Spring is a time for planting flowers, starting gardens and , for entrepreneurs, starting new businesses. Statistics show that the majority of start up businesses fail within the first year. However, there are ways to mitigate those statistics and help your business thrive, and grow for years to come. First step in starting a business is to assemble a good team of advisors-those who can provide financing, legal advice and tax advice. The second step is putting together a solid business plan which can guide the business as well as demonstrate to investors and lenders the probability of success. An important third step is to gather a group of advisors who will work with the business throughout its business life- knowledgeable resources ranging from institutions which will provide in depth counseling, to business plan development, to on going mentoring by peers.

A variety of resources to assist small businesses exists on Long Island at government and private sector levels. The County and/or Town department of economic development or planning , community development agency, industrial development agency or supervisor’s office can often be your first guide to the available resources in your area. ).

The local chapter of SCORE (Service Corps. Of Retired Executives) can provide significant assistance to the entrepreneur. Retired and currently working experts on business and various business topics will spend unlimited hours working with entrepreneurs, both new and existing. SCORE chapters on LI are based in Brookhaven (6314516563);Huntington (6314236100); Suffolk (6316664642); Nassau (516 8774645).. In addition to personal visits with a SCORE counselor, you can log on and receive e mail counseling from experts around the nation at www.score.org.

Small business development centers (SBDC), provide both in depth counseling and business plan assistance. There are two SBDC’s on Long Island, both with branch offices- SUNY Stonybrook SBDC (631 632 9070); SUNY Farmingdale SBDC (631 420 2765.

Several of the higher education institutions on Long Island can provide assistance to small businesses. Hofstra University’s Business Development Center (516 463 5285) has a semester long course to help women and minority entrepreneurs develop and improve their businesses. In addition Hofstra’s BDC will provide one shot poject assistant (ie in developing a web site, doing market research, etc.). Adelphi University’s School of Business will help entrepreneurs with topics ranging from business plans to specific project related items (516 877 4690). Suffolk Community College’s Technicenter (631 851 6208) provides ongoing training for women and minority entrepreneurs along with corporate training. And there are a number of other colleges and universities which will be happy to lend the expertise of their professors and staff to help small businesses.

Trade,business and professional organizations can be a source of free or low cost counseling, mentoring and training. LIFT (LI Forum for Technology) has staff and members who can consult on a variety of technology and homeland defense topics (631 755 3321). LI Software & Technology Network (LISTNET) staff can help you with technology based items (631 224 4400). BWE (Black Women Enterprises)for example, specializes in intensive coaching of its members in growing their businesses, including helping them apply for business loans.

And, there’s the LI Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAP), sponsored by DOD. LI PTAP provides free counseling to help entrepreneurs obtain and perform on government contracts and private sector contracts. In the course of this counseling, PTAP staff provides referrals to other assistance programs and will help entrepreneurs access all the resources available on Long Island. The most important thing to remember is that there are resources available on Long Island for entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses so that the spring business creation will flower and grow for many years.