Resources Available

The Laramie Main Street Alliance offers several incentive programs – loans, grants, and design assistance – to encourage thoughtful investment in downtown buildings and businesses.  We also provide information on how to make investments in ways that reinforce the district’s scale and character; on downtown market niches and needs and on business development and training.    

The Wyoming Entrepreneur

The Wyomign Entrepreneur consits of three programs:

The Wyoming Small Business Development Center (SBDC), a department of the University of Wyoming, consists of multiple offices throughout the state with business consultants who provide basic business education through consulting, classes and webinars, publications, web services, and referrals to related agencies.

The SBDC also includes the Wyoming Marketing Research Center (MRC) which offers free market research reports. The Wyoming PTAC (procurement technical assistance center) assists businesses who desire to sell products and/or services to the government.

The organization is funded through a co-operative agreement between the University of Wyoming, the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Wyoming Business Council.

The state office for SBDC is located on the university's Laramie campus at 1000 E University Ave # 3922, Laramie, WY 82071-2000. (307) 766-3505.

Wyoming Entrepreneur offers FREE assistance with business plans, business valuation, eCommerce (web), financial evaluation, international trade, Quickbooks, sustainability and research.

Are you ready to start a business?

Take the online quiz

The Wyoming Business Council

Helps entrepreneurs develop their business plan, identify problems, find capital, brainstorm strategies and propel their businesses to a profitable future.

Your regional rep for the Wyoming Business Council is Tom Johnson
Counties: Laramie, Platte, Albany, Goshen
Location: 1938 East Harney Street; Laramie, WY 82072
Phone: (307) 766-5357 E-mail: tom.johnson@wybusiness.org

Financial Assistance

Financial Resources from the Wyoming Business Council

The Wyoming Business Council offers a wide range of financial tools and services local businesses. Six different loan programs are offered. Included in these loan programs are the Wyoming Partnership Bridge loan program, an economic disaster loan program, and the Wyoming Main Street loan program detailed below .

In addition, the Wyoming business council offers bonds, references to private equity investors, assistance in accessing federal aid, and a trade show incentive program.

A brochure with more information regarding these programs can be found here.  Additional details can be found on the Wyoming Business Council website.

WY Main Street Loan Participation

The Wyoming Business Council can participate with a local lender on a loan to a building owner for building improvements to maintain the structure's historical charactor.  The state's portion of the participation may be up to 75% of the loan (maximum $100,000) in a shared note and collateral position with the local lender.
A brochure with more information regarding the Wyoming Main Street Loan program can be found here.

    For more information regarding the Wyoming low interest loan program, including applications

     a fact sheet, visit their website.

Rehabilitation Tax Credits

The Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives program is one of the nation's most successful and cost-effective community revitalization programs.  The program fosters private sector rehabilitation of historic buildings and promotes economic revitalization.  It also provides a strong alternative to government ownership and management of such properties.  Your building may be eligible for historic preservation tax credits if:
• The 20% rehabilitation tax credit equals 20% of the amount spent in a certified rehabilitation of a certified historic structure.
• The 10% rehabilitation tax credit equals 10% of the amount spent to rehabilitation a non-historic building built before 1936.

For more information, applications, and assistance on historic preservation tax credit projects, contact the Laramie Main Street Program or go to: http://www.cr.nps.gov/hps/TPS/tax/.

Training Opportunities

Online Classes through the Wyoming Small Business Development Center

Information & Guides

Design Guidelines

Design is a major component of the Main Street revitalization effort and is aimed at enhancing the overall physical image of the downtown business district.  Many features contribute to this image. Individual buildings – storefronts, signs, window displays and facades as a whole – generally establish the character of the downtown. These features are what make each town unique. Maintaining a design scheme for the downtown business district can enhance its existing physical assets and minimize its detractions. Design can serve to improve the district’s appearance, unify diverse elements, strengthen downtown’s image as a cohesive area, and provide balance between variation and consistency. Because the physical features of the downtown business district are key components of Laramie’s overall historic and cultural fabric, they should be preserved and maintained for future generations. The Design Committee, therefore, has developed a set of guidelines to aid business and property owners in the Laramie downtown district when considering making physical changes or improvements to their properties.

The Design Guidelines for Historic Downtown Laramie can be downloaded here.

Or, if you'd prefer to read a brochure summarizing the guidelines, click here.

NPS Preservation Briefs for Working with Historic Buildings

For over 25 years, the National Park Service’s Technical Preservation Services has helped home owners, preservation professionals, organizations, and government agencies by publishing easy-to read guidance on preserving, rehabilitating and restoring historic buildings.  The first Preservation Brief was published in 1975 and since then, over 40 more have been added to the series.  A complete listing of the briefs, along with a database organized by preservation issues, is available at:

http://www.cr.nps.gov/HPS/tps/briefs/presbhom.htm.

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