Whether you’re just starting out, or you’ve been in business for awhile, it’s good to know where you can go to get help. Maybe you want to find out how to write a business plan. Maybe you want to know how to expand your business, deal with taxes or meet other entrepreneurs.

Every community has some kind of business-related organization. Some are run by the government, some by non-profits, and still others are run by the business people themselves.

What each organization offers will differ, but they should provide at least some of the following: seminars, workshops, networking opportunities, library of business-related books, answers to general business questions, and/or information on where and how to register a business.

When searching for the business organizations in your area, try using the following key terms along with the name of your community, city, province or state:

• Board of Trade (BoT) (example: Halifax Board of Trade, Toronto Board of Trade…)
• Business Development Centres (BDC)
• Business Improvement Association (BIA)
• Business Women
• Chamber of Commerce
• City of ____ (your local city hall)
• Community Futures
• Economic Development
• Economic Diversification
• Entrepreneur Development
• Enterprise Centre
• Self-Employment

Once you find an organization or government department that deals with business, ask them if they know of any other business and/or entrepreneurial organizations in your area.

The list below is mostly for Canadians, but there’s one each for International and USA. These organizations were picked at random, using some of the search terms listed above, and is far from exhaustive. Consider it a starting point in your research. Good luck!

• INTERNATIONAL: Business and Professional Women (BPW) International
• USA: Forum for Women Entrepreneurs & Executives (FWE&E) (San Francisco)

CANADA: National

• ACE: Promotes entrepreneurism among students.

• Canada Business: Services for entrepreneurs, including information on grants, financing, etc.

• Business Development Bank of Canada: Focuses on helping Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).

• Women’s Enterprise Centre (WEC): Information, programs for women.

CANADA: Provincial

• Alberta: Alberta Women Entrepreneurs (AWE)

• Atlantic Canada (NL, PEI, NS, NB): Entrepreneur’s Forum

• British Columbia: Resource Centre for Small Businesses

• Manitoba: Manitoba Entrepreneurship, Training and Trade

• New Brunswick: Business New Brunswick

• Newfoundland and Labrador: The Newfoundland and Labrador Organization of Women Entrepreneurs

• NorthWest Territories: Canada Business NWT

• Nova Scotia: Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Development

• Nunavut: Business Development Centres of Nunavut

• Ontario: Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade: small business

• PEI: Innovation PEI

• Quebec: Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions

• Saskatchewan: Enterprise Saskatchewan

• Yukon: Yukon Chamber of Commerce