Helpful Related Links | University of Miami

	The Beacon Council has worked to enhance Miami-Dade County’s community by facilitating business investment and promoting the County as the ideal location for businesses to operate. Since its inception, the Beacon Council has assisted more than 690 companies and aided in the generation of more than $2.3 Billion in capital investment.

	The Central Contractor Registration is an electronic gateway of procurement information for and about small businesses. It is a search engine for contracting officers, a marketing tool for small firms and a link to procurement opportunities and important information. It is designed to be a "virtual" one-stop-procurement-shop.

	The Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business in the seventh largest metropolitan area in America. The Greater Miami Chamber is dedicated to building the best environment for business in the Americas. Its an activist Chamber committed to improving the economic vitality of the community, with a keen eye on quality of life issues and social just for all residents. The Greater Miami Chamber is your best strategic investment in South Florida. It’s a marketing tool to build your brand and your business.

	The Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1974 out of a need for a strong organization that could objectively advocate the needs of a growing Black business community. The MDCC leads the way by providing advocacy, networking, resources and training to men and women in business in South Florida. Their mission is to provide a world of business opportunities and bring the business community together to exchange goods and services and to promote interaction and communication mutually beneficial to all businesses involved.

	The Miami-Dade County, Department of Small Business Development (SBD) works to increase the participation of small businesses on County contracts. The department coordinates and implements various small business programs to provide business opportunities and technical assistance to aid these firms in their growth and contribution to South Florida’s economy. Miami-Dade County offers information about services and programs that can assist small, mid-size, or large companies in doing business with the County.

	The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) at the United States Department of Commerce is the only federal agency dedicated to advancing the establishment and growth of minority-owned firms in the United States. Through a network of minority business centers and strategic partners, MBDA works with minority entrepreneurs who wish to grow their businesses in size, scale and capacity.

	The National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) provides a direct link between corporate America and minority-owned businesses. NMSDC is one of the country’s leading business membership organizations. It was chartered in 1972 to provide increased procurement and business opportunities for minority businesses of all sizes. The regional councils certify and match more than 15,000 minority owned businesses (Asian, Black, Hispanic and Native American) with member corporations which want to purchase goods and services.

	The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the standard used by Federal statistical agencies in classifying business establishments for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and publishing statistical data related to the U.S. business economy. NAICS was developed under the auspices of the Office Management Budget (OMB), and adopted in 1997 to replace the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system.

	The United States Small Business Administration (SBA) was created by Congress in 1953 to help America’s entrepreneurs form successful small enterprises. Today, SBA’s program offices in every state offer financing, training and advocacy for small companies. In addition, the SBA works with thousands of lending, educational and training institutions nationwide.

	The South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1994 and is one of the largest Hispanic Chambers in the State of Florida. The SFLHCC has a Minority Business & Education Enhancement Program, which provides business information, training, and technical assistance for small businesses. The SFLHCC sponsors business workshops, seminars, lunch and learns, networking receptions, and an annual golf tournament. These chamber activities have the reputation of being the best networking events of South Florida.

	The Southern Florida Minority Supplier Development Council (SFMSDC) is a not-for-profit corporation established to foster the development and expansion of minority-owned businesses. The SFMSDC was founded in 1975 by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Miami Progress Foundation for the purpose of fostering the development of minority-owned businesses throughout South Florida. The Council’s main function is to register and certify minority-owned businesses.

	The State of Florida Department of Management Services Business Development Resources is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the United States Small Business Administration and the Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) throughout the State of Florida. The site includes valuable resources for small business owners. SBDCs often have free or reduced cost classes geared towards assisting new and small business owners to improve their knowledge of the business world.

	The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) is the nation’s leading advocate of women-owned businesses as suppliers to America’s corporation. It is also the largest third-party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women in the United States. WBENC works to foster diversity in the world of commerce with programs and policies designed to expand opportunities and eliminate barriers in the marketplace for women business owners.

The Business Development Program provides these links as a courtesy and does not endorse, take responsibility, or exercise control of the organization, nor do we vouch for the accuracy of the contents of the destination link.