New Bern in Craven County, North Carolina is a great place to start, relocate or expand your business, and there are many local, state and federal organizations and resources to help you do it. On this page you will find:
 

New Bern Business Organizations	NC New Business Resources
Craven County Real Estate Organizations	NC Existing Business Resources
County Boards & Commissions	Printable Guide to Doing Business in NC
Civic Organizations	Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights

Why do business in New Bern, NC?

I. PRIMARY BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS in NEW BERN NC

Quotes are extracted from the New Bern Area Chamber of Commerce web site:

The New Bern area has a variety of resources available for entrepreneurs and businesses large and small desiring to start, relocate to or expand in the Craven County area. Most of these business support services are offered at little or no cost.

• The New Bern Area Chamber of Commerce serves all the New Bern business community. They represent local business interests to government forums, "promote its member businesses, provide opportunities for business-to-business networking, and foster professional development through seminars, workshops and small group mentoring." Click here to see the  Chamber Member Roster. Visit their offices at 316 S. Front Street in New Bern, NC or call (252) 637-3111 for information.
   
• The Havelock Chamber of Commerce in nearby Havelock, NC, home to Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station, offers business services to the Havelock business community. Visit their offices at 201 Tourist Center Drive in Havelock or call (252) 447-1101. 
   
• The Craven County Economic Development Commission promotes business development and attracting manufacturing and industrial facilities to the New Bern area. "The EDC manages Craven County Industrial Park and offers and incubator facility with office and manufacturing space."  
   
• The Swiss Bear Downtown Redevelopment Corporation "coordinates and assists with funding for private and public enterprise efforts to revitalize businesses in downtown New Bern." Call (252) 638-5781 for information.
   
• The Neuse River Development Authority (NRDA) is part of the Eastern Carolina Council of Governments. NRDA gives business owners advice on "how to finance a new business, info on referrals for management issues, and technical assistance." Call (252) 638-6724.
   
• Craven Community College offers a variety of workplace skills courses, technical classes and apprentice and co-op programs. It also boasts a Small Business Center which offers "workshops, seminars, and classes for new and existing business owners in all facets of business development, management, business law, and marketing through its Small Business Center". Call (252) 638-7353.
   
  • SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) has a New Bern chapter (Down East Chapter 577) located in offices on the Craven Community College campus off of Glenburnie Road. They provide "one-on-one confidential counseling to new and existing business owners in planning and management, including financing, writing a business plan, and feasibility studies." Call (252) 633-6688.
     

Click here to see a list of the Craven County Board of Commissioners.

There are a number of official Boards, Commissions and Initiatives set up by the Craven County government, including:

• Water & Sewer Board
• A number of Volunteer Boards
• US 70 Corridor Commission
• Craven County Water Conservation Initiative

IV. CRAVEN COUNTY INDEPENDENT and CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS

• Neuse RiverKeepers citizen advocacy group for the Neuse River and tributaries

 

The state of North Carolina is very pro-business and has a number of resources available for entrepreneurs, small businesses and large enterprises alike.

A. RESOURCES for NEW BUSINESSES in NC

• North Carolina Business Services Center: Call 1-800-228-8443 Toll-free In State, or (919) 715-2684 from outside of North Carolina. Office hours are 8:00 am - 5:00 pm, Monday - Friday, Eastern Standard Time.

  According to the site, when you call, "A Consultant will discuss your needs and help you find the appropriate resources to accomplish your goals.  Our personalized service can assist you no matter where you are in the process of creating and growing your business."
   

  • The NC Business ServiCenter: provides resources on how to start businesses in NC, including:
     
    • "One-on-one client consultations
    • Customized licensing information
    • Employer and business structure forms
    • Referrals to State Agencies and State Occupational Licensing Boards, Local Governments & Federal Agencies
    • Referrals to Local, State & Federal business services, programs & resources
    • A Small Business Ombudsman to work on your behalf to resolve issues with State Government Agencies"

    Download this printable "Comprehensive Guide to Doing Business in NC"

   

  • Some Useful Business ServiCenter Resources:
     
    • NC New Business Start-up Checklist
       
    • NC Business Forms Library is extremely handy, as it has links to downloadable forms needed to incorporate or form a partnership, organized by groups of organizations to which the forms must be submitted (county, state, federal, etc.)
       
    • NC Business Licenses and Permits
       
    • Potential Sources of Capital to Fund New Businesses in NC

B. RESOURCES for EXISTING BUSINESSES in NC

The State of North Carolina has a number of resources to help existing, relocating or expanding businesses grow, including: assistance in

• Financing growth
• Exporting to other countries
• Recruitment and training
• Improving efficiency so you can better compete.

For information on services available to your existing NC business, visit the "Support Your Business" section of the NC Business Services web site. 

From their web site:

North Carolina’s program for assistance to existing companies, spearheaded by the Department of Commerce, is one of the largest statewide retention efforts in the nation, with nine industry specialists making more than 3,000 personal onsite visits each year. Located in all seven geographic regions, Commerce specialists are dedicated to building long-term relationships with area companies.

We provide an array of assistance with:

• Site selection
• Funding and incentives
• Employee training and education
• Regulatory assistance
• International trade opportunities
• Research and analysis
• Financial program guidance

If you are launching a new business or product, or producing an invention or original piece of work (art, book, etc.), you will want to know about filing patents, trademarks, servicemarks and copyrights.

• USPTO's Definitions on What are Patents, Trademarks, Servicemarks, and Copyrights?
   
• Trademark Search Service:
  • Finding an available business name that is not already taken (or is too close to an existing one) and have a web site can be tricky. Using a private trademark search service could help save time and money and future lawsuits.
    • The Trademark Center is an excellent discount service staffed by trademark attorneys for researching (and filing if needed) trademark names and avoiding costly mistakes.
       
• Web Site Domain Name Search:
  • Many businesses will require a web site, from simple to elaborate. Finding an available, easy-to-remember, brand-appropriate domain name is critical. It also needs to be trademarkable, or at least not taken by another company.

    To find available domain names, we've found that Network Solutions' Domain Search function is the best interface for searching for multiple options (up to 10 names) at one time. Just enter possible YourWebSiteName.com (or.org, etc.) variations.
     

    • You may want to comparison price shop between www.NetworkSolutions.com and other reputable Domain Registration Services like www.GoDaddy.com or www.Register.com to actually finally buy and register your domain name.
       
    • NOTE: Even if a particular desired web site domain name is available, it doesn't necessarily mean the name is trademarkable. These names will still need to be run through a Trademark search if you want to be completely safe.
       
• Federal Patents, Trademarks and Copyrights:
  • The NC Business ServiCenter site lists some federal resources.
     
    • US Patent and Trademark Office USPTO
      • The USPTO Trademark Assistance Office outlines how to start
      • 
         
    • US Copyright Office from the Library of Congress
       
• North Carolina Trademarks and Copyrights:
  • To learn about NC trademark and copyright issues, click here.