Resources

At Accompany Capital we create paths to success and self-sufficiency for immigrants & refugees – as well as other fellow New Yorkers. We don’t just support our clients with affordable loans, we continue to support them with:

Resources

BUSINESS PLAN, CASH FLOW, FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ASSISTANCE

MyCity! 
Living in NYC just got easier with MyCity – your online connection to City services and benefits.
Explore, access, and manage child care, career, and business services.  

Small Business Administration (SBA)
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) helps small business owners and entrepreneurs pursue the American dream by providing counseling, capital, and contracting expertise as the nation’s only go-to resource and voice for small businesses. 

SCORE 
Free, one-on-one advising and mentoring in person or via email for all stages of business. SCORE offers free business training on a variety of small business topics.  

Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) 
Free individualized advice and guidance regarding the formation, management, financing, and operation of your business, with many in-person locations and virtual options available.  

NYC Small Business Services 
Helps businesses start, operate, and grow by:

  • Helping minority and women-owned businesses (M/WBEs) get City-certified and compete for contracts 
  • Connecting entrepreneurs to free resources ranging from business courses to legal services 
  • Explaining government rules and regulations 
  • Helping entrepreneurs apply for funding to launch or grow a business 

Start Small Think Big
Free legal, finance, and marketing resources and small business support to BIPOC entrepreneurs, women, LGBTQIA+ entrepreneurs, immigrants, veterans, entrepreneurs with disabilities, low-income entrepreneurs, and formerly incarcerated entrepreneurs. 

NYC Free Tax Prep for Self-Employed Filers
NYC Free Tax Prep for Self-Employed Filers provides free tax preparation services for gig workers, freelancers and small business owners who often face barriers to filing taxes and managing financial recordkeeping. In addition to providing annual and quarterly estimated tax filling preparation assistance, new workshops and one-on-one consultations will help the growing number of New Yorkers who perform gig and freelance work to learn the basics of tax filing and recordkeeping best practices as self-employed filers. This service is made available by the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. 

NYC SBS APEX Accelerator 
The NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) APEX Accelerator (NYC SBS APEX Accelerator) offers one-on-one assistance andtrainingto help businesses in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island, and Rockland, Suffolk, and Nassau counties that are interested in local, state, and federal government contracting. 

New York Business Express 
Helps guide you through your business and professional requirements. Fill out questionnaire and the Business Wizard will provide you with a list of everything you need to start your business.  

Small Business Bookkeeping and Accounting Podcast
Getting bookkeeping and accounting knowledge to the younger generation.

LEGAL ASSISTANCE

Commercial Lease Assistance Program 
If your business needs help with a commercial lease issue in New York City, you may be eligible for free legal services through the Commercial Lease Assistance Program. 
Free legal services are available to help eligible businesses:* 

  • Sign a new commercial lease 
  • Amend, renew, or terminate an existing commercial lease 
  • Address a commercial lease-related issue 

NYC Business Express Service Team (BEST) 
NYC BEST is your one-stop resource to working with City and State regulatory agencies and utilities. Services are available in multiple languages. They will help you:

  • Get Licenses and Permits Faster  
  • Avoid/Reduce Fines and Violations

Legal Aid Society 
The Legal Aid Society works throughout New York City to ensure everyone has access to justice. The Legal Aid Society’s specialized teams of attorneys, paralegals, and support staff advocate for the financial rights of New Yorkers in four distinct, yet interrelated, legal fields: consumer law, tax law, foreclosure prevention, and small business and not-for-profit legal assistance. 

Volunteers of Legal Services 
Helps small business owners and microentrepreneurs access high-quality, free legal services from dedicated staff and a network of pro bono lawyers.

ACTIONNYC 
The City of New York offers New Yorkers free, safe immigration legal help in a network of trusted community-based organizations at community sites, public health facilities, public schools, and libraries. Services are provided in your language. Your immigration status does not matter. 

New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) 
NYLAG is a leading civil legal services organization combatting economic, racial and social justice by advocating for people experiencing poverty or in crisis. Our services include comprehensive, free civil legal services, financial empowerment, impact litigation, policy advocacy, and community partnerships.  

LICENSE AND PERMITS

NYC Business Express Service Team (BEST)
NYC BEST is your one-stop resource to working with City and State regulatory agencies and utilities. They will help you –

  • Get Licenses and Permits Faster
  • Avoid/Reduce Fines and Violations

Services are available in multiple languages.

CREDIT BUILDING

Accompany Capital Workshop – How to Establish Good Credit
Please check our upcoming workshop schedule here or contact Francess Smith at 212-898-7850, or at [email protected] 

Myfico 
MyFICO is the official consumer division of FICO, the company that invented the FICO credit score. FICO® Scores are the most widely used credit scores, and have been an industry standard for more than 25 years.  

Annualcreditreport.com 
Free weekly online credit reports are available from each of the three major credit bureaus – Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Credit reports play an important role in your financial life and we encourage you to regularly check your credit history.  

GreenPath Debt Solutions:
GreenPath Financial Wellness is a trusted national nonprofit with more than 60-years of helping people build financial health and resiliency. Our NFCC-certified counselors give you options to manage credit card debt, student loans and homeownership.  

Creditwise
CreditWise is a completely free tool that allows you to monitor your VantageScore® 3.0 credit score. You can access CreditWise from your desktop or from your phone, so you have it at your fingertips. Using CreditWise to keep an eye on your credit won’t hurt your score. And it’s free for everyone, not just Capital One customers. 

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
The CFPB is a U.S. government agency dedicated to making sure you are treated fairly by banks, lenders and other financial institutions. Their website have resources to help you better understand credit reports and score, learn how to correct errors, and improve your credit record over time.  

New York Legal Assistance Group 
NYLAG’s financial counselors & coaches help clients navigate through financial crises and build long-term financial stability.  

  • Work with clients on managing, prioritizing, and paying down debt 
  • Help clients create and maintain a budget, establish a savings plan, deal with income and expense volatility, and commit to a goal 
  • Establish credit scores and improving credit reports 
  • Provide general information on taxes, insurance, and public benefits 
  • Deliver workshops and technical assistance to organizations and communities  

TRAINING & WORKSHOPS

SCORE Webinars 
SCORE offers free business training on a variety of small business topics. Watch low or no-cost webinars, attend a local workshop or enroll in online, interactive courses to gain new business knowledge and skills. 

SBS Business Courses 
The NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) offers free business courses to guide NYC entrepreneurs as they start, operate, and grow their businesses. Courses are available on core topics in entrepreneurship, including business planning, financing, and marketing, and are accessible in multiple languages, including Spanish, Chinese, and Russian 

NYWIB Webinars 
NYWIB is an alliance of eight different organizations with a common goal to support women entrepreneurs in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. When you join New York Women in Business (NYWIB), you join a strong network of women-owned businesses. An alliance of professional organizations, we help small business owners gain access to mentoring, networking, education and valuable business resources. NYWIB pools resources and expertise from eight different organizations.  

WE NYC   
WE NYC – Women Entrepreneurs of New York City- is the official initiative of the City of New York to support and empower women entrepreneurs. The first City program in the country to address the entrepreneurship gender gap by offering a set of business services tailored to the needs of women entrepreneurs. 

FUNDING

SBA Lender Match 
SBA Lender Match is a free online tool developed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to connect small businesses with SBA-approved lenders, especially Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and small lenders. Small business owners can use the tool to identify potential lenders in their communities and streamline the lending process 

CDFI Locator | OFN 
Free online tool to locate and learn more about Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) member CDFIs based in rural, urban, and Native communities across America.  

FOR TECH BUSINESSES

Tech Incubator at Queens College (TIQC)
TIQC helps startup companies and entrepreneurs to build successful tech-enabled companies by providing co-working space, mentorship and grant opportunities.  

FOR FOOD BUSINESSES

Hot Bread Kitchen 
Hot Bread Kitchen programs and services include professional skills training and career programs, job placement, food entrepreneurship and social services support. We have a built-in network of high-quality employers ready to hire women from our programs. Our food entrepreneurship offerings help small business owners seed, start and scale their ventures. And our team helps women overcome obstacles to success outside the workplace—from financial planning to childcare. 

IMMIGRANT & REFUGEE RESOURCES

International Rescue Committee in NYC  
The IRC in New York provides opportunities for refugees, asylees, victims of human trafficking, survivors of torture and other immigrants to thrive in America. Call 212-377-4728 

Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees  
Provides comprehensive and culturally sensitive programs that include community education, supportive services, and community organizing. Call 718-462-0791 

Women for Afghan Women (WAW) 
Organization dedicated to protecting and promoting the rights of disenfranchised Afghan women and girls, has worked since its founding in 2001 to provide life-changing, community-based programs to thousands of Afghan women, children and families throughout Afghanistan and the United States (US).  

Immigrant Small Business Guide 
This guide was created by the New York Immigration Coalition and Pratt Center for Community Development for all aspiring and current immigrant entrepreneurs, regardless of immigration status, to help you understand your options for starting and operating your own business in New York State. This guide is provided as an overview and includes information to help you decide which type of business structure is right for you, what the requirements are for forming your business, and some of the fees and taxes to expect so that you can stay open for business. 

Home Ownership – Accompany Capital’s Home Buying Program
To learn more about our program to assist low to moderate income households become homeowners, click here or contact Francess Smith either at 212-898-7850, or [email protected] 

New York Mortgage Coalition
Nonprofit collaboration of mainstream financial institutions and community housing agencies dedicated to helping low to moderate income families in New York become first-time homeowners. Through financial workshops and one-to-one counseling, they provide critical pre-purchase education. To find get information on resources for home buyers, go to www.nymc.org or call 212-742-0762

Asset Development Programs 
The Corporation for Economic Development (CFED) is a multi-faceted organization working at the local, state and federal levels to create economic opportunity that alleviates poverty. CFED was an early leader in the creation and growth of asset development programs like microenterprise and IDA programs which expand financial opportunities for low-income households. For further information on topics which range from innovation and advocacy in this field to a directory of all IDA Programs in the country, go to www.cfed.org.