Small Business Resources

Burlington City is a great place to open your small business! But what about the process? Not sure what to do first, or what to do next? What local regulations do you need to follow? What financial help may be out there to help you? ​The guides below are great go-to sources for all of your questions!

Amazon Small Business Grant Contest begins at on May 1, 2024 and ends at 11:59:59 p.m. (PT) on May 24, 2024.  No purchase or payment of any kind is necessary to enter or win.

2024 FedEx Small Business Grant Program is awarding up to $50k to small businesses. The deadline to apply is noon on April 1.

AMEX is partnering with Main Street America on programs to back small businesses with grants of up to $10k. Deadline is April 7.

Emerging Developers Grant – NJEDA will support small-scale developers with grants of up to $250,000 that have completed at least 2 – but no more than 5 – commercial and/or mixed-use properties.

 

 

NJ Business Action Center (NJBAC)

NJBAC offers free online chat and telephone (800-537-7397) assistance in English and Spanish to any business in NJ – any size, any location, and any type. The team can advocate for businesses, concierge you to funding and technical solutions, help you find locations for growth or developing export markets, guide you to navigating the commercial cannabis sector, and much more.

The NJ Small Business Manual Is Now Live:  Any business or anyone who works with businesses can now download a copy of the NJBAC’s NJ Small Business Manual to get up to speed with the basics of starting and running a business in New Jersey.

 

Support for Women- and Minority Owned Businesses

TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, has invested $5 million in Innovate Capital Growth Fund, a nonprofit sponsored by the Small Business Investment Co. focused on providing growth equity to minority- and women-owned businesses in the mid-Atlantic, with a focus on the Greater Philadelphia area. ICGF invests growth equity capital in minority- and women-owned lower-middle-market businesses and offers expertise in operations, while bridging capital throughout the development stages of a company’s portfolio.

 

Small Business Improvement Grants

The Small Business Improvement Grant offers reimbursement for costs associated with making building improvements or purchasing new furniture, fixtures, and equipment. It covers 50% of eligible project costs for capital improvements, furniture, fixtures, and equipment, up to $50,000. The work must be completed, and items paid for within two years from the date of application. Open to small businesses and non-profits.

The NJEDA has received a significant number of applications for the Small Business Improvement Grant. Please note this program is receiving a high volume of applications.  Expected time for processing is 8 months from application date.

 

Small Business Lease Grants

Open to NJ small businesses with a new 5-year (or longer) lease of street-level space, between 250 and 10,000 square feet. Amended leases may be eligible if additional space is added.
The lease must be executed within the previous 12 months from the grant application date. The grant award is 20% of the annual lease payment upon grant approval and a second 20% payment of the annual lease amount after one year. Program details and grant applications are on the NJEDA website here.

Small Business e-Commerce Grants

  • Open to NJ restaurants, retail, and personal care businesses that operate from a commercial location.
  • Free E-Commerce and digital marketing consulting such as website development, website optimization, E-Commerce platform, online ordering, online appointment booking, and digital marketing plans.
  • This program is consultant-led; business owners should reach out directly to approved vendors to get started. There is no online application through the NJEDA.

 

Doing Business in Historic Burlington City

Let Main Street Burlington help you walk through the steps of starting your business in Historic Burlington! We are committed to helping businesses grow and prosper. We have worked with local and private organizations to create this handbook which was designed to ease your entry into the business world. Please use this checklist to walk through the steps of starting, relocating or expanding your business.

Download Handbook (PDF)

 

Small Business Support Resource Guide: Burlington City

Prepared by the Neighborhood Preservation Program (NPP), under the NJ Department of Community Affairs, this guide is a comprehensive source of grants and loan opportunities for small businesses in our community and beyond. Federal, state and local programs as well as non-profit initiatives are all included here. Covid-related funding opportunities, support for female, minority and veteran owned business are just some of categories included here.

Download Resource Guide (PDF)

 

NJ Grant Opportunities for Small Businesses

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) is offering grants to commercial businesses and nonprofit organizations for leasing new/additional space, making building improvements, or purchasing or installing furniture, fixtures or equipment.

Download NJEDA Recovery Program (PDF)

 

NJ Innovation Fellows Grant:

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) has opened applications for the next cohort of the New Jersey Innovation Fellows (NJIF) Program on May 6th, and is currently accepting questions from potential applicants. The NJIF Program supports entrepreneurs with income replacement grants, mentorship, and training to provide security in the early stages of start-up business creation. Through the NJIF Program, the NJEDA supports teams of at least three entrepreneurs with mentorship, training, and income replacement capital of up to $400,000 over a two-year period, attracting innovative ideas and entrepreneurs who would otherwise be unable to pursue the launch of a new venture due to income needs or socio-economic constraints.

 

Anti-displacement Fact Sheets for Communities Doing Redevelopment:

Smart Growth America (SGA) created a set of fact sheets that highlight strategies communities can use to help mitigate displacement in the context of redevelopment, with a focus on brownfields areas. Redevelopment often occurs in economically disadvantaged areas or near communities of color, presenting opportunities for renewal but may not be addressing the gentrification or displacement that comes with renewal. SGA presents 7 Fact Sheets of tools that can be utilized to foster redevelopment projects that balance profit and viability with keeping existing residents and businesses as part of the progress as it occurs. These are: Community Benefits Agreements, Community Land Trusts, Inclusionary Zoning, Small Business Preservation Programs, Tax Abatements, Down Payment and Closing Cost Assistance Programs, and Weatherization Assistance.