Do you need financial assistance and professional guidance, but your business does not have the funds to support it? Well, believe it or not, your business may qualify for FREE financial assistance and FREE professional guidance.

By becoming a Certified Small & Emerging Business, your business will qualify for assistance obtaining financing for your business, which may include up to 100% reimbursement for Peachtree and QuickBooks Accounting software, reimbursement of advertising (such as business cards, brochures, and websites), and other types of training.

We can help you become certified as a Small & Emerging Business. This includes getting your business certified, introducing your business to the funding agencies and preparing proposals for your business.
If you think you are qualified to become a Certified Small & Emerging Business, call us at (800) 259-4213 so we can help you get your SEB Certification!

Click on the following links to learn more about how you can obtain FREE financial assistance.

Not sure where to start? No problem! Just fill out our Needs Analysis form and we’ll be happy to help.


A Louisiana “Certified Small and Emerging Business” is entitled to various types of financial assistance and free professional guidance.

As a Certified Small and Emerging Business, you can expect to receive……..

  • Assistance with obtaining financing for your business
  • Assistance with the preparation of a business plan for your business
  • Free business counseling from professional business consultants
  • Entrepreneurial training, including specific-training for your profession or industry
  • Computer training, computer accounting assistance
  • Accounting software
  • Assistance with advertising, marketing and product distribution
  • Answers to questions about insurance, employees and labor laws
  • Workshops to educate the owners of small businesses on what it takes to become a successful business

This assistance is provided by Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) and approved service providers located throughout the state of Louisiana.

To find out if you are eligible to become a “Certified Small and Emerging Business”, read over the details provided below.


Does Your Business Qualify for Financial Assistance and Free Professional Guidance?

It does if you are a Qualified Person and your business is a Qualified Business.

You are a Qualified Person if……

  • You are a U.S. Citizen
  • You have lived in Louisiana for at least one year
  • You have a personal net worth of less than $200,000, not including the value of your personal residence, your retirement accounts, or the value of any business you own.

Your business is a Qualified Business if……

  • At least 60% of your business is owned by qualified people (as listed above)
  • Louisiana is the principle place for your business
  • Your business is organized as a “For-Profit” business
  • Your business has annual gross revenues of less than $10.5 million
  • The net worth of your business is less than $750,000
  • The business owners devote at least 35 hours per week to the business