Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development

Business Development Division

BERO's Small Business Resource Guide

Education & Support

Prepare Yourself to be a Success

You have a wonderful idea for your business. Your business plan is looking good. Now you need to speak the language of business. Terms such as cash flow, target market and working capital need to be understood. Your ability to know the business lingo and address the concerns of lenders, suppliers and purchasers of goods or services will determine the success or failure of your business venture. In large part, the perception of your knowledge of basic business principles may determine the cooperation of other members of the business community. And that cooperation is critical.

How can you solve this dilemma? Educate yourself!

Prepare yourself by taking advantage of the many business education opportunities in Tennessee. Many of these programs are free and are available to help you make your business a success.

Chapter Six provides a listing of the numerous and varied opportunities at your fingertips here in Tennessee.

Business Education

Community Colleges

The Tennessee Board of Regents, through the community college system, offers the most diverse and widespread business-education opportunities in the state. For nominal costs, each campus offers seminars, workshops and courses (credit and/or non-credit) that are designed to improve your business skills. Many campuses offer specially-designed courses on small business management.

The Extended or Continuing Education Office on each campus offers workshops for aspiring entrepreneurs like you, as well as for the current business operator. Offerings may range from basic accounting to computer use in small businesses (one of the most popular courses) to managing employees under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1991. The strength of community colleges is in their use of community business people to conduct workshops and teach classes.

Universities

Universities offer another source of business training and skills development. While their small business seminar and workshop fare may be light, they offer a business owner the opportunity to take more specialized courses, such as language training, manufacturing management and marketing theory, on a credit or audit basis. That is, you can attend class without the requirements of work assignments, examinations and course grades. Many classes can be taken twice a week or one evening a week.

City of Kingsport

If you are in the Tri-Cities area of Tennessee, the city of Kingsport offers small business training through the Kingsport City School District Adult Education Office. Offered three times per year, the course consists of eight, three-hour classes on such topics as small business marketing, finance and business planning. The course is offered at Dobyns-Bennett High School. There is a registration fee.

Resource Centers

Banks and Civic Groups

NationsBank, 1st Tennessee Bank and civic groups sponsor small business resource centers for the general public. The centers offer information on starting a business, preparing business plans, pro forma financial statements and small business management. The centers have business-oriented libraries, including PC-based access to national magazines and newspapers. They offer videos, cassettes and slide presentations as well as self-help guides. You do not have to be bank clients to use the centers.

Technology Centers

Tennessee has 26 state technical campuses that address the training needs of employees of existing and prospective businesses and industries of the state. Computer-based manufacturing courses retrain and cross-train employees to meet today's demand for advanced technology. Technology centers can work on a contract basis. If you are initiating a new manufacturing process, you may qualify for financially assisted employee-training programs. Technology center schools are located across the state.

Small Business Administration (SBA)

The SBA has published more than 50 tapes and booklets on the following topics:

  • Products, Ideas, Inventions
  • Financial Management
  • Management and Planning
  • Marketing
  • Crime Prevention
  • Personnel Management

Most of these booklets can be ordered for $1.00 or less. To obtain a list of booklets, ask for the SBA's The Small Business Directory.

Chambers of Commerce

Chambers of Commerce assist business owners with workshops and seminars on various business topics. Chambers in larger cities may have additional offerings such as mentor programs. In a mentor program, small and/or minority business owners receive coaching from a well-established business person. In effect, you can draw on an outside one-person Board of Directors to discuss strategy, opportunities and other approaches to business problems. Chambers in larger cities will be fully staffed. Those in smaller towns may be staffed only part-time. You may locate the nearest Chamber in your telephone directory.

Small Business Incubation Centers

Incubation centers offer a low-cost way for you to start and grow your business in an office/light-manufacturing environment. Offering low-cost rental rates per square foot, incubators also offer shared resources such as conference rooms, utility hook-ups, office copiers and some telephone support. The most valuable commodity they offer is a shared environment in which business owners can discuss common problems and reach solutions. Incubation centers generally have entry and exit criteria for their clients, spanning three to four years.

Consultant & Technical Assistance

There are several no-fee consulting and technical assistance services available in Tennessee. Funded by federal, state, local and private sources, these services can aid business owners in a variety of ways. However, these services are in great demand, so in order to maximize the effectiveness of the programs, you should examine your situation to determine which form of assistance is best for you.

Entrepreneur's Audit:

  • Do you have experience in running a business?
  • Have you taken any post-secondary business education coures?
  • Have you had basic exposure to accounting? Marketing? Financial reports? Personnel management? Hiring and firing?
  • Do you understand the concept of cash flow? Target market? Break-even point? Cash versus accrual accounting? Business planning?

If you answer "NO" to the above questions, you should consider attending workshops or classes outlined earlier in this chapter before meeting with a consultant. Understanding basic business practices and basic terminology will enable you to benefit from consulting services.

Tennessee Small Business Development Centers (TSBDC)

TSBDCs are the state's primary channels of distribution for one-on-one consulting services. Federal/state-funded programs, the TSBDCs provide business counseling and advice to small business owners. Offering assistance at no cost, they can help you solve organizational, marketing and technical problems. Associated with universities and community colleges, TSBDCs are capable of long-term, in-depth consulting in most of the following areas:

  • Accounting and Records Inventory Control
  • Beginning to Export Loan Packaging
  • Business Plans Marketing Research
  • Cash Flow Analysis Personnel
  • Expansion Planning Selling to Government
  • Feasibility Studies Technology Transfer

The TSBDC network offers continuing education, workshops, management training and a variety of on- and off-campus programs that meet specific needs in business and industry. You may contact a Small Business Development Center for non-fee assistance.

Service Corps of Retired Executives/Active Corps of Executives (SCORE/ACE)

SCORE/ACE is a national volunteer organization of executives (both active and retired) who can provide counseling and training to you if you are an entrepreneur and/or business owner. SCORE/ACE members come from many different industries and can contribute valuable expertise in either a single counseling session or in a long-term, non-fee consulting relationship. Counseling is available to any business and can be profitably employed by stable businesses wishing to consider long-range objectives and expansion plans.

SCORE/ACE is also active in conducting seminars and workshops for those interested in starting new businesses.

Agricultural Extension Service

The University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service maintains offices in every county of the state. Each office has specialists who can offer assistance in areas such as research-based agricultural practices, agribusiness management, and small and home-based businesses in a rural setting. The Extension Service can draw on the resources of the university for many areas of technical expertise.

Each extension office can provide booklets on different aspects of business operation.

Manufacturing Services

The Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development, through its Manufacturing Means Jobs Initiative, utilizes field staff to work with Tennessee's existing industries as they strive to succeed in today's competitive marketplace. Through the Manufacturing Means Jobs Initiative, the division seeks to provide businesses an environment in which to prosper and expand, creating new jobs in the process and adding strength to the state's economic growth.

Industrial expansion creates a variety of challenges. A growing industry will often need assistance with financing the expansion of physical facilities, developing new sources of supply, acquiring and training additional personnel, introducing new technologies and meeting regulatory requirements. The Manufacturing Services field staff can provide support and resolve problems in these and many other areas.

In addition, Manufacturing Services can assist companies in the identification and clarification of regulations pertaining to their expansion or industrial processes. It can also assist with inter-agency coordination of matters affecting more than one agency.

The Tennessee Manufacturing Extension Partnership (TMEP)

The Tennessee Manufacturing Extension Partnership (TMEP) between the University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services and the Department of Economic & Community Development is an affiliate of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP).

TMEP can provide engineers and scientists from Lockheed/Martin, NASA, Oak Ridge National Laboratories, the University of Tennessee, Tennessee Technological University, the University of Memphis or any of the Tennessee Board of Regents schools, and many private colleges and universities to assist you in solving your problems.

This is Tennessee's statewide industrial extension program and, for many projects, is provided at no cost to firms through state and federal funding.

Partnership Engineer Topics. Partnership engineers can provide technical information, consulting service and managerial assistance on a broad range of topics:

  • Basic engineering counseling - plant layout, materials handling, operations management, process improvement and automation issues.
  • Specialized services - help with quality systems, product costs and ergonomics.
  • Technical assistance - nationally renowned scientists and engineers to address your problems.
  • Advanced technology transfer for manufacturing issues - metrology, process design, product design, etc.
  • Quality, metallurgy, environmental, machining and metalworking and welding.
  • Productivity - improve facilities and processes to meet the demands of world-class competition.
  • Regulatory compliance - counseling services independent of any government enforcement activity.
  • Government procurement - assistance in locating federal procurement opportunities and assistance in contract receipt and compliance.
  • Waste reduction - source reduction and recycling of hazardous, solid and other manufacturing wastes.
  • Obtaining standards - military, industrial and international standards database.
  • Information searches - access to worldwide computer databases and information.
  • Facilitation of Electronic Commerce and Electronic Data Interchanges (EC/EDI).
  • Work force training - assistance in accessing low-cost training.

Other TMEP Resources. In addition to general problem solving, other resources are available through the TMEP to support industry in Tennessee:

The Manufacturing Skills Campus - classroom instruction, hands-on training and remote learning opportunities in courses such as Basic Numerical Control Machine Operations, Numerical Control Programming, Machine Tool Maintenance, Metrology for Machine Tools and Coordinate Measuring Machine Operations.

Available Technical Resources:

  • Advanced Ceramics Materials Joining
  • Advanced Photonics Measurement and Control
  • Alternate Refrigerants Medical Health Engineering
  • Ceramics Electronic Packaging Metrology
  • Coatings and Finishing Micro Manufacturing
  • Composites Manufacturing Plating and Cleaning
  • Concurrent Engineering Pollution Prevention
  • Diagnostics and Quality Assurance Prototyping
  • Energy Conservation Quality and Process Assurance
  • Gear Metrology Testing and Evaluation
  • Material Forming and Processing Ultra-precise Manufacturing
Tennessee Technological University Center for Manufacturing Research and Technology Utilization (The Manufacturing Center)

The Manufacturing Center was created to help improve the manufacturing productivity of state industry and to enhance instructional quality in manufacturing-related areas. The Manufacturing Center seeks to assist industry not only in research and development, but also in integrating manufacturing processes with a systems approach. At any given time in the Manufacturing Center, more than 30 separate, but complementary projects may be in progress.

Tennessee Child Care Facilities Corporation

The corporation was established to promote quality child care, economic development and to increase employment in Tennessee. In addition, the Corporation:

  • conducts training seminars and workshops in the area of small business management and organizational development
  • provides technical assistance to individual starting and/or expanding a child care facility
  • coordinates and co-sponsors conferences
  • assists with financial counseling and packaging of loan proposals
  • publishes a newsletter entitled: Child Care & Business Exchange

Contact List

Community Colleges

Chattanooga State
Community Education
4501 Amnicola Highway
Chattanooga, TN 37406
Phone: 423-697-4410 North East State Tech.
Bus. Ind. & Govt. Div.
P.O. Box 246
Blountville, TN 37617-0246
Phone: 423-282-3511

Cleveland State
Continuing Education
Cleveland, TN 37320-3570
Phone: 423-472-7141 Pellissippi State
Extended Services
P.O. Box 22990
Knoxville, TN 37933-0990
Phone: 865-694-6400

Columbia State
Continuing Education
Columbia, TN 38401
Phone: 931-540-2658 Roane State
Extended Services
Harriman, TN 37748
Phone: 865-882-4509

Dyersburg State
Extension Services
Dyersburg, TN 38025-0648
Phone: 901-528-6814 Shelby State
Community Education Service
5983 Macon Cove Road
Memphis, TN 38174-0568
Phone: 901-528-6778

Jackson State
Extension Services
2046 North Parkway
Jackson, TN 38301-3797
Phone: 901-425-2606 State Technical Institute at Memphis
Bus. Ind. & Govt. Training
1256 Union Avenue
Memphis, TN 38134-7693
Phone: 901-377-4108

Nashville State Technical Institute
Continuing Education
120 White Bridge Road
Nashville, TN 37209
Phone: 615-353-3258 Walters State
Continuing Education
Davy Crockett Parkway
Morristown, TN 37813-6899
Phone: 423-581-2121

Motlow State
Ind. & Business Institute
Tullahoma, TN 37338
Phone: 931-393-1756 Volunteer State
Continuing Education
500 Nashville Pike
Gallatin, TN 37066-3122
Phone: 615-452-8600

Universities

Austin Peay
Continuing Education
College Street
Clarksville, TN 37044
Phone:931-648-7816 University of Memphis
Continuing Education
Central Avenue
Memphis, TN 38152
Phone: 901-678-6000

East Tennessee State
Continuing Studies
Lake Drive
Johnson City, TN 37614
Phone: 423-929-4223 University of Tennessee
Business Seminars
Cumberland Avenue
Knoxville, TN 37996-0165
Phone: 865-974-0150

Middle Tennessee State
Continuing Studies
East Main Street
Murfreesboro, TN 37132
Phone: 615-898-2407 UT Chattanooga
Non-Credit Programs
615 McCallie Avenue
Chattanooga, TN 37403
Phone: 423-755-4344

Tennessee State
Continuing Education
3500 John A. Meritt Blvd.
Nashville, TN 37203
Phone: 615-320-1523 UT Martin
Public Service
University Street
Martin, TN 38238
Phone: 901-584-7082

TN Technological Univ.
Extended Services
North Dixie Avenue
Cookeville, TN 38505
Phone: 931-372-3394

City of Kingsport

For additional information, contact:
The Adult Education Office: 423-378-2130
Dobyns-Bennett High School

Resource Centers
Banks and Civic Groups

For additional information, contact:
NationsBank
TN Small Business Center
3401 West End Ave., Ste. 110
Nashville, TN 37203-1069
Phone: 615-749-4088
Phone: 800-342-8217 Ext. 4088

Memphis Technical Assistance & Resource Center
555 Beale Street
Memphis, TN 38103
Phone: 901-526-9300

1st Tennessee Bank
Memphis Public Library
1850 Peabody
Science & Business Dept.
Memphis, TN 38104
Phone: 901-725-8877 Sm. Business Resource Center
100 Cherokee Blvd., Suite 202
Chattanooga, TN 37405
Phone: 423-752-1774

Technology Centers

Schools are located in:
Athens Harriman McKenzie Oneida
Chattanooga Hartsville McMinnville Paris
Covington Hohenwald Memphis Pulaski
Crossville Jacksboro Morristown Ripley
Crump Jackson Murfreesboro Savannah
Dickson Knoxville Nashville Shelbyville
Elizabethton Livingston Newbern Whiteville

Small Business Administration - SBA Publications

For additional information, contact:
SBA Publications
P.O. Box 30
Denver, CO 80201-0030
Phone: 303-205-6665 U.S. Small Business Administration
50 Vantage Way, Suite 201
Nashville, TN 37228
Phone: 615-736-5881

For information about SBA services and business development programs, contact: The SBA Small Business Answer Desk, Phone: 800-827-5722.

Small Business Incubation Centers
For additional information, contact:

Chattanooga/Hamilton County Business Development Center
100 Cherokeee Blvd.
Chattanooga, TN 37405-3878
Phone: 423-752-4325
Fax: 423-752-1700

Tennessee's largest and most successful incubator, this general purpose incubator serves office, light manufacturing and industrial-process operations. Capacity for 80 companies. The incubator also maintains an SBDC satellite office.

Fairview Technology Center
11020 Solway School Rd. Suite 101
Knoxville, TN 37931-20521
Phone: 865-927-1006

Focuses on technology-based start-up companies. Can offer tenants high-quality business consulting expertise from its Board of Directors. Capacity for 13 companies. Operated by Knox County Development Corporation.

Four Lakes/Hartsville Small Business Incubation Center
P.O. Box 464
Hartsville, TN 37074-0464
Phone: 615-374-4607

General purpose incubator for office, light manufacturing, industrial process operations. Four Lakes has 15 industrial buildings with 110,000 square feet. Buildings can be subdivided. Four Lakes also operates a small business development center.

Nashville Business Incubation Center
315 10th Ave. North, Suite 108
Nashville, TN 37203-3401
Phone: 615-963-7184
Fax: 615-963-7204

General purpose incubator for office, light manufacturing and industrial process operations. Capacity for 22 companies. Operated by Tennessee State University. TSU also operates a small business development center.

Oak Ridge Incubation Center
City of Oak Ridge
P.O. Box 001
Oak Ridge, TN 37830-0001
Phone: 865-483-1321

Priority is given to laboratories and light manufacturing firms in two facilities. They can accommodate companies in 13 spaces. Clients can access a Small Business Development Center specializing in technology transfer.

Technology 20/20 Campus
1020 Commerce Park Drive
Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830-8099
Phone: 865-220-2020

The campus consists of two buildings with spaces for 20 clients in 16,000 square feet of space. It offers space for office operations and light manufacturing. It has enhanced, state-of-the-art communication capacity supporting information technology companies. The campus houses the Small Business Development Center specializing in technology transfer.

TSBDCs
TSBDCs in Northeast Tennessee
East Tennessee State University
College of Business
P.O. Box 70698
Johnson City, TN 37614-0698
Phone: 423-929-5630
Fax: 423-461-7080 Technology 2020
1020 Commerce Park Drive
Oak Ridge, TN 37830-8026
Phone: 865-483-2668
Fax: 865-220-2030

Pellisippi State Tech. Community College
Knoxville Historic City Hall
601 W. Summit Hill Drive
Knoxville, TN 37902-2011
Phone: 865-632-2980
Fax: 865-971-4439

TSBDCs in Southeast Tennessee
Chattanooga/Hamilton County Business Development Center
100 Cherokee Blvd.
Chattanooga, TN 37405
Phone: 423-752-4325
Fax: 423-752-1700

Southeast Development District
P.O. Box 4757
25 Cherokee Blvd.
Chattanooga, TN 37405-4757
Phone: 423-266-5781
Fax: 423-267-7705

Cleveland State Community College
P.O. Box 3570
Cleveland, TN 37320-3570
Phone: 423-478-6247
Fax: 423-478-6251

TSBDCs in Middle Tennessee
Austin Peay State University
P.O. Box 4775
106 Public Square
Clarksville, TN 37044
Phone: 931-221-1370
Fax: 931-221-7748

Middle Tennessee State University
Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce Bldg.
501 Memorial Blvd.
Murfreesboro, TN 37219-0001
Phone: 615-898-2745
Fax: 615-893-7089

Four Lakes Regional Industrial Development Authority
P.O. Box 63
Hartsville, TN 37074-0063
Phone: 615-374-3521
Fax: 615-374-4608

Tennessee State University
330 10th Avenue North, 4th Floor
Nashville, TN 37203-3401
Phone: 615-963-7179
Fax: 615-963-7160

Maury County Chamber of Commerce Bldg.
106 West 6th Street
Columbia, TN 38402-8069
Phone: 615-898-2745
Fax: 615-893-7089
(Murfreesboro Exchange)

Tennessee Technological University
College of Business Administration
Johnson Hall, Rm. 407C
P.O. Box 8069
Cookeville, TN 38505
Phone: 931-372-3648
Fax: 931-372-6249

TSBDCs in West Tennessee
Dyersburg State Community College
1510 Lake Road
Glover Building, R. 204
Dyersburg, TN 38024-2450
Phone: 901-286-3201
Fax: 901-286-3271

University of Memphis
320 South Dudley Street
Memphis, TN 38104-3206
Phone: 901-527-1041
Fax: 901-527-1047

Jackson State Community College
2046 North Parkway Street
Jackson, TN 38301-3797
Phone: 901-424-5389
Fax: 901-425-2647

SCORE/ACE Offices
For additional information, contact:
Chattanooga
900 Georgia Ave. Fed. Bldg.
Rm. 26
Chattanooga, TN 37402-2229
Phone: 423-752-5190
Mon-Fri
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM Knoxville
530 S. Gay St., Suite 224, Farragut Bldg.
Knoxville, TN 37902-3602
Phone: 865-545-4203
Mon - Fri
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Elizabethton/Carter
c/o Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 190
Elizabethton, TN 37643-0190
Phone: 423-542-5789
Wed only
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Memphis
167 N. Main St., Suite 390
Memphis, TN 38103-1896
Phone: 901-544-3588
Mon - Fri
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Jackson
c/o Chamber of Commerce
197 Auditorium Street
Jackson, TN 38301-6866
Phone: 901-423-2200
Mon - Thurs
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM Nashville
50 Vantage Way, Suite 201
Nashville, TN 37228-1500
Phone: 615-736-7621
Mon - Fri
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Kingsport
c/o Chamber of Commerce
151 East Main Street
Kingsport, TN 37660-4211
Phone: 423-392-8805
Thurs only
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM Northeast Tennessee
c/o Chamber of Commerce
603 E. Market St.
Johnson City, TN 37601-4896
Phone: 423-926-2141
Wed only
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Agricultural Extension Service
For additional information, contact:

Central District
5201 Marchant Drive
Nashville, TN 37211-5112
Phone: 615-832-6550

Smokey Mountain District
P.O. Box 1071
Knoxville, TN 37901-1071
Phone: 865-577-9963

Cumberland District
398 4-H Camp Road
Crossville, TN 38555-3969
Phone: 931-788-1020

Western District
605 Airways Blvd.
Jackson, TN 38301-3201
Phone: 901-425-4725

Manufacturing Services
For additional information, contact:

Blountville
Northeast State Tech.
Building M102
Blountville, TN 37617
Phone: 423-323-1203
Knoxville
531 Henley Street, Room 706
Knoxville, TN 37902
Phone: 865-594-6074

Chattanooga
540 McCallie Avenue
Suite 690
Chattanooga, TN 37402
Phone: 423-634-6376
Memphis
Donnelly Hill State Office Bldg.
170 North Main, 12th Floor
Memphis, TN 38103
Phone: 901-543-7425

Jackson
401 Lowell Thomas State Office Bldg.
225 Martin Luther King Blvd.
Jackson, TN 38301
Phone: 901-423-5765 Nashville
Wm. R. Snodgrass, 11th Floor
312 Eighth Avenue North
Nashville, TN 37243-0405
Phone: 615-741-2626

The Tennessee Mfg. Extension Partnership

For additional information, contact:

Tennessee Manufacturing Extension Partnership
Suite 401 Capitol Boulevard Bldg.
Nashville, TN 37219-1804
Phone: 615-532-8657

The Manufacturing Center
For additional information, contact:

Tennessee Tech. Manufacturing Center
College of Business Administration
TTU Box 5077
Cookeville, TN 38505-5077
Phone: 931-372-6634
Fax: 931-372-6249

Tennessee Child Care Facilities Corporation

For additional information, contact:

Tennessee Child Care Facilities Corporation
400 Deaderick Street
Citizens Plaza Bldg., 3rd Floor
Nashville, TN 37248-9005
Phone: 615-313-5789
In-State Phone: 1-888-413-2232