What we do
The full back-office foundation, handled with you.
Seven areas where a small business has to be solid. We provide hands-on help and plain-language education — and for anything that requires licensed legal or financial advice, we connect you with our volunteer attorneys and CPAs, at no cost.
Entity Formation & Governance
The legal body your business lives in.
- Plain-language education on LLC vs. corporation, with attorney referral when the choice needs legal advice
- Administrative help preparing and filing your formation documents
- Operating agreement and bylaw templates, with volunteer-attorney review
- EIN & registered-agent setup
- Ownership & equity records
- Plain-language education on governance
Regulatory Compliance
Stay on the right side of every filing.
- State & local business licenses
- Federal reporting status — what applies to you, and what no longer does
- Annual reports & renewals
- Sales-tax & permit registration
- A compliance calendar you can follow
- Plain-language explanation of which requirements apply to your business
Contracts & Agreements
Understand the paper before you sign it.
- Solid starting templates
- Plain-language explanation of key terms
- Volunteer-attorney review of your specifics
- Client, vendor & contractor agreements
- Education on what to ask for before you negotiate
- Volunteer-attorney review before you sign, where available
Employment & HR
Hire your first people the right way.
- Employee vs. contractor education
- Offer letters & basic agreements (templates)
- Core workplace policy starters
- Onboarding & recordkeeping basics
- Wage & hour fundamentals
- Referral to specialized HR & payroll
Intellectual Property
Keep what you built yours.
- Education on trademark searches and what they show
- Education on protecting your name & brand
- Copyright fundamentals
- Ownership of contractor-made work
- Simple IP strategy for your stage
- A path to counsel for filings
Certifications & Government Contracting
Certification prep for bigger contracts.
- Charlotte SBE certification (the city's active small-business program)
- NC Small Business Enterprise — NCSBE, which replaced the HUB program in July 2026
- Federal pathways including SBA 8(a)
- SAM.gov registration
- Capability statements & positioning
- Finding the right opportunities
Digital & Institutional Infrastructure
Be findable, be credible, be able to take money.
- A real website on your own domain, secured
- Search visibility so local customers can find you
- Payment, booking, or giving set up in your name
- Brand assets and a usable logo pack
- Sponsor- and grant-ready materials
- Written privacy, consent, and data policies
How it works
From application to a foundation that holds.
1
Apply
A short, free application. Tell us where you're stuck.
2
Foundation review
We assess all seven areas and map a prioritized plan with you.
3
We build it with you
Setup, filings, certifications — with volunteer experts for legal and financial matters.
4
Ongoing support
Stay connected for the questions that come after launch.
Virtual for reach, with quarterly in-person sessions in Charlotte.
Let's build your foundation.
It's confidential, it starts with a short application, and you'll know what it costs — if anything — before any work begins. See pricing.
Apply for support