.
Minority and women-owned businesses can call (301-600-1745) or email staff at The City of Frederick with questions about certification, contracting opportunities, registering as a vendor, or other concerns.
The GROW Program is intended to encourage and financially-support physical improvements by targeted businesses to commercial buildings within The City of Frederick. The competitive program provides a limited quantity of small conditional matching grants subject to fund availability. Learn more here.
Administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) provides free and low-cost assistance to all small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs through classroom offerings and one-on-one counseling sessions. Courses and counseling is also available in Spanish. Learn more here.
Frederick’s branch of the Women’s Business Center works with women to start, sustain, and grow their businesses. Their services include workshops & seminars, online training, and business counseling. Learn more here.
This State-sponsored office is committed to connecting the small business community to greater economic opportunities in both the public and private sectors. The office offers subject matter experts in a variety of areas including the Small Business Reserve (SBR) program and the Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) program. Check out their calendar of events or explore their resources online here.
Woman to Woman works to cultivate mentoring relationships between women to provide guidance, support, and community connections. The organization hosts events and connects mentees with mentors to promote confidence, new skills, and new relationships. Learn more here.
Centro Hispano de Frederick’s mission is to "inform, refer, and educate the limited English proficient residents of Frederick County in order to promote full participation in the community.” The non-profit organization offers English classes, citizen preparation classes, basic computer courses, legal assistance, translation services, and more. Become involved here.
The Spanish Speaking Community of Maryland is an international community services agency. The organization is committed to empowering low-income families and immigrants from diverse backgrounds by promoting self-sufficiency, greater social change, education, and legal rights. Learn more about the organization here.
The Asian American Center is dedicated to providing essential tools to the immigrant community members. The Center focuses on citizen integration, health & human services, English as a Second Language courses, and interpreter/translation opportunities. Explore the Center here.
The Maryland Hispanic Chamber of Commerce aims to promote the establishment, growth, prosperity and retention of Hispanic businesses in Maryland. Learn more here.
The mission of the MBCC is to educate, connect, and advocate for black businesses across Maryland. The MBCC offers training and education, programs promoting business growth, and events encouraging networking and creating business partnerships. Find out more here.