Start a New Business in Ohio

The Ohio Department of Development supports the growth and sustainability of small, minority, and disadvantaged businesses. Supporting these businesses means providing them with technical and professional assistance, access to capital and bonding, and connection to business opportunities through the Minority Business Assistance Centers (MBAC).

The Ohio Department of Development works with entrepreneurs and emerging business enterprises to help them achieve scale and market success.

Ohio Department of Development
77 South High Street
29th Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: 800-848-1300

Ohio Department of Development website

The 1st Stop Business Connection provides free state-level information needed to get started or continue on your entrepreneurial journey. Resources include:

Startup Guide: Review Starting Your Business in Ohio for guidance on choosing a legal entity (such as a corporation or limited liability company or LLC) and registering with the Ohio Secretary of State, employer requirements, business taxes, and more.

Hiring Guide: What you need to know when hiring your first, or next, employee .

Checklists: Checklists cover state regulations for specific types of businesses across all industries.

State of Ohio 1st Stop Business Connection website

The Ohio SBA is supported by main district offices in Columbus and Cleveland as well as additional locations in Cincinnati and Dayton. 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 Columbus office serves Allen, Ashland, Athens, Auglaize, Belmont, Champaign, Chillicothe, Clinton, Coshocton, Crawford, Delaware, Fairfield, Fayette, Franklin, Gallia, Guernsey, Hancock, Hardin, Hocking, Holmes, Jackson, Knox, Lawrence, Licking, Logan, Madison, Marion, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Morrow, Muskingum, Noble, Paulding, Perry, Pickaway, Putnam, Richland, Shelby, Union, Van Wert, Vinton, Washington, and Wyandot counties.

The Cleveland office serves Ashtabula, Carroll, Columbiana, Cuyahoga, Defiance, Erie, Fulton, Geauga, Harrison, Henry, Huron, Jefferson, Lake, Lorain, Lucas, Mahoning, Medina, Ottawa, Portage, Sandusky, Seneca, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, Wayne, Williams, and Wood counties.

The Cincinnati location serves Adams, Brown, Clermont, Clinton, Hamilton, Highland, Pike, Ross, Scioto, and Warren counties.

The Dayton location serves Butler, Clark, Darke, Fayette, Green, Mercer, Miami, Montgomery, and Preble counties.

Examples of educational programs and events include Be Your Own Boss; How to Do Good While Doing Business; Basic Finances for Your Business; and New Lender Orientation.

Columbus district office:
65 East State Street
Suite 1350
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: 614-427-0407

Ohio SBA Columbus website

Cleveland district office:
1350 Euclid Avenue
Suite 211
Cleveland, Ohio 44115
Phone: 216-522-4180

Ohio SBA Cleveland website

The Ohio Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) provide business counseling and assistance to individuals who are either starting or growing their business. Each center is staffed with highly-trained, Certified Business Advisors (CBA) who help small businesses and entrepreneurs with development and growth to increase sales and create jobs in their local communities.

Services include:

• Business assessment evaluation

• Cash flow analysis

• Financial projections development

• Strategic business planning

• One-on-one business counseling

• Identifying sources of capital

• Workshops and training programs

• Marketing strategy development

• Market feasibility and research

• Export assistance

Cleveland State University
Monte Ahjua College of Business
1860 East 18th Street
Room BU308
Cleveland, Ohio 44115
Phone: 216-687-6902

Ohio Small Business Development Centers website

Additional SBDC offices are located in Akron, Archbold, Ashland, Athens, Cambridge, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Elyria, Fremont, Kirtland, Lebanon, Lima, Marietta, Middletown, New Philadelphia, North Canton, Piketon, Springfield, Toledo, Warren County, West Chester, and Youngstown.

The Women's Small Business Accelerator (WSBA) is a non-profit accelerator founded by successful women business owners for women business owners. They provide education, peer support, mentoring, and accountability to help women on their entrepreneurial journey start and grow their own businesses.

The Inspired Entrepreneur program is a business accelerator for women entrepreneurs that have launched their business, who have not monetized their business, are not profitable, and simply are not where they need to be to scale and grow their business. The Inspired Entrepreneur program is an intensive accelerator program designed to develop and grow a small business through facilitated small group sessions combined with one-on-one coaching. The end result is a completed business plan, a polished elevator pitch, and an implementation plan for a profitable business.

25 North Street
Dublin, Ohio 43017
Phone: 614-414-2449

Women’s Small Business Accelerator website

The ECDI Women's Business Centers of Ohio (WBCs) are dedicated to eliminating the obstacles women face in the world of business by providing resources, training and access to capital. WCDI enables you to:

Start Up: Go from idea to open, or shore up on business basics before your young company takes off.

Stay Up: If your business is off the launch pad, and you're looking for ways to fly higher (or better).

Scale Up: When you're gearing up to grow, you'll find next-level mentors and resources.

Central Ohio
1655 Old Leonard Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43219
Phone: 614-732-0897

Northern Ohio
7000 Euclid Avenue
Suite 203
Cleveland, Ohio 44103
Phone: 216-912-5662

Greater Cincinnati
1776 Mentor Avenue
Suite 225
Cincinnati, Ohio 45212
Phone: 513-230-2500

Central Appalachia
Shawnee State University Kricker Innovation Hub
221 Chillicothe Street
Portsmouth, Ohio 45662
Phone: 740-970-0727

ECDI Women’s Business Centers of Ohio website

The NAWBO Columbus Roundtables program provides both first-time and experienced business owners with a confidential, supportive group to share ideas, insights, advice, and inspiration.

Each Roundtable consists of approximately five to nine women business owners who meet monthly to discuss the individual challenges, concerns and triumphs that come with owning your own business. Each of the participants is a woman who understands the pressures of business ownership and has relevant experience to share.

There are general roundtables for all types of businesses, no matter the size or how long you’ve been in business.

1201 Dublin Road
Suite 627
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: 614-636-2926

NAWBO Columbus website

SCORE Ohio is a group of volunteer business mentors who provide guidance to those desiring to start up a new small business or to assist existing small businesses in improving their profitability.

Volunteers are successful real-world business professionals who help existing and startup businesses succeed. They are experts 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 disciplines.

SCORE Ohio 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 and webinars

65 E State Street #1350
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: 614-664-7267
Greater Central Ohio area

SCORE Columbus website

55 N. Mulberry Street
Chamber of Commerce
Mansfield, Ohio 44902
Phone: 419)-522-3211 Ext. 226
Serving Ashland, Crawford, Knox, Marion, Richland, and Wyandot counties.

North Central Ohio website

1350 Euclid Avenue, #216
Cleveland, Ohio 44115
Phone: 216-503-8160
Serving Northeast Ohio - Cuyahoga, Lake, Lorain, Geauga, Ashtabula, Huron, Erie, Trumbull counties.

SCORE Cleveland website

Jackson Township Administrative Office

5735 Wales Avenue NW
Massillon, Ohio 44646
Phone: 330-451-6509
Serving Stark, Carroll, Holmes, Tuscarawas, Columbiana, & Harrison counties.

SCORE Canton website

5818 Wilmington Pike #247
Dayton, Ohio 45459
Phone: 937-867-2000
Serving the Miami Valley area

SCORE Dayton website

Summit County Bldg, 175
South Main Street
Suite 204
Akron, Ohio 44308|
Phone: 330-379-3163
Serving Medina, Portage, Summit, Mahoning, and Wayne counties.

SCORE Akron 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 Resources website

The Economic & Community Development Institute (ECDI) is one of the top U.S. Small Business Administration intermediary microlenders with a mission to invest in people to create measurable and enduring social and economic change.

ECDI provides responsible, affordable lending and comprehensive small business development services to help underbanked people and communities join the economic mainstream. ECDI’s target population includes low-moderate income individuals, minorities, women, immigrants, and refugees, and those otherwise precluded from funding from a traditional financial institution.

ECDI headquarters:
1655 Old Leonard Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43219
Phone: 614-559-0115

ECDI website

Additional ECDI offices are located in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Akron, Toledo, Canton, and Portsmouth.

Innovation and entrepreneurial spirit, global awareness and principled leadership are essential to what distinguishes Fisher College of Business graduates when they enter the work force.

The Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship provides a campus-wide hub for collaboration and engagement with early-stage capital, startup talent, and robust programming resources to maximize opportunities for social and economic impact.

• Funding: Funding sources provide support for both faculty innovators and young Ohio State startups to advance the maturity of the technology or company and enhance prospects for getting innovations to market.

• Education: Webinars, workshops and training opportunities are available for all levels of experience.

• Venture Development: Venture development includes business model creation, financing plans, value proposition, customer validation, and scalability analysis.

• Talent: Engage with entrepreneurs, internship opportunities, startup mentoring services, and team development.

• Programs: Opportunities are available to develop an entrepreneurial skillset through events, seminars, competitions, online resources and more.

Fisher College of Business
2100 Neil Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43210

Ohio State University Fisher College of Business website

Dedicated to helping ambitious adults succeed, the Franklin University Ross College of Business helps you discover what it takes to become an adaptive professional, delivering breakthrough business solutions.

The Franklin University Ross College of Business develops students to become leaders who solve global business challenges of today and tomorrow.

Franklin University
201 South Grant Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: 614-797-4700

Franklin University Ross College of Business website

Ohio Business Magazine discusses business achievements, community issues and development, lessons learned, upcoming events, and other related topic for shared prosperity. It is also a founding member of Main Street United, whose mission is helping businesses and communities promote, connect, and thrive.

Cincinnati Club Building
225 E. Sixth Street
Second Floor
Cincinnati, Ohio 4520
Phone: 513.421.2533

Ohio Business Magazine website

Smart Business Magazine offers insight, advice and strategy for C-level executives.

The magazine highlight CEOs and senior executives who achieve success and demonstrate innovative leadership, honing in on how and why smart leaders get the job done. It demonstrates how business leaders made it to the top and offers advice on how other leaders can do the same.

835 Sharon Drive
Suite 200
Cleveland, Ohio 44145
Phone: 440-250-7000

Smart Business Magazine website

Crain’s Cleveland Business is a trusted source for business news and information for Northeast Ohio’s top executives and business owners.

It is a leading source for weekly business news, analysis and commentary. Every Monday, its staff reports on area companies, executives and business owners in manufacturing, finance, healthcare, real estate, higher education, government, non-profit, technology, small business, law and more.

700 W. St. Clair
Suite 310
Cleveland, Ohio 44113
Phone: 216-522-1383

Crain’s Cleveland Business website

Columbus Business First is the leading source for business news, data, and networking for the Central Ohio area, where you can gather all the information, insights and connections you need to succeed in business.

300 Marconi Boulevard
Suite 105
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: 614-461-4040

Columbus Business First website

The mission of The Business Journal is to provide the latest business and industry news to business owners, executives, professionals, and government and civic leaders throughout the Youngstown market. The publication encompasses a five-county area including Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties in Ohio as well as Mercer and Lawrence in Pennsylvania.

The Business Journal is widely regarded by the business community as one of the most valuable sources of commerce news. Regular features include industry and market reports, company success stories, and updates on economic development initiatives.

25 East Boardman Street
Suite 306
PO Box 714
Youngstown, Ohio 44501
Phone: 330-744-5023

The Business Journal website