Start a New Business in Alaska
small business resources for women entrepreneurs
Being a business owner can be daunting, but you don't have to face it by yourself. I’m committed to helping you along the way - whether you’re just starting out or taking your business to the next level. That's why I’m sharing Alaska business resources to support women like you on your entrepreneurial journey.
This is by no means a complete list. It’s a helping hand and a place for you to start researching the best resources for your needs. I believe that we all do better when we come together as a community and share information with each other. If you know of a resource that would help our community and you’d like me to add it to this list, please contact me. I’d love to hear from you!
Alaska Government Agencies
Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development - Division of Investments - Small Business Assistance Center
The Small Business Assistance Center provides direction for entrepreneurs, start-ups, and existing businesses in Alaska. The center offers support for marketing and export support, financing your small business, licenses and permits, tax information, target market research, and specific Alaska industry resources.
The Division of Investments promotes economic development through direct state lending in industries and areas of the state that are not adequately serviced by the private sector.
Loan programs include commercial fishing, fisheries enhancement, small business economic development, rural development initiative fund, microloan, mariculture, commercial charter fisheries, community quota entity and alternative energy.
Robert B. Atwood Building
550 W 7th Avenue, #1550
Anchorage, Alaska 99501
Phone: 907-269-8150
State Office Building
333 Willoughby Avenue
9th Floor
Juneau, Alaska 99801
Phone: 907-465-2510
Alaska Department of Commerce Community and Economic Development website
Alaska Small Business Administration (SBA)
The SBA’s Alaska district office provides services including funding programs, counseling, federal contracting, certifications, and disaster recovery. They can also connect you to partner organizations, lenders, and other community groups that help small businesses succeed.
The Alaska district office in Anchorage serves the entire state.
Recent event topics have included Pricing Products and Delivering Satisfaction, Taking Your Website from Bad to Great, QuickBooks Basics You Need to Know, Strategies to Identify and Reach Your Target Customers, Financing Your Small Business, Buying or Selling an Existing Business Step by Step, and much more.
420 L Street
Suite 300
Anchorage, Alaska 99501
Phone: 907-271-4022
Alaska Small Business Administration SBA website
Alaska Agencies and Nonprofit Organizations
Alaska Women’s Business Center
A member of the Association of Women’s Business Centers, the Alaska Women’s Business Center supports the startup and growth of women-owned businesses. The organization equips women and their families in Alaska with the connections, resources, and training needed to successfully start and run a business.
You can understand your funding options, get help in preparing loan packages and presentations for lenders and potential investors, skills to help you manage business profitability, support in creating a comprehensive business plan and financial projections, help identifying expansion options, and more.
911 W 8th Avenue
Anchorage Alaska 99501
Phone: 907-290-3296 x133
Alaska Women’s Business Center AWBC website
Alaska Small Business Development Center (ASBDC)
The Alaska SBDC provides resources, advice, and assistance that help small businesses grow and create measurable economic impact throughout Alaska.
Assistance is provided by certified business advisors who provide entrepreneurs and business owners with coaching and tools/resources to aid in their success. Alaska SBDC services are private, individualized, and no-cost. Topics include business planning, financial analysis and stability, marketing, accounting, cash flow projections, research, to name a few.
ASBDC serves Alaska women business owners across 7 offices located in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Soldotna, and Wasilla.
1901 Bragaw Street
Room 199
Anchorage, Alaska 99508
Phone: 907-786-7201
Alaska Small Business Development Center ASBDC website
Funding - State and Federal Sources
Alaska Small Business Administration
Small Business Administration (SBA) funding programs provide financial assistance to start or grow your business, or to help you recover after a declared disaster.
Start or expand your business with loans guaranteed by the SBA. Find an investor for your business. Get help after a disaster with low-interest disaster loans from the SBA. Protect your work and your client with an SBA-guaranteed surety bond. Look for government grants that help businesses do scientific research and development.
The Alaska district office serves the entire state of Alaska. Services include funding programs, counseling, federal contracting certifications, and disaster recovery. They can also connect you to partner organizations, lenders, and other community groups that help small businesses succeed.
420 L Street
Suite 300
Anchorage, Alaska 99501
Phone: 907-271-4022
Alaska Small Business Administration SBA website
Alaska SBIR/STTR Grant Program - State Grant Funds for Federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Grantees
The State of Alaska SBIR/STTR Grant Program is designed to award grant funds to for-profit, Alaska-based businesses that have been awarded a Federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I or Phase II grant. Federal SBIR and STTR grants (https://www.sbir.gov/about) are competitive federal grant programs that provide funding opportunities to startups and small businesses to foster innovation, meet federal research and development (R&D) needs, and increase commercialization of research.
Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development
Phone: 907-269-7387
Alaska SBIR STTR website
Grants.gov
Grants.gov is a U.S. e-government initiative operating under the governance of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.
The office provides a centralized location for grant seekers to find and apply for federal funding opportunities. Today, the Grants.gov system houses information on over 1,000 grant programs and vets grant applications for federal grant-making agencies.
Its mission is to provide a common website for federal agencies to post discretionary funding opportunities and for grantees to find and apply to them. Using the Grants.gov system makes it faster, easier and more cost effective for grant applicants to electronically interact with federal grant-making agencies.
Alaska Educational Institutions
The University of Alaska Anchorage - College of Business and Public Policy
The College offers several degree programs: Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Bachelor of Arts (BA), Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Public Administration (MPA), Master of Public Policy (MPP), and Master of Science in Global Supply Chain Management (MSGSCM). In addition, the College has Associate degrees in Accounting and General Business. The College also provides professional training certificate programs in Bookkeeping, Business Analytics, Business Leadership, and Entrepreneurship and graduate certificates in Executive Leadership and Business Analytics & Artificial Intelligence.
Students have a variety of areas from which to choose with Baccalaureate degree majors in Accounting, Economics, Finance, Global Logistics, Management (Property Management and Real Estate concentration option), or Marketing.
3211 Providence Drive, RH-306
Anchorage, Alaska 99508
Phone: 907-786-4100
College of Business and Public Policy at University of Alaska Anchorage website
Alaska Pacific University - Institute of Business and Public Policy
The Institute of Business and Public Policy at Alaska Pacific University offers associate, bachelors and masters degree programs, graduate certificates, and executive leadership programs in Native Executive Leadership, Rural Management, Business Administration, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Investments, Health Services Administration, and Strategic Leadership.
4101 University Drive
Anchorage, Alaska 99508
Phone: 907-564-8362
Alaska Pacific University Institute of Business and Public Policy website
Alaska Business Publications
Alaska Business Magazine
Alaska Business Publishing Co. was established in 1984 and has published Alaska Business, the state’s premier business magazine, for more than thirty-five years.
Through its print and digital editions, Alaska Business emphasizes the importance of all enterprises statewide, from large multinational corporations that do business in the state to numerous locally-owned sole proprietorships. Its is to promote economic growth in the state by providing a thorough and objective discussion and analysis of the issues and trends affecting Alaska’s business sector.
501 W. Northern Lights Boulevard
Suite 100
Anchorage, Alaska 99503
Phone: 907-276-4373
Alaska Business Magazine website
Alaska Journal of Commerce
The Alaska Journal of Commerce focuses on the latest news related to the Oil and Gas, Construction and Real Estate, and Transportation industries with a focus on money and finance, mining, small business, health, and movers and shakers. Special editions include Achievement in Business Leadership recognizing Alaska leaders, Top Forty Under 40, and Best Workplaces Alaska.
300 W. 31st Avenue
Anchorage, AK 99503
Phone: 907-257-4200