Incorporate in New York
Starting a Business in New York
You would think that with all of the hustle and bustle that is New York, starting a business there would be a nightmare. Amazingly, that's not the case.
The State runs a small business resource web site that is a great place to start. You can request their free Small Business Startup Guide which is sent to you via U.S. Mail. They also offer you an opportunity to meet with four different business counseling agencies for free. You'll get free advice and how-to guidance from trained business professionals in the areas of writing a business plan, obtaining capital financing, locating employees and following business practices. The agencies include:
New York State Small
Business Development Centers (SBDC) which are are administered by
the U.S. Small Business Administration. They operate a network of offices
throughout the state and offer help on business plan development, loan
resource identification, accounting, financial planning, export information,
cost analysis, and marketing as well as targeted business training programs.
Entrepreneurial Assistance Program Centers (EAP) is another State Agency that specializes in providing the following information:
- Counseling on the feasibility of starting a business
- Assistance in refining a business concept and developing a business plan
- Education in established management principals and practices
- In-depth business counseling in product development and marketing
- Guidance in exporting, contract procurement and licensing
- One-on-one counseling in identifying and accessing capital and credit
- Access to business support networks
- Ongoing and continued technical assistance to program graduates including linkages to other small business services.
Then there is the US Small Business Administration (SBA), which, although a Federal agency, works with the various State agencies to provide assistance in the areas of technical, financial and management matters.
The site also links to the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) which is another Federal agency that coordinates assigning retired business executives who volunteer their services to small businesses as advisors and consultants.
If you don't have an Internet connection handy, you can reach New York's' Small Business Service Center at 1-800-STATE-NY.
The State is also quick to guide you through the bureaucratic maze of setting up your business organization. Whether you choose to be a sole proprietorship, general partnership, limited partnership, LLC, or a corporation, you only have to go to one place to get started.
Of course, the primary reason that any State wants to be "business friendly" is to increase their tax base. new York is no different. In fact, they have a pretty exhaustive web site that tells you exactly what's up when it comes to paying business income taxes.
Every month the State updates its Business Seminar calendar to tell you where you can go to attend free and very low cost business information and training seminars. Simply click on your region and drill down to whatever interests you.
Getting a business license can be another read tape hurdle, but New York doesn't want it to be. So they've put everything together in one spot. All you have to do is click and read.
You can have the most interesting product or service in the world. But, if people don't know about it, you'll starve. The State realizes that to, so they've provided some links to marketing and advertising resources to help you out.
The State also puts out a number of publications that are all designed to further your business development. They're all free and all worth reading.
The New York State Department of Labor is an excellent resource for not only learning what is required of a company that hires employees, but it's also an outstanding resource for finding new employees.
Speaking of employees, over 328,000 men and women are working in New York's "High Tech" industries. The State is so supportive of this market segment that they've devoted an entire web site to matching employers with employees.
If you are a minority or woman-owned business, New York has has a division that specializes in your needs as well.
The State also runs some venture capital funds that you might be eligible to participate in if your business meets their requirements.Yep, New York may be a lot of hustle and bustle, but they're all buttoned down when it comes to helping business. Remember -- if you can make it there, you'll make it anywhere. I love NY!