Small Business Resources
While the Open for Business program has officially come to a close, we recognize that every small business can benefit from being connected to resources, like financing, consultants, and workshops, that can help you grow your business.
Below we provide an overview of the top places for information on small business growth in South Florida.
Strive305 is a Miami-Dade County program that connects local small business owners to financial and knowledge resources, and supports the growth of small businesses countywide. They recently launched the Strive305 HUB, a comprehensive website, available in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole, that includes:
Through this directory, you can request a direct referral to dozens of organizations who can provide individualized support to help you grow your business. Visit and subscribe now!
If you are looking for more specific resources, such as help with financing or business consulting, reach out to one of the following providers:
Financial Resources
Below is a list of community-based lenders, also known as Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs).
These organizations specialize in lending money to traditionally underserved business owners so you can explore ways to get funding for your business.
- Ascendus
- Black Business Investment Fund (BBIF)
- Central County Community Development
Corporation (CCCDC) through the Urban League of Broward - Community Fund of North Miami-Dade
- Grameen America
- Miami Bayside Foundation
- RISE Loan Fund Powered by Dade County
- Self Help Credit Union
- South Florida Regional Planning Council
- Tools for Change
Knowledge Resources
Below is a list of organizations that support a business through activities such as consulting, training, and workshops.
The topic areas they can help with include accounting, marketing, staffing, and business plan development.
- Axis Helps
- Beacon Council
- Black Professionals Network
- Center for Black Innovation
- Center for Social Change
- Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses
- Haitian American Chamber of Commerce, ScaleUp 305 Program
- Idea Center at Miami-Dade College
- Legal Services of Greater Miami
- Neighbors And Neighbors Association
- The Miami-Dade Business Navigator
- The Oasis in Miami Gardens
- Prospera
- SBA/SCORE Miami-Dade
- South Florida Anchor Alliance
- Urban League of Broward – Entrepreneurship center
- Women’s Business Development Center
(WBDC) of Florida
Our Knowledge Resource Providers can help you prepare for future grant and loan applications, assist with your business growth, and support you with your financial documents and bookkeeping.
If you are looking for more past Technical Assistance Providers, such as our community-based or countywide providers, reach out to one of the following Knowledge Resource Providers:
- Allapattah: The Allapattah Collaborative CDC
- Hialeah or Little Havana: Prospera
- Homestead, Florida City, Leisure City or Naranja: South Dade Connections
- Overtown: Opportunity Connect
- Liberty City, Little Haiti or Brownsville: 79th Street Corridor Initiative
- Miami Gardens or Opa Locka: Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce
- North Miami or North Miami Beach: Branches
- Nonprofits can work with: Radical Partners
Don’t live in one of these specific communities? Small businesses can still get support through: Florida State Minority Supplier Development Council (FSMSDC)
Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs
Apply for your Miami-Dade County Local Business Tax (LBT) license here.
If your business is located in a specific municipality, such as City of Miami, Miami Gardens or Opa Locka, you may need to apply for a license in that community as well.