Morris County Library:Business Start-up

Morris County Library > Reference > Business start-up

Business start-up

Registrations ... Financing ... Government contracting... Employees ... Office space ... Counseling

Start-up procedures It all starts with a dream. Then it takes a workable plan, some number crunching, legal stuff and the guts to go. Ready?

U.S. Small Business Administration's homepage & U.S. Business Advisor
New Jersey's new business information ...step-by-step start-up procedures, online forms, etc.

Opportunities
Want to identify the "hot" business opportunities? Magazines, such as Entrepreneur, Venture and Inc., run articles on this topic on a regular basis. You can also find much of this information on the Internet. Just remember.....anyone can put anything on the Internet.....so it makes sense to evaluate (question?!) any prospect that seems too good to be true. Read what the Better Business Bureau has to say about Work-at-Home schemes

Starting a business, Entrepreneur Magazine
Entrepreneurial Edge, a service of the Edward Lowe Foundation
Buying a Business
Companies for sale: BizBuySell.com & BusinessesForSale.com
Franchises, WorldFranchising.com & Franchising opps, Entrepreneur magazine
Home Businesses
Not for profits
International trade
Government contracting

Financing
Financial backing is a major concern for most entrepreneurs. Where's the money? Start with Uncle Sam. Your federal government offers dozens of small business loan and incentive programs. Next, check out the business assistance programs managed by your state. Tapped out? Consider venture capital. You can go with private firms or deal with SBA licensed Small Business Investment Companies (SBIC) in your area. You can locate New Jersey banks and venture capital firms with the Reference USA database (require Morris County library card).

Venture Association of NJ

Tax information
Tax information for businesses, U.S. Internal Revenue Service
Business information, New Jersey Division of Taxation

Registrations
What's required? That depends upon your company's type of business,legal structure and location. All companies are required to register with their state's Division of Taxation and report to the IRS. Due to a recent NJ state government reorganization, incorporations and other legal identity registrations are now handled by the Division of Revenue (609) 292-6400. If you are starting a sole proprietorship or general partnership in the state of New Jersey you must register with County Clerk (s) where you do business. Morris County Clerk's office (973) 285-6148. Registrations for specific professions or businesses are handled by several state agencies. If you plan to do business in New Jersey, you can call (800) 533-0186 to find out exactly what you need. Health permits and zoning ordinances are managed on a municipal level. Ask your librarian to help you identify the appropriate agencies.

NJ Business Name Availability, search and online registration
Internal Revenue Service--business tax information & forms
NJ Business Gateway Services--one stop shop for state forms & registrations
Patents & Trademarks

Government contracting
Interested in doing business with Uncle Sam or the state of New Jersey?

NJIT Procurement Technical Assistance Center (Resources for companies that plan to do business with federal, state & local governments)
Federal government contracting--tips from the SBA
FedBizOpps--formerly Commerce Business Daily
Doing business with the state of New Jersey

Employees
Workforce New Jersey provides the information you need regarding employee filing laws, workers compensation and state employment incentive programs. New Jersey's wage and hour laws and regulations. Looking for qualified employees? Start here:

Workforce New Jersey (N.J. Department of Labor)
--post a job or search for resumes. Registration required (free).
One Stop Career Centers, New Jersey

Office space

Black's Guide, describes spaces & provides contacts
Industrial & Office Market Report/Colliers International

Business plans
Basic templates and specific examples by type of business are online. MCL owns the Business Plans Handbook in print, too.

Need help?
These organizations offer free and/or low-cost counseling services to entrepreneurs in all stages of planning and growth.

U.S. Small Business Administration
[NOTE: there is NO SBA office in Morris County]
Two Gateway Center, 15th Floor, Newark, NJ 07102
(973)645-2434 (800) 827-5722

Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE)
The following locations host SCORE, they do not necessarily run the programs.

Morris County Library/Whippany: (973) 442-6400 (this number is for the Picatinny
Arsenal Innovation Center, not the library)
3rd Wed: 6:00pm-8:00pm
Morris County Chamber of Commerce: (973) 539-3882 (Mon: 9:00am-Noon)
County College of Morris/Randolph: (973) 328-5187 (Thu: 9:00am-Noon)
Fairleigh Dickinson University/Madison: (973) 443-8801 (Wed: 9:00am-Noon)
Picatinny Arsenal Innovation Center/Dover: (973) 442-6400 ( Fri: 9:00am-Noon)