Start a New Business in New York

New York’s State of New York Start a Business website includes information and resources on How to Form a Business Entity; Understand Required Insurance; Get Start-Up Assistance, Business Planning, and Training; Capital Financing Options; Research/Market Data; Apply for Minority Women Business Enterprise (MWBE) Certification; and more.

Division for Small Business at NYS Empire State Development
Phone: 1-800-782-8369

State of New York Start a Business website

Start, operate, and grow your business in New York City with NYC MyCity Business website. It helps you:

• get resources by industry

• utilize business services like Certifications, Education Programs, Financial Assistance, Incentives, Initiatives, Legal Assistance, Mentorship, Recruitment and Training, and Regulatory Assistance

• prepare for emergencies

• understand required licenses and permits

NYC MyCity Business website

The New York SBA is supported by main district offices in Buffalo, Metro New York, and Syracuse, as well as additional locations in Rochester, Hauppauge, Elmira, and Albany. They provide services including funding programs, counseling, federal contracting, certifications, and disaster recovery. They can also connect you to partner organizations, lenders, and other community groups that help small businesses succeed.

The Buffalo office serves Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming counties.

The Rochester location serves Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Seneca, Wayne, and Yates counties.

The New York City Metro office serves Kings, Queens, Bronx, Dutchess, New York, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Richmond, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester counties.

The Hauppauge location serves Nassau and Suffolk counties.

The Syracuse office serves Franklin, St. Lawrence, Jefferson, Lewis, Herkimer, Hamilton, Fulton, Montgomery, Oneida, Oswego, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Madison counties.

The Elmira location serves Otsego, Delaware, Chenango, Broome, Tioga, Cortland, Tompkins, Chemung, Schuyler, and Steuben counties.

Examples of educational programs and events include Business Prep: Count to 10 Before You Jump In; Basic Elements of a Business Plan; Business Pricing Strategies; Legal Basics Workshop; and Introduction to QuickBooks.

Buffalo district office:
130 South Elmwood Avenue
Suite 540
Buffalo, New York 14202
Phone: 716-551-4301

New York SBA Buffalo website

New York City Metro district office:
26 Federal Place
Suite 3100
New York, New York 10278
Phone: 212-264-4354

New York SBA NYC website

Syracuse district office:
224 Harrison Street
Suite 506
Syracuse, New York 13202
Phone: 315-471-9393

New York SBA Syracuse website

Rochester location:
100 State Street
Room 410
Rochester, New York 14614
Phone: 585-263-6700

Hauppauge location:
350 Motor Parkway
Suite 109
Hauppauge, New York 11788
Phone: 631-454-0750

Elmira location:
333 East Water Street
Suite 4
Elmira, New York 14901
Phone: 607-734-8130

Albany location:
1 Computer Drive South
Albany, New York 12205
Phone: 518-446-1118

Women Entrepreneurs NYC (WE NYC) empowers women entrepreneurs to start, operate, and grow their businesses by connecting women with resources and community.

• WE Master: Learn how to improve your credit and its impact on your business, assess financing options for your business, and promote your business and build leadership skills.

• WE Connect: Successful women entrepreneurs share their expertise and answer your questions during weekly sessions, and event series featuring networking, small group discussion, and inspiring speakers.

• WE Legal: Receive legal advice from NYC firms on a variety of crucial topics during one-on-one consultations.

Women Entrepreneurs NYC website

The Women’s Business Center helps clients in all stages of business development, from the newly established to more experienced owners who want to take their business to the next level. Programs include:

• WBC Business Counseling: The WBC offers a diverse set of options to help you get what you need for your business at any stage.

• WBC Networking: Expand your professional outreach with public and member-exclusive networking events.

• WBC Advisory and Mentorship: Become part of year-long confidential peer groups that will enable you to share issues and concerns and obtain real-world ideas and solutions.

• WBC E-Commerce: Step-by-step instruction on how to incorporate e-commerce into your website.

• WBC Certifications: Learn about different kinds of certifications available and how it could help you to do business with the government at the Federal, State and City/County level.

1901 Main Street
Buffalo, New York 14208
Phone: 716-888-8280

Women’s Business Center at Canisius University website

The Brooklyn ​Women’s Business Center serves women and minority business owners in the East Brooklyn neighborhoods. Since its inception, the WBC has served thousands of entrepreneurs and small business owners through training and one-on-one counseling and coaching services. ​

• MWBE Certification: Grow your business by getting it certified as a minority or woman-owned enterprise.

• Training: Workshops and training are enhanced with individual business counseling and technical assistance.

• Planning: Staff offers research assistance in understanding your market segments and identifying industry trends that support your growth plans.

• Coaching: Counseling, coaching, and technical assistance is provided by highly qualified counselors who understand first hand the challenges of starting a business.

• Marketing: Counselors assist with marketing strategies and campaigns to reach your target audience by identifying the best channels and platforms.

Brooklyn Women's Business Center at the Local Development Corporation of East New York
80 Jamaica Avenue
Third Floor
Brooklyn, New York 11207
Phone: 718-385-6700

Brooklyn Women’s Business Center at LDCENY website

WISE stands for Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship. It is dedicated to empowering women small business owners through comprehensive training programs, counseling, and connection.

Business counseling programs are meant for entrepreneurs at most stages, whether you're exploring the idea of small business ownership, have an idea and need help launching, or are established and looking to grow.

• Expert advice: Counselors all run their own successful businesses and speak from years of experience across various industries.

• No-cost: Counseling is provided at no cost to clients. You can continue meeting with your counselor as long as you're working towards your goals.

• Tailored to you: Your counselor will invest time in getting to know you, your business, your customers, and your goals. Nothing is templatized.

• Flexible: Schedule sessions weekly, monthly, or just once in a while. Meet via Zoom or in-person, whatever you're most comfortable with.

Equitable Tower 1
100 Madison Street
Syracuse, New York 13202
Phone: 315-443-8634

WISE Women’s Business Center website

The New York Small Business Development Center (New York SBDC) provides expert management and technical assistance to start-up and existing businesses across the state.

The New York SBDC emphasizes counseling and training services to women, veterans, people with special needs, and minority clients. Full-time professional SBDC business advisors, with the knowledge and experience to provide entrepreneurs with expert counseling and training, staff each SBDC regional center.

New York Small Business Development Center
State University of New York
SUNY System Administration
H. Carl McCall SUNY Building
353 Broadway
Albany, New York 12246
Phone: 518-944-2840

Small Business Development Center New York website

Additional SBDC New York offices are located across the state, including University at Albany SBDC, Binghamton University SBDC, SUNY College at Brockport SBDC, Bronx - Lehman College SBDC, Brooklyn SBDC, Buffalo State College SBDC, SUNY Canton SBDC, Columbia-Harlem SBDC, Farmingdale State College SBDC, Jamestown Community College SBDC, Manhattan - Baruch College SBDC, Manhattan - Pace University SBDC, Mid-Hudson SBDC, Mohawk Valley SBDC, Niagara Community College SBDC, Onondaga SBDC, Queens - LaGuardia SBDC, Queens - York College SBDC, Rockland SBDC, Staten Island SBDC, Stony Brook University SBDC, and Watertown SBDC.

NAWBO NYC shares resources, knowledge, and opportunities with women in the New York City metropolitan area to help strengthen their businesses. These women come from all backgrounds and run all types of businesses from sole proprietorships to partnerships to corporations, and more.

NAWBO NYC women are open to sharing their experiences, opinions, and perspectives with their fellow female entrepreneurs. Guest experts also speak on a range of topics, including leadership, sales, marketing, finance, and public policy, plus programs on work/life balance, time management, health, and more.

244 Fifth Avenue
2nd Floor, Suite D60
New York, New York 10001
Phone: 1-800-348-0489

NAWBO New York City website

The NY Women’s Chamber of Commerce empowers women and minorities in the New York area by providing the resources, education, counseling, coaching, and access to capital that help them achieve business and professional success.

NY Women’s Chamber of Commerce:

• Advocates for women and minority entrepreneurs, acting as the collective voice for women, entrepreneurs of color and small businesses on public policy and economic development decisions at all levels of government.

• Connects women and minority entrepreneurs to clients, business networks, funding sources, government agencies, and corporations for business and contracting opportunities.

• Opens doors by working with government, corporations, small businesses, and community stakeholders to break down barriers to entry and ensure that women and minority entrepreneurs of color are included in economic opportunities and given access to the resources they need to build capacity, grow their business and create generational wealth.

1524 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, New York 10031
Phone: 212-491-9640

New York Women’s Chamber of Commerce website

SCORE New York offices are staffed by experienced business professionals who guide those desiring to start a new business or assist existing small businesses in improving their profitability.

Volunteers are successful real-world business professionals with experience in areas such as accounting, finance, human resources, consulting, import/export, law, operations, production, retail, wholesale, manufacturing, sales, marketing, management, business plan preparation, strategic planning, and many other business disciplines.

SCORE New York provides:

• Volunteer mentors who share their expertise across many industries

• Free, confidential business mentoring in person, via email, or by video

• Free business tools, templates, and tips

• Inexpensive or free business workshops (locally) and webinars (online 24/7)

SCORE New York City serving Greater New York City
26 Federal Plaza, Room 3100
New York, New York 10278
Phone: 212-264-4507

SCORE New York City website

SCORE Staten Island serving Staten Island and surrounding neighborhoods
1855 Victory Boulevard
Staten Island, New York 10314
Phone: 718-727-1221

SCORE Staten Island website

SCORE Queens
CEP Hall 2 65-30 Kissena Boulevard
Flushing, New York 11367
Phone: 347-470-4890

SCORE Queens website

SCORE Long Island
350 Motor Parkway
Suite #109
Hauppauge, New York 11788
Phone: 631-454-0771

SCORE Long Island website

The U.S. Small Business Administration helps small businesses get the funding they need. Funding resources include:

• Loans: Start or expand your business with loans guaranteed by the SBA.

• Investment capital: Find an investor for your business. Investors make both debt and equity investments.

• Disaster assistance: Get help after a disaster with low-interest disaster loans.

• Surety bonds: Protect your work and your client with an SBA-guaranteed surety bond.

• Grants: Look for government grants that help businesses do scientific research and development.

United States Small Business Administration Funding Sources website

The New York City Funds Finder is a program of the NYC Department of Small Business Services. The online platform enables small businesses to access funding products and connect with financing advisors who can provide guidance on suitable financial products, help with document preparation, and connect with multiple providers.

The NYC Department of Small Businesses provides direct support to business owners, promotes neighborhood development, and connects employers with qualified workers. The agency operates business centers, offers grants and services to support local organizations, oversees the City’s Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), and administers the Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) Program.

New York City Funds Finder website

The Cornell SC Johnson College of Business is comprised of the university's three accredited business schools: the Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration, the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, and the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management. Bringing together the excellence and breadth of Cornell's leading undergraduate, graduate and professional business programs, the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business is a collaborative and comprehensive business management program.

Cornell University
410 Thurston Avenue
Ithaca, New York 14853

Cornell University SC Johnson College of Business website

The Leonard N. Stern School of Business offers B.S., M.B.A., and Ph.D. degrees specializing in accounting, economics, finance, information systems, international business, management, marketing, operations management, statistics, and actuarial science.

Berkley Center for Entrepreneurship is a venture design studio that nurtures NYU entrepreneurs.

Seasoned advisors and subject matter experts are ready to help entrepreneurs at each step along their startup journey.

Venture accelerators provide focused training, coaching, resources, and funding for high-potential founding teams.

From evening workshops to full day bootcamps and networking events, there's always something going on and new things to learn.

Berkley Center for Entrepreneurship
40 West 4th Street
#400
New York, New York 10012
Phone: 212-998-0070

New York University Stern School of Business Berkley Center for Entrepreneurship

New York Business Journal presents the latest breaking business news, insights, the week's top stories, and other popular features from across the New York business community. It is the leading source for news and data for the New York metropolitan area.

1 World Trade Center
Mailroom Floor 40
New York, New York 10007
Phone: 212-500-0600

New York Business Journal website

Crain’s New York Business brings you continuous coverage of local business news to keep you informed and ahead of the competition. Crain's reports on business opportunities, deals, breaking news stories, detailed statistics, and market information, on more than a dozen key New York industries.

Crain’s New York Business is the trusted voice of the New York business community—connecting businesses across the five boroughs by providing analysis and opinion on how to navigate New York’s complex business and political landscape.

685 Third Avenue
New York, New York 10017
Phone: 212-210-0100

Crain’s New York Business website

NNY Business is a monthly magazine that features north country businesses, people, and topics relating to the business community. You will find the latest news and information from Jefferson, St. Lawrence, Oswego and Lewis counties.

260 Washington Street
Watertown, New York 13601
Phone: (315) 782-1000

NNY Business website

Long Island Business News is Long Island’s only publication devoted to local commerce and actionable business news about the region's economic trends and business sectors.

Trusted by the Long Island business community, LIBN is the only publication that delivers local business news about Nassau and Suffolk’s business community.

2150 Smithtown Avenue
Suite 7
Ronkonkoma, New York 11779
Phone: 631-737-1700

Long Island Business News website

The Central New York Business Journal is the only print, digital, and events company in Central New York that focuses on local business new in a 16-county area of Central New York, including Syracuse, Binghamton, Ithaca, Utica-Rome, and Watertown. Its emphasis is on business owners, managers, and other corporate decision-makers and read by business and nonprofit professionals.

415 W. Fayette Street
Syracuse, New York 13204
Phone: 315-472-3104

Central New York Business Journal website