Entrepreneurial Services

Bayview Bridge
The Door County Economic Development Corporation is a great resource for anyone thinking about starting a new business in the Door County Peninsula. We have the programs, people and a proven track record of helping businesses of all sizes succeed. DCEDC wants to continue to nurture a strong entrepreneurial community spirit in Door County. Whatever your dream, we can help you achieve it. To speak with a member of our staff, please contact us any time.

In addition to our full time staff, a counselor from the Small Business Development Center at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay comes to Door County once a month to meet with entrepreneurs and other people wanting to start a business in the county. E-mail us to arrange a meeting.

New businesses find an enthusiastic, nurturing partner at the Business Development Center, a small business incubator located in the Sturgeon Bay Industrial Park. Tenants, paying competitive rents, share services and equipment, which allows them to keep overhead costs low and get off to a strong start in business.

Each year, DCEDC co-sponsors a multi-week entrepreneurial training course, taking students step-by-step through the process of writing a business plan. Registration for the course begins in January. E-mail us to get on the mailing list.

The Wisconsin Department of Commerce offers two grant opportunities for the creation of business plans for new businesses.

Wisconsin Early Planning Grant

The Early Planning Grant (EPG) program is designed to help individual entrepreneurs and small businesses obtain the professional services necessary to evaluate the feasibility of a proposed start up or expansion. Under the EPG program, the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Network (WEN) can provide a grant to cover a portion of the cost of hiring a for-profit, in-state, independent third party to develop a comprehensive business plan. In addition to formalizing an entrepreneur’s goals and objectives, a well-prepared business plan is critical to attract the capital financing necessary for a business to be successful. The grant (up to $3,000 and requiring a 25% match) is available to business start-ups in the following industry sectors:

  • Automation
  • Agriculture/Food Products
  • Biotechnology
  • Information Technology
  • Manufacturing
  • Medical Devices
  • Paper/Forest Products
  • Printing
  • Tourism
  • Childcare (not including in-home childcare)

Entreprenurial Training Grant

Provides funding for entrepreneurs to attend a course focused on determining the viability of their business. Coursework addresses legal and financial issues, staffing, accounting, record-keeping and marketing. In addition, individual counseling and coaching will help to complete the business plan and prepare to request financing from banks, investors and/or public institutions.

Each year, DCEDC co-sponsors a multi-week entrepreneurial training course, taking students step-by-step through the process of writing a business plan. The grant covers up to 75% of eligible tuition costs; you will be required to provide a cash match of at least 25% of the eligible tuition costs.

Commerce also has a toll-free Business Help Line (1-800-HELP-BUS) and a helpful “Building Your Business in Wisconsin” home page: www.wisconsin.gov/state/byb/.

There is also a wealth of other information available on the Internet regarding starting a business. For your convenience, some of the most helpful web sites are listed below:

View information regarding building permits and zoning in Door County.

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