Where to find free help: a starter map for immigrant-, women-, and minority-owned businesses
Free advising, mentors, and community lenders already exist in most neighborhoods. Here is where to start, what to ask for, and how to prepare.
Many first-generation founders build their businesses the way their parents did: alone, after hours, and without asking for help. Often that's not because help doesn't exist. Nobody told them where it was, or it was offered in a language, format, or schedule that didn't fit their lives.
Here is a starter map. All of it is free or low-cost.
1. Free business advising near you
The U.S. Small Business Administration supports a network of local partners. These include Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs), Women's Business Centers (WBCs), SCORE mentoring chapters, and Veterans Business Outreach Centers. Advisors can help with business plans, financing, marketing, and paperwork. Many centers offer sessions in languages other than English. Ask when you book.
Start here: sba.gov/local-assistance and enter your ZIP code.
2. A mentor who has done it before
SCORE pairs owners with volunteer mentors, many of them retired or current business owners, at no cost. A good mentor won't run your business for you. They help you think clearly about the next decision.
Start here: score.org
3. Lenders built for communities banks overlook
Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) are mission-driven lenders. They focus on owners and neighborhoods that traditional banks often underserve, including low- and moderate-income communities. Many pair a loan with coaching.
Start here: cdfifund.gov, then search for CDFIs in your state.
4. Free tools you can use tonight
You don't need an appointment to start understanding your numbers. Our resource hub has 21 free calculators, an invoice builder, and printable checklists.
Planning · Free calculatorFinancial health check →Run the eight ratios a lender checks first, using your balance sheet and the last 12 months of income.How to get the most out of any free help
- Bring numbers, even rough ones. Three months of bank statements and a list of what you're owed will make a first meeting twice as useful.
- Bring one question, not ten. "Should I take this loan?" gets a better answer than "How do I grow?"
- Ask for your language. If you think better in Mandarin, Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, or anything else, say so.
- Go back. The second and third meetings are where the real progress happens.
Or start with us
The Linkun Foundation was started by children of immigrants who watched their parents build businesses alone. Our coaching sessions are free, and they're for exactly the questions that feel too small, too basic, or too personal to ask anywhere else.
Frequently asked questions
Where can immigrant-, women-, and minority-owned businesses get free business advice?
Small Business Development Centers, Women's Business Centers, and SCORE mentors offer free or low-cost advising. Find local offices at sba.gov/local-assistance. Many offer help in languages other than English.
What is a CDFI?
A Community Development Financial Institution is a mission-driven lender that serves owners and communities traditional banks often underserve, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. Many pair loans with coaching.
