Business Help in Lincoln: Chamber, LPED, SBDC, SCORE and Libraries

Lincoln has more business support than most new owners realize, but the organizations do different jobs. Some are membership groups built around networking and advocacy. Some offer free or low-cost one-on-one advice. Others provide data, research tools or a place to meet a client.

Knowing which is which saves time. This guide describes what each major Lincoln resource says it offers, based on its own website, and ends with a simple way to decide where to start. Programs and staffing change, so check each organization's site for current details.

Lincoln Chamber of Commerce

The Lincoln Chamber of Commerce describes itself as "Lincoln's leading business organization representing over 1,700 member businesses providing advocacy and connections to help businesses grow and thrive in Lincoln, Nebraska." It is a membership organization, and most of its value comes through people and visibility.

According to its site, the Chamber offers:

• Membership benefits such as member discounts, a member directory, small business resources and affinity programs
• Regular networking events, signature events and ribbon cuttings
• HiveLNK, a networking program
• Professional development and peer groups, including RISE Lincoln for women business leaders, Latino Connect and the Lincoln Young Professionals Group
• Advocacy on public policy that affects local businesses

The Chamber is a good fit if you want introductions, a public launch moment or a voice in local policy discussions. It is not primarily a source of confidential one-on-one consulting.

Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development

The Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development, usually called LPED, is described on the Chamber's site as "a collaboration between the city and over 100 private partners focusing on job growth, entrepreneurship, business expansion and talent." Its website, Select Lincoln, is aimed largely at companies deciding where to locate or expand.

LPED's site offers demographic data, information on available sites and buildings, the Lincoln FastTrack Certified Sites program for development-ready industrial sites, wage and employment statistics, and information on taxes and incentives. On the talent side, it lists programs such as CampusLNK, EmployLNK, the Lincoln Manufacturing Council and a Lincoln Family-Friendly Workplace Certification program.

For startups, LPED powers StartupLNK, a hub for Lincoln founders and entrepreneurs. StartupLNK runs the LaunchLNK grant, which its site describes as a $20,000 cash grant plus more than $23,000 in in-kind services and benefits for six startups each year, and its site points founders to options such as Kiva 0% loans. See our guide Lincoln's Startup Scene: Innovation Campus, UNL and Local Programs for more.

Nebraska Business Development Center (SBDC)

The Nebraska Business Development Center, based at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, runs the Nebraska Small Business Development Center program. NBDC says the SBDC "offers confidential consulting services to entrepreneurs and small business owners looking to start and grow their enterprises or to transition companies to the next generation of ownership." Its consultants are described as credentialed business advisers, and services "are offered at no or low cost to those interested in operating a for-profit business in Nebraska."

NBDC's staff directory is organized by city and lists a Lincoln SBDC center alongside centers in other Nebraska communities. Its service areas include plan development, financial forecasting and loan packaging, valuation and succession planning, and export strategy.

Two other NBDC programs are worth knowing:

• The Nebraska APEX Accelerator, formerly the Nebraska PTAC, helps businesses pursue federal, state and local government contracts. NBDC says "all basic services are offered at no charge to the Nebraska business owner," and its directory lists an APEX consultant in Lincoln.
• SourceLink Nebraska, which NBDC lists among its programs, lets owners request a Personal Action Plan to find relevant business resources.

The SBDC is a strong first stop if you want private, practical help with numbers: a business plan, cash flow projections or a loan application.

SCORE

SCORE is a national network of volunteer business mentors; its site says that since 1964 it has educated and mentored more than 17 million small business owners and entrepreneurs. Its Lincoln page says it offers "free business advice, no-cost business training through webinars and workshops, and numerous templates and tools," and it links to an online Find a Mentor search.

SCORE also publishes national learning resources, including a Startup Roadmap, online courses, recorded webinars, a template gallery and resource hubs. When you look at SCORE's event list, check whether each workshop is online or in person and where it is held.

Mentoring is useful when you want an experienced sounding board over time rather than a single technical answer.

Lincoln City Libraries

The library is easy to overlook. Lincoln City Libraries lists several research databases useful to business owners, available to cardholders:

• Reference Solutions from Data Axle, formerly ReferenceUSA, a nationwide directory of business and residential listings, useful for building prospect lists or sizing up competitors
• Small Business Source, which covers small business and entrepreneurship topics, "including how to create business plans"
• LinkedIn Learning, free for cardholders, with courses in business, technology and creative skills
• Morningstar Investment Research Center and Value Line Investment Survey for company and investment research

The library also offers meeting and study rooms, public computers and Wi-Fi, printing and scanning, and an Ask a Librarian service for research questions.

City offices that answer specific questions

Some questions are best answered by the city itself. Planning and Development Services handles zoning, building permits and signs. The City Treasurer's office administers occupation taxes. The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department handles food establishment permits and food handler permits. Calling the right office early can prevent expensive surprises.

How to choose where to start

Match the resource to the question. For example:

1. Imagine you are still testing an idea and need a plan and projections. Start with the SBDC, then add a SCORE mentor for ongoing feedback.
2. Imagine you are opening a storefront next month and want local customers and connections. Look at Chamber membership and ribbon cuttings, and check city permits.
3. Imagine you are building a scalable tech product. Start with StartupLNK and the LaunchLNK grant timeline.
4. Imagine you want to sell to government agencies. Contact the APEX Accelerator.
5. Imagine you need market research on a budget. Use the library's databases.

Key takeaways

• The Chamber focuses on membership, networking, events and advocacy.
• LPED supports location decisions, talent programs and startups through StartupLNK.
• The SBDC offers confidential consulting at no or low cost; its APEX Accelerator helps with government contracting.
• SCORE offers free business advice, mentoring and no-cost workshops.
• Lincoln City Libraries provides free business databases and LinkedIn Learning to cardholders.

Sources

• Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, Home page
• Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development, Select Lincoln
• StartupLNK, LaunchLNK Grant
• Nebraska Business Development Center, About Nebraska SBDC
• Nebraska Business Development Center, Nebraska APEX Accelerator
• Nebraska Business Development Center, Consultant/Staff Directory
• SCORE, SCORE Lincoln
• Lincoln City Libraries, Databases and Research