What we do
The full back-office foundation, handled with you.
Six 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.
- Help choosing LLC vs. corporation
- Preparing & filing formation documents
- Operating agreements & bylaws (templates + 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
- Beneficial ownership reporting (BOIR portal)
- Annual reports & renewals
- Sales-tax & permit registration
- A compliance calendar you can follow
- Help understanding what applies to you
Contracts & Agreements
Paper that protects you, not the other side.
- Solid starting templates
- Plain-language explanation of key terms
- Volunteer-attorney review of your specifics
- Client, vendor & contractor agreements
- Help knowing what to ask for
- Review before you sign
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.
- Trademark search guidance
- 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
Get certified to win bigger work.
- Charlotte CBI / MWBE certification
- NC HUB (Historically Underutilized Business)
- Federal pathways including SBA 8(a)
- SAM.gov registration
- Capability statements & positioning
- Finding the right opportunities
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 six 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 free, it's confidential, and it starts with a short application.
Apply for support