Small Business Resources

Cognetics, in its 2001 Entrepreneurial Hotspots ranking, rates the Appleton-Green Bay market eighth in the nation  as a place to start and grow a company.  Entrepreneur.com ranked the Appleton-Oshkosh-Neenah metropolitan statistical area third in the nation on its list of Best Cities for Entrepreneurs, top midsize cities in the Midwest. And Inc. magazine listed Appleton 14th out of 50 as a Best Small Metro area for starting and growing a business.

It is no wonder, therefore, that nearly 90 percent of the Chamber's membership is comprised of small firms with fewer than 300 employees, and that the Chamber devotes significant resources to serving these entrepreneurs.

Each month, Morning Business Advice programs attract increasing numbers of participants to learn more about small business topics including marketing tips, succession planning for family-owned businesses, financial management and planning, and attracting and retaining the best employees. These breakfast programs are presented and sponsored by small firms.

In addition to its own small business resources, the Chamber houses SCORE, Counselors to America's Small Business. Volunteer counselors lead approximately 300 entrepreneurs a year through the process of developing a sound business plan, securing financing and supplies, and growing their fledgling firms.