Growing Local: A Small Business Owner's Guide to Northshore Resources
- Connie Richard
- Aug 3
- 3 min read
Running a small business on the Northshore comes with a unique advantage: this region has spent years building out real infrastructure to help local businesses start, grow, and thrive. The challenge for most owners isn't a lack of resources — it's simply not knowing they exist. Whether you're just getting started or looking to scale, here's a roundup of the organizations, programs, and support systems available to Northshore entrepreneurs right now.
St. Tammany Corporation
St. Tammany Corporation serves as the parish's lead economic development organization — essentially, the comprehensive resource center for business formation and expansion throughout St. Tammany. Since 2018, the organization has helped facilitate hundreds of millions of dollars in capital investment and thousands of new and retained jobs across the parish. They've also earned national recognition, including accreditation from the International Economic Development Council.
Beyond large-scale economic development work, St. Tammany Corporation runs initiatives specifically aimed at entrepreneurs, including startup pilot programs and pitch competitions designed to help early-stage businesses get off the ground. If you're exploring site selection, incentive programs, or simply want a better read on the local economic landscape, this is a strong starting point.
St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce
With more than 1,000 member businesses — ranging from multi-national corporations to local storefronts — the St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce positions itself as a resource of choice for the business community. Membership opens the door to networking events, industry roundtables, seminars, and business counseling services.
The Chamber has also partnered with organizations like Shop Local Nola to help small businesses boost their online visibility and connect with more local customers — a free resource worth taking advantage of if you haven't claimed your business listing yet.
Louisiana Small Business Development Center (LSBDC) at Southeastern Louisiana University
If you want expert guidance without the price tag, the LSBDC is one of the best-kept secrets on the Northshore. This university-based program, funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration and Louisiana Economic Development, offers no-cost, confidential one-on-one consulting to both startups and existing businesses across Livingston, St. Helena, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, and Washington parishes.
Their consultants help with everything from business plan development and financial projections to industry research — the kind of support that often costs thousands of dollars through a private consultant. The center also hosts training seminars and workshops throughout the year on topics like financing, HR, and employee management.
SCORE
For business owners looking for free mentorship from experienced professionals, SCORE remains one of the most established resources available nationally, with regional support accessible to Northshore business owners through the Baton Rouge Area chapter. SCORE mentors work with both aspiring and current business owners on everything from business plans to day-to-day operational challenges.
Visibility matters just as much as good advice. ShopLocalNola.com, the Greater New Orleans area's largest directory for verified, locally owned businesses, gives Northshore businesses a free way to improve their online presence and get discovered by local shoppers. If your business is majority-owned by a local resident and in good standing with the Louisiana Secretary of State, it's worth claiming your free listing.
Support Beyond the Big Organizations
Local resources can help you build a stronger foundation — but running the day-to-day of a growing business still takes bandwidth most owners don't have enough of. That's where having the right support system for your daily operations makes the difference between a business that's just surviving and one that's actually positioned to grow.
At The Executive Office, we work alongside Northshore business owners to handle the administrative load — call answering, scheduling, bookkeeping, and client communication — so you can focus your energy on the strategic moves these local resources are helping you make.
📞 985.503.7330
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