Exploring the world of existing, emerging, and evolving small business financing resources

There has been an exciting flurry of new financing options for rural small businesses in recent years. Join the Hannah Grimes Center (HGC) and its funding partners to explore the existing, emerging, and evolving small business financing resources in our region.

Are you looking for funding to start or grow a business?
Do you have a story to share about your search for resources to start or grow your business?
Would you like to explore options to invest in local businesses in your community?
Are you a resource provider that wants to share what you offer? Are you a community champion that supports the start and growth of local businesses?

If so, please join us in this important conversation.

Some of the small business financing resources to be discussed:

• The Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship Revolving Loan Fund – new in 2022
• KIVA no-interest crowd-sourced loans – brought to NH in 2022 by the Regional Economic Development Corporation (REDC)
• Grants of $5,000 or less through HGC’s partnership with the New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA) through its Community Development Block Grants through HUD. CDFA developed this program in 2021.
• Hannah Grimes Center has been offering PitchFork Challenge grants of $10,000 since 2018 to the winner of a regional pitch competition each fall in partnership with the New Hampshire Business Finance Authority (BFA).
• Since 2016 the Hannah Grimes Center has been iterating PitchFork Growth opportunities to pitch to potential investors, now offered each spring.
• Campaigns on crowdfunded platforms like the one Nuttin’ Ordinary just launched on StartEngine, on which you craft your investment pitch into a web page, raise capital from hundreds or even thousands of investors online, and fund the next phase of growth with a bigger and stronger community of investors. These opportunities became available after some rule changes at SEC that allowed non-accredited investors to make equity investments in companies, opening up a new world for entrepreneurs to get funding and for community members to invest smaller dollars in local enterprises.
• Traditional bank financing
• A New Americans Loan Fund is offered by REDC to encourage business development and job creation for new Americans, (first-generation immigrants) in NH. (Note: HGC and REDC have translation services available)
• The Local Crowd Monadnock has been offering crowd-funded grants up to $10,000 since 2017, when it was originally launched to help address the economic impact of the closing of the Vermont Yankee plant.
• Walden Mutual Bank is a newly chartered bank in NH focusing on farm and food businesses interested in supporting a more sustainable and equitable local food ecosystem.
• What else??? We look forward to hearing from you!

Nuttin’ Ordinary will be providing local food and drink for this event.

Registration is required to attend.
Space is limited.