Siegel, O'Connor, O'Donnell & Beck, PC

Small Business in Downtown New London

City of New London-Economic Development

111 Union Street, New London, CT 06320
Phone: 860-437-6309
Fax: 860-437-4467
Web: ci.new-london.ct.us
Email: Ned Hammond, Economic Development Coordinator

City of New London's Economic Development department provides a variety of business incentive programs including: Enterprise Zone Programs, special tax exemption program, Business Revolving Loan Fund, Facade Improvement Programs, and New London's Foreign Trade Zone. Contact Ned Hammond for complete information.

Mitchell College Center for Entrepreneurship

Mitchell College Center for Entrepreneurship
Peter Pappas, Director
Phone: (860) 572-9578 (Mystic Chamber of Commerce. Please call to schedule an appointment.)
Email:Don Benoit
Regional center serving New London, Norwich, Mystic.

Mitchell College Center for Entrepreneurship is a regional center offering business consultation that serves New London, Norwich, Mystic. Contact Mystic Chamber of Commerce (860) 572-9578.

Business classes are held at the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce. To schedule your workshop call for reservations and directions. $25 per class/$25 per hour for consultation. Schedule of classes & Brochure available here (PDF, 550 KB)

MCCE Business Counseling

Counseling is by appointment, available in New London on Mondays, Norwich on Tuesdays and Mystic on Wednesdays. Call our administrative service at the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce at (860) 572-9578 to schedule counseling and for directions to our offices.

Every effort is made to accommodate those with urgent business problems.The fee for counseling is $25.00 per hour. Telephone counseling, email reply and research time is billable. Travel time and mileage at $.445 per mile is billable.

Because this is an advisory service, not a consulting engagement, billable time is relatively short, averaging less than eight hours for business start-ups and four hours for existing businesses. Those who have reservations for counseling are requested to kindly call if they cannot attend.

Notice of at least one business day is requested to allow us to serve others who may be in urgent business situations. Fees apply for cancellation without adequate notice.

Confidential, private counseling services are available to address business issues such as:

  • Financing and loan application
  • Business plans
  • Marketing plans
  • Business start-up or expansion
  • Permitting and licensing
  • Regulation and tax compliance
  • Employer and human resources systems
  • Accounting and control systems
  • Business acquisition or sale
  • Crisis management and reorganization
  • Product development
  • Franchising
  • Graphic Design
  • Brand Development
  • Sales Strategies
  • Strategic Planning and Advertising Plans
  • Business Plan Preparation
  • Marketing
  • Recorded-Keeping
  • Financial Planning
  • Loan Packaging
  • Legal Referral Services
  • Production
  • General Management
  • Special Expertise in Accounting and Manufacturing

Participating Mitchell College faculty members:

  • Don Benoit
  • Laura Blake
  • Armand Giroux
  • Walter Patrick

Peter Pappas, Director of MCCE

Photo of Peter Pappas, Director of MCCE

Peter Pappas, the Director of the Mitchell College Center for Entrepreneurship has had a diverse industrial and retail career. He was principal of his own consulting business, working with manufacturing, retail and non-profit enterprises on marketing, accounting, finance and policy issues. He has been an Adjunct Professor of business at the University of Connecticut and Mitchell College. Trained as an engineer, he has designed and built manufacturing plants and retail centers in the U.S. and Mexico. He has managed the development and manufacturing of products including automotive sub-assemblies, books, electric motors, nuclear radiation measurement instruments and food products.

As an entrepreneur, he has been the chief executive officer of several closely held retail and service businesses. He holds a B.S. in Industrial Management from Lowell Technological Institute (now UMASS, Lowell), and an M.B.A. from Northeastern University.

He holds a B.S. in Industrial Management from Lowell Technological Institute (now UMASS, Lowell), and an M.B.A. from Northeastern University, where he was first in his class.

New London City Center District

The City Center District
2 State Street, Suite 200
New London, CT 06320
Phone: 860-442-2489
FAX: 860-447-0387
Web: nlccd.org
Email: district@sbcglobal.net

Comprised of the owners of 150 or so buildings in the downtown business district. Anyone owning a building within the district is automatically a member of CCD. Receives budget from City taxes. The City Center District then makes recommendations regarding the spending of the budget. The CCD attempts to make New London a better place to work and live.

Additional Resources

Also see our directory of legal and media services, banking and financial services and news publications available in the district.

Chamber of Commerce of Eastern CT

The Chamber of Commerce of Eastern CT offers SCORE counseling, SBA meetings, DECD meetings, US Dept of Commerce meetings, and CDA meetings with small businesses, both members and non-members.

Connecticut Small Business Adminstration District Office

Connecticut District Office, U.S. Small Business Adminstration
330 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Hartford, CT 06106-1800
Phone: 860-240-4700, TTD 800-877-8845
Web: sba.gov/localresources/district/ct/

The SBA's programs and services are available through the Connecticut District Office, which serves the entire state of Connecticut. Business Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 4:30 PM.

Request a Free Connecticut Small Business Resource Guide: The Start-up Kit is available in hard copy format or online.

Women's Business Center

Women's Business Center, Entrepreneurial Center at University of Hartford
50 Elizabeth Street, Hartford, CT 06105-2280
Phone: 860-768-5663
Web: entrepreneurialctr.org
Email: sbaowboct@hartford.edu

The Women's Business Center programs at the Entrepreneurial Center, University of Hartford provide training, technical assistance, counseling and mentoring - specifically to women. Some centers provide child care, and many provide their materials in Spanish and other languages. Many classes offered by the centers are either free or charge a small fee. There are also some scholarships to help those who need them.

The Entrepreneurial Center is a program of The Center for Professional Development, the community outreach division of the University of Hartford. The Women's Business Center is partially funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration's Office of Women's Business Ownership (OWBO).