Business Resource Guide

The objective of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce is to help businesses succeed. By partnering with business resource groups, your Chamber provides businesses with essential tools. That’s why it has partnered with several organizations to provide its members with a business resource guide. Each business resource provides several types of professional assistance, such as mentoring, training and services to aid in a business. Our partners, along with their contact information, are listed to better service our valued existing and future business community.

Southern Mississippi Planning
and Development District

The SMPDD operates various direct loan programs designed to finance new and expanding businesses that otherwise would not be able to obtain conventional financing. It serves the 15 counties in south central and southeastern Mississippi. SMPDD also provides some training and census/demographic information.
228-868-2311 / www.smpdd.com

Mississippi Gulf Coast
Community College

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College is dedicated to improving the economy by providing quality academic, careertechnical and workforce education, and training to the citizens of our four county district. In today’s globally competitive, business environment, a highly skilled and productive workforce is a company’s greatest asset. MGCCC works with business, industry, and other organizations to offer customized, job specific training designed to enhance employee performance to achieve their goals and objectives.
1-866-735-1122 / www.mgccc.edu

Service Corps of Retired Executives

SCORE is a non-profit organization of working and retired business managers/ owners and other professionals who provide free and confidential business counseling and mentoring to entrepreneurs.
228-863-0054 /www.scoregulfport.org

Gulf Coast Business Council

The Gulf Coast Business Council is the strong and united voice of business on public policy issues of importance to the Mississippi Gulf Coast region. Through leadership and collaboration on targeted strategic issues, it promotes and advances the economic vitality and quality of life in our region.
228-897-2020 / www.msgcbc.org

Mississippi Minority Enterprise
Business Center

The Mississippi Minority Business Enterprise Center (MS MBEC) is sponsored by the Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Authority (MBDA).We are further supported by the
Arkansas-Mississippi Minority Business Council (AMMBC) and the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA). The mission of the Mississippi Minority Business Enterprise Center (MS MBEC) is to increase the opportunity for ethnic minorities to participate in a competitive, national and global marketplace. We are focused on ensuring fair and equitable participation of minority owned business throughout the state of Mississippi, as well as a vast array of other contracting opportunities through
the public and private sectors in Mississippi.
228-385-9324 / www.msmbec.org

South Mississippi Contract
Procurement Center

SMCPC provides assistance to Mississippi Businesses in identifying and pursuing federal, state, and local government contracting opportunities through electronic bid matching SMCPC also works with the business community in marketing themselves to these agencies, prime contractors, and other private and public companies, SMCPC assists businesses in becoming registered in CCR, ProNet, and ORCA, certified as 8(a), HUBZone, WBF, MBE, and any other programs of interest.
228-396-1288 / www.mscpc.com

Harrison County Development Commission

Created in 1958, the Harrison County Development Commission is the lead economic development agency for Harrison County, including the cities of Pass Christian, Long Beach, Gulfport, Biloxi, and D’Iberville. HCDC is committed to promoting Harrison County as a positive place to do business, to developing quality jobs for our citizens and to “moving the Mississippi Gulf Coast forward.”
228-896-5020 / www.mscoast.org

The University of Southern Mississippi
Gulf Coast

Creative. Bold. Determined. The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast provides nparalleled university resources to the people of south Mississippi. Through its Gulf Park Campus in Long Beach and five teaching sites stretching across the three coastal counties of Mississippi, Southern Miss Gulf Coast is meeting the educational needs of this community. Southern Miss Gulf Coast offers higher education to the citizens of south Mississippi with over 50 bachelor’s, master’s, a specialist’s and doctoral degrees.
228.865.4500 /www.usm.edu/gulfcoast

The Innovation Center

A business “incubator” that provides business assistance to small start-up businesses: leasing of office and light manufacturing space, a virtual client program, business training and counseling, access to shared client services and office equipment, telecom/ internet capabilities, and client use of common areas including computer lab and conference rooms. The center seeks to improve entrepreneurial success rates by supporting and “graduating” successful small businesses!
228-392-9741 /www.innovatems.com

Mississippi Small Business
Development Center

The Gulf Coast Small Business Development Center provides a variety of services to small businesses in the south six counties in Mississippi. Services include counseling,workshops, and information
services. Resources that are available include business plan development, market analysis, capital sources, technical support services. The GC SBDC is a partnership with SBA, the Mississippi
Legislature and the University of Mississippi.
228-396-8661 /www.olemiss.edu/depts/mssbdc

WIN Job Center

The Workforce Investment Network (WIN) in Mississippi is an innovative strategy designed to provide convenient, one-stop employment and training services to employers and job seekers. It combines federal, state and community workforce programs and services into physical locations and electronic sites.
228-539-6800 /www.wininmississippi.org

Mississippi Development Authority

The MDA provides services to foster investment in Mississippi businesses and industry. Counseling and professional assistance is also provided. It maintains extensive resource materials including
demographic data, industry reports, census statistics, as well as maintaining several databases pertaining to resources throughout the state.
228-523-4034 /www.mississippi.org

Small Business Administration

The SBA provides guaranty loans to finance start-up and existing small businesses, disaster loans for commercial and residential property, and procurement programs such as 8(a) and HUBZone to help small businesses sell their goods and services to the Federal Government.
228-863-4449 / www.sba.gov/ms

Mississippi Gulf Coast
Chamber of Commerce

The Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce fosters leadership and the advancement of the community vision and interests of its members. Coast Chamber strives to improve the business climate through facilitating, advocating, and providing information on behalf of the region.
228-604-0014 /http://mscoastchamber.com/business-resources/

Business Resource Guide

The objective of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce is to help businesses succeed. By partnering with business resource groups, your Chamber provides businesses with essential tools. That’s why it has partnered with several organizations to provide its members with a business resource guide. Each business resource provides several types of professional assistance, such as mentoring, training and services to aid in a business. Our partners, along with their contact information, are listed to better service our valued existing and future business community.

Development District
Southern Mississippi Planning
and Development District

The SMPDD operates various direct loan programs designed to finance new and expanding businesses that otherwise would not be able to obtain conventional financing. It serves the 15 counties in south central and southeastern Mississippi. SMPDD also provides some training and census/demographic information.
228-868-2311 / www.smpdd.com

Gulf Coast Business CouncilGulf Coast Business Council

The Gulf Coast Business Council is the strong and united voice of business on public policy issues of importance to the Mississippi Gulf Coast region. Through leadership and collaboration on targeted strategic issues, it promotes and advances the economic vitality and quality of life in our region.
228-897-2020 / www.msgcbc.org

HCDC
Harrison County Development Commission

Created in 1958, the Harrison County Development Commission is the lead economic development agency for Harrison County, including the cities of Pass Christian, Long Beach, Gulfport, Biloxi, and D’Iberville. HCDC is committed to promoting Harrison County as a positive place to do business, to developing quality jobs for our citizens and to “moving the Mississippi Gulf Coast forward.”
228-896-5020 / www.mscoast.org

Teh Innovation Center
The Innovation Center

A business “incubator” that provides business assistance to small start-up businesses: leasing of office and light manufacturing space, a virtual client program, business training and counseling, access to shared client services and office equipment, telecom/ internet capabilities, and client use of common areas including computer lab and conference rooms. The center seeks to improve entrepreneurial success rates by supporting and “graduating” successful small businesses!
228-392-9741 /www.innovatems.com

Mississippi Development Authority
Mississippi Development Authority

The MDA provides services to foster investment in Mississippi businesses and industry. Counseling and professional assistance is also provided. It maintains extensive resource materials including
demographic data, industry reports, census statistics, as well as maintaining several databases pertaining to resources throughout the state.
228-523-4034 /www.mississippi.org

MGCCC
Mississippi Gulf Coast
Community College

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College is dedicated to improving the economy by providing quality academic, careertechnical and workforce education, and training to the citizens of our four county district. In today’s globally competitive, business environment, a highly skilled and productive workforce is a company’s greatest asset. MGCCC works with business, industry, and other organizations to offer customized, job specific training designed to enhance employee performance to achieve their goals and objectives.
1-866-735-1122 / www.mgccc.edu

MMBEC
Mississippi Minority Enterprise
Business Center

The Mississippi Minority Business Enterprise Center (MS MBEC) is sponsored by the Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Authority (MBDA).We are further supported by the
Arkansas-Mississippi Minority Business Council (AMMBC) and the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA). The mission of the Mississippi Minority Business Enterprise Center (MS MBEC) is to increase the opportunity for ethnic minorities to participate in a competitive, national and global marketplace. We are focused on ensuring fair and equitable participation of minority owned business throughout the state of Mississippi, as well as a vast array of other contracting opportunities through
the public and private sectors in Mississippi.
228-385-9324 / www.msmbec.org

MSBDC
Mississippi Small Business
Development Center

The Gulf Coast Small Business Development Center provides a variety of services to small businesses in the south six counties in Mississippi. Services include counseling,workshops, and information
services. Resources that are available include business plan development, market analysis, capital sources, technical support services. The GC SBDC is a partnership with SBA, the Mississippi
Legislature and the University of Mississippi.
228-396-8661 /www.olemiss.edu/depts/mssbdc

Small Business Administration
Small Business Administration

The SBA provides guaranty loans to finance start-up and existing small businesses, disaster loans for commercial and residential property, and procurement programs such as 8(a) and HUBZone to help small businesses sell their goods and services to the Federal Government.
228-863-4449 / www.sba.gov/ms

SCORE
Service Corps of Retired Executives

SCORE is a non-profit organization of working and retired business managers/ owners and other professionals who provide free and confidential business counseling and mentoring to entrepreneurs.
228-863-0054 /www.scoregulfport.org

SMCPC
South Mississippi Contract
Procurement Center

SMCPC provides assistance to Mississippi Businesses in identifying and pursuing federal, state, and local government contracting opportunities through electronic bid matching SMCPC also works with the business community in marketing themselves to these agencies, prime contractors, and other private and public companies, SMCPC assists businesses in becoming registered in CCR, ProNet, and ORCA, certified as 8(a), HUBZone, WBF, MBE, and any other programs of interest.
228-396-1288 / www.mscpc.com

USM
The University of Southern Mississippi
Gulf Coast

Creative. Bold. Determined. The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast provides nparalleled university resources to the people of south Mississippi. Through its Gulf Park Campus in Long Beach and five teaching sites stretching across the three coastal counties of Mississippi, Southern Miss Gulf Coast is meeting the educational needs of this community. Southern Miss Gulf Coast offers higher education to the citizens of south Mississippi with over 50 bachelor’s, master’s, a specialist’s and doctoral degrees.
228.865.4500 /www.usm.edu/gulfcoast

WIN
WIN Job Center

The Workforce Investment Network (WIN) in Mississippi is an innovative strategy designed to provide convenient, one-stop employment and training services to employers and job seekers. It combines federal, state and community workforce programs and services into physical locations and electronic sites.
228-539-6800 /www.wininmississippi.org

Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce
Mississippi Gulf Coast
Chamber of Commerce

The Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce fosters leadership and the advancement of the community vision and interests of its members. Coast Chamber strives to improve the business climate through facilitating, advocating, and providing information on behalf of the region.
228-604-0014 /www.mscoastchamber.com