We are here to help.

UCDA has the resources and entrepreneurial spirit to take ideas from sketches on your napkin to a reality, with programs like just start - an introduction to entrepreneurship. Additionally, one of UCDA's most important activities is to support the growth of existing businesses in Union County.  The Grow UC committee, a subcommittee of UCDA, invites you to work with us to help support inspiring business owners to take that next step as well as explore ways to help our communities advance in the ever evolving technological advancements that are crucial for business development.

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UCDA is here to consult with you on a confidential basis and serve as a liaison with appropriate local, regional and state agencies.  Through UCDA's business support services, we can provide the following services to businesses no matter what stage of business you are in.

Legal

How you structure business is critical to the type of business you are starting and the goals you have for that business.

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Types of business structures include (iasourcelink.com)

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• Sole Proprietorship - The vast majority of small businesses start out as sole proprietorships. These firm are owned by one person, usually the individual who has the day-to-day responsibility of running the business.

• Partnership - In this scenario, two or more people share ownership of a single business. Like sole proprietorships, the law does not distinguish between the business and its owners.

• Limited Liability Company (LLC) - An LLC is designed to provide the limited liability features of a corporation and the tax efficiencies and operational flexibility of a partnership.

• Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) - An LLP provides limited liabilities to the partners where each partner is not responsible or liable for the other partner's actions or negligence.

• Corporation - A corporation is considered by law to be a unique entity, separate and apart from those who own it. A corporation can be taxed, sued and enter into contractual agreements.

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Click here to find out the advantages and disadvantages for each business structure to determine which works best for you.

Funding

Understanding how much money it will take to start up and sustain a business will make a difference in short term and long term business success.  Calculate the startup costs here.

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There are many funding opportunities for a business start-up or expansion from traditional lending, SBA loans and investors. All of these require owners equity (self-funding). Typically an owner will want to shoot for 20% o their own funds to leverage any debt or equity financing.

Accounting

There are two keys to your business' financial sustainability: bringing money in, and keeping costs under control. It is imperative to the success of your business that you stay on top of your financial position and understand the accounting tasks at hand or consider outsourcing this segment of your business start-up or expansion.

One-on-One Business Counseling

UCDA financially supports and partners with the regional Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Through collaboration, we can provide one-on-one counseling to assist with starting a business, business planning, financial planning, human resource management, marketing, business succession planning and much more.