For information on the new Washington Nonprofit Corporation Act please click here.  See our COVID-19 Support Page for more info and resources.

Resources for Small Businesses

This page provides information and resources for small businesses. If you do not find what you are looking for, please contact us and we will do our best to connect you with additional resources.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: Please note the resources below are for reference purposes only. An organization should always consult and tailor this information to the organization’s needs. If you need a consultation with an attorney or subject matter expert, depending on eligibility, we may be able to help by providing you with one (that’s what we do).

Build Your Own Business (BYOB)

This toolkit is a set of resources Communities Rise has created for entrepreneurs who are starting businesses in Washington.

Commercial Lease Toolkit

This toolkit is designed to provide key, easy-to-understand information for small businesses about common terms or sections of a typical commercial lease.

COVID-19 Resources

Communities Rise is providing a range of resources and support for organizations and small businesses during the COVID-19 crisis. Please check out these pages for more information about what you can find on our website or how you access additional support.

Funding Opportunities

Check out a running list of funding opportunities. Note that these are not funded by CR and we recommend you refer to the individual funders for the most up to date information.

Lease Amendment Toolkit

This video and supplementary materials can help your small business or nonprofit navigate the process of re-negotiating or potentially ending a lease due to reduced revenue/operating income from the COVID crisis.

Succession Planning Toolkit

This Toolkit is designed to help small business owners plan for retirement and passing on or selling your business. This Toolkit will explain legal concepts, lay out the questions you will need to consider and provides a worksheet to gather the information you will need to create a succession plan.

Intellectual Property Basics

This Toolkit provides an overview on the different types of Intellectual Property for small businesses including copyright and trademarks and points business owners to additional resources that may be helpful in securing intellectual property rights.

E-Commerce

This webinar provides an overview of legal compliance when setting up an E-commerce space for your small business.

Manufacturing and Marketing

Organizations that are working with small businesses to assist with manufacturing and marketing.

  • Seattle Good Business Network – this network collectively builds resilient, vibrant and inclusive local economy through buying, producing, and investing locally.
  • Seattle Made – a collaboration of over six hundred urban manufacturers, producers, creators and entrepreneurs working to strengthen Seattle’s local economy and communities to provide meaningful living wage jobs, and contribute to Seattle’s independent and innovative culture.
  • Refugee Artisan Network – RAI partners with immigrant women to foster an inclusive, prosperous transition to the US through artisan skills training in zero waste and small batch manufacturing.

Business Resources

  • Evergreen BizLink – Washington business resource navigator offering referrals, networking, help connecting startups and existing businesses with local, regional and statewide resource partners who provide business and financial technical assistance to help businesses grow and prosper.
  • Washington State Microenterprise Association (WSMA) – provides economic development for Washington businesses by providing tools and resources for the smallest of Washington’s businesses to thrive.
  • Washington Economic Development Association (WEDA)- Washington State’s only trade association laser-focused on economic development, WEDA is committed to recovering, retaining, recruiting and expanding jobs and re-investment in Washington State.
  • Startup Washington – managed by the Washington State Department of Commerce’s Office of Economic Development & Competitiveness and serves as a clearinghouse for all the information and resources entrepreneurs, start-ups and small businesses need to achieve success, including funding sources, training and technical assistance, mentorship, education and information.
  • Business Impact NW – a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) dedicated to serving underbanked entrepreneurs. They provide coaching, classes, and access to capital to community small businesses, with an emphasis on working with traditionally underserved populations – entrepreneurial low/moderate income earners, women, BIPOC, veterans, immigrants or members of the LGBTQ+ community.
  • Ventures Nonprofit – provides access to business training, capital, coaching, and hands-on learning opportunities for entrepreneurs. Ventures serves those for whom traditional business development services are out of reach, with a focus on women, people of color, immigrants, and individuals with low income.
  • SCORE – the nation’s largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors, is dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals. SCORE provides mentoring, webinars and variety of business resources.

Food Business Resources

Independent Contractors & Hiring Entities