Driftland Advances, a small-business funding broker in Conway, Arkansas, lists the kinds of free and public help available to Faulkner County owners: small business development advising, the local chamber, economic development, state registration and tax offices, the SBA, and the city and county governments. None is affiliated with Driftland Advances, and none of them is a lender.
How to use this list
Funding is only one piece of running a business. Free advisers can help with a business plan, cash-flow projections and loan readiness; government offices handle registration, taxes and permits; membership groups offer contacts and referrals. None of the organizations below is affiliated with Driftland Advances, and listing them is not an endorsement.
Where an organization's official web address has not yet been confirmed by a person, we have left it out rather than guess.
City of Conway, AR and Faulkner County, AR
The City of Conway's official website is conwayarkansas.org and Faulkner County's is faulknercounty.org. Both addresses come from Wikidata and returned a working page when checked on 2026-10-16. The city site is the starting point for city business licensing, zoning and building permits, which our Conway, AR permits checklist covers in more detail. The county site is where to look for county offices such as property records.
Small Business Development Center advising
Small Business Development Centers belong to an SBA-funded national network that typically offers free one-on-one advising to owners and would-be owners. Advisers commonly help with business plans, financial projections, loan packages and market research. Arkansas small business development center is a common search phrase among owners in the state.
If you are preparing a funding request, an adviser can review your projections before a partner sees them. That costs nothing and often makes the request clearer.
Chamber of commerce
Owners around Conway, AR frequently search for the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce and its member directory. Chambers are private membership organizations: they run networking events, publish member directories and promote local business, but they do not lend money or approve funding. Be careful with search results, because there is also a chamber in Conway, SC.
Economic development
County and regional economic development organizations work on business recruitment, expansion projects, sites and buildings, and sometimes incentive programs. They are most useful to businesses planning a significant expansion or relocation. Owners searching for Conway, Arkansas economic development will find the relevant organization through the city or chamber.
State registration and tax accounts
State-level business records sit with the Arkansas Secretary of State, and state tax accounts with the state's revenue agency; which filings apply to your business is a question for those offices or your accountant. Lending partners often check entity status before funding; our Arkansas franchise tax and annual report guide explains why.
The SBA and SBA-backed loans
The U.S. Small Business Administration has district offices that serve each state. SBA-backed loans are made by SBA-participating lenders, not by the SBA itself and not through Driftland Advances. An SBDC adviser or the district office can explain whether an SBA loan suits your plans.
Grants
Driftland Advances has no grant program and arranges none. Grant programs, where they exist, are usually narrow and competitive; an SBDC adviser or the economic development organization is the right place to ask.
Faulkner County, AR in context
These resources serve a business base of 2,990 employer establishments and 11,019 no-payroll businesses in Faulkner County (U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023; Nonemployer Statistics 2024). Our Conway, AR page breaks the figures down. When you are ready to compare funding types, start with the six options side by side or term loans, or browse the other guides.
By Driftland Advances ยท Updated
