Resources Hub

    Startup & Small Business Resources

    A single place to answer the questions founders ask most, and to find the vetted support organizations that can actually help, whether you are pre-idea, pre-seed, or scaling into new markets.

    Resources by category

    Jump to the type of support you need. Every organization links out to its own application or contact page.

    Capital and funding

    Grants, accelerator checks, angel networks, and development finance for founders raising their first or next round.

    Training and incubation

    Programs that turn an idea into a running business through cohort curricula, workshops, and structured milestones.

    Mentorship and advisory

    One-on-one operator mentors and advisor networks matched to your stage, sector, and geography.

    Government and public agencies

    National and regional agencies offering non-dilutive support, licensing help, and export assistance.

    Research, data, and policy

    Datasets, benchmarks, and reports that help founders make evidence-based decisions.

    Browse the full support directory

    Common questions from founders

    Direct answers to the questions we hear most from startup and small business founders.

    Founders consistently need six categories of support: (1) capital, from grants and micro-loans to seed equity; (2) training on business fundamentals, sales, and finance; (3) mentorship from operators who have already built and exited companies; (4) infrastructure like coworking, cloud credits, and legal templates; (5) networks that open doors to customers and investors; and (6) reliable market data so decisions are evidence-based, not guesswork.

    Free, high-quality starting points include the U.S. Small Business Administration (sba.gov), SCORE mentors (score.org), local Small Business Development Centers, the IFC SME Toolkit, Google for Startups, and Kauffman Foundation FastTrac. Many accelerators (Y Combinator's Startup School, Techstars' free content library) publish full curricula at no cost. Our own indicators database and country profiles are also free to use.

    An incubator hosts very early-stage ideas, usually for 12+ months, and rarely takes equity. An accelerator runs a fixed 3-6 month cohort, provides seed capital in exchange for equity, and ends in a demo day. An entrepreneurial support organization (ESO) is the umbrella term covering both, plus government agencies, mentorship networks, and research bodies. Pick an incubator if you are pre-product, an accelerator if you have early traction, and an ESO ecosystem if you need policy or research help.

    Pre-revenue founders typically stack four non-dilutive and dilutive sources: (1) grants from foundations, government agencies, and prize competitions; (2) friends-and-family rounds under $50k; (3) accelerator checks of $100k-$150k in exchange for 5-7% equity; and (4) angel investors sourced through pitch nights and warm introductions. Debt is usually a poor fit until you have $10k+ in monthly recurring revenue.

    Common free tool stacks include Google Workspace (email, docs), Canva (design), Notion or Trello (project management), Stripe Atlas (incorporation, from $500), Wave or Zoho Books (accounting), Mailchimp free tier (email marketing), and LinkedIn (hiring and sales). For legal templates, use SBA templates or Cooley GO. For market data, use World Bank Open Data, GEM reports, and this site's indicators database.

    Yes. Coralus (formerly SheEO), the Cherie Blair Foundation, AWE (Academy for Women Entrepreneurs, U.S. State Department), Golden Seeds, All Raise, and the IFC Banking on Women program all target women founders. Our own Ecosystem Fellowship exclusively supports women and non-binary entrepreneurs in fragile and emerging markets.

    Match three variables: stage, sector, and geography. Idea-stage founders should start with local SBDCs, SCORE mentors, and incubators. Pre-seed founders with a prototype should apply to accelerators. Growth-stage founders should target development finance institutions, sector-specific networks (fintech, climate), and revenue-based financing. Always confirm the program's alumni outcomes and equity terms before applying.

    Yes, though the mix differs. In MENA, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America, development finance institutions (IFC, AfDB, IDB Lab), donor-funded accelerators (MEST, Flat6Labs, Startupbootcamp), and diaspora angel networks fill gaps that private VCs do not. Our country profiles for Jordan, Sierra Leone, and Ukraine document the specific ecosystems and named programs available in each market.

    Track five categories at minimum: (1) macro conditions (GDP growth, inflation, currency); (2) sector benchmarks (unit economics, average CAC, funding rounds); (3) policy changes (tax, licensing, trade); (4) capital flows (venture funding by stage and region); and (5) talent supply (developer wages, retention). Our indicators database and the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) publish these annually and are free to access.

    Every 6 months, or at every major stage change (raise, product launch, geographic expansion). Support needs shift quickly: what mattered pre-revenue (grants, incubators) is less useful post-revenue (growth capital, sector networks). Bookmark this hub and our indicators database, then reassess after each funding round or when entering a new market.

    Keep exploring

    Full support organization directory →

    Filter by region, type, and industry across every vetted ESO on the site.

    How to start a side business from home →

    A part-time playbook for home-based entrepreneurs who want to keep their day job.

    How to start a business with no money →

    Launch a revenue-generating business with under $100 of starting capital.

    Indicators database →

    Compare countries across pillars like capital access, human capital, and policy.

    How to build an entrepreneurial ecosystem →

    Long-form guide covering the core dimensions of a functional startup ecosystem.

    Ecosystem mapping guide →

    Step-by-step mapping methodology plus a downloadable worksheet.

    Country profiles →

    Deep dives on Jordan, Sierra Leone, and Ukraine with named local programs.

    Startup resources search trends →

    Live search interest data for startup resource keywords.

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