Westchester County Resources

• Westchester County Office of Economic Development’s main mission is quickly connecting business owners and their representatives with the information, financial and human resources their organizations need to start, expand, stay or come to Westchester County – New York’s Intellectual Capital.
• The Westchester County Association Inc. is a business-based membership organization committed to addressing public policy issues with respect to business advocacy and economic development on behalf of the region’s corporate and not-for-profit organizations. 
• Business Council of Westchester is a business membership organization committed to helping businesses market, learn, advocate, and grow.
• Westchester Library System in conjunction with the Westchester Government Office of the County Executive, collaborates with 38 libraries in Westchester County to provide access to resources and services and to enhance and support library service for the more than 940,000 residents.
• Westchester Export Assistance Center covering the Hudson Valley, Capital Region and North Country, is a part of the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce, a federal government agency dedicated to helping small-to-medium sized New York companies develop international markets.

New York State Resources

• NY Empire State Development Corporation directs a wide array of programs and initiatives to support small business growth and help entrepreneurs maximize their opportunities for success. The Entrepreneurial Assistance Program (EAP), in which WEDC participates, establishes centers in local communities to provide instruction, training, technical assistance and support services to individuals who have recently started their own business or are interested in starting a business. The program’s 24 EAP centers are strategically located throughout the State.
• New York State Small Business Development Center (SBDC) delivers high quality business counseling and training to New Yorkers who want to start a business or improve the performance of an existing business.  The Rockland SBDC serves Putnam, Rockland, and Westchester Counties.  Contact Louis Scamardella in Westchester County at lscamard@sunyrockland.edu.  In Rockland and Putnam Counties contact (845)356-6065.  In the Bronx contact Clarence Stanley at clarence.stanley@lehman.cuny.edu. 
  
• Online Permit Assistance and Licensing is a good resource for finding out about licenses and permits you may need to do business in New York State.

National Resources

• US Small Business Administration (SBA) – this site provides a vast amount of information about starting and growing a business including many on-line tutorials
  • SBA Office of Women’s Business Ownership oversees the Women's Business Center (WBC) program in which WEDC participates.  Through the management and technical assistance provided by the WBCs, entrepreneurs, especially women who are economically or socially disadvantaged, are offered comprehensive training and counseling on a vast array of topics in many languages to help them start and grow their own businesses.
  • SBA On-line Small Business Training- free on-line courses to learn the basics of small business topics related to your company
• Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) is a national membership organization and voice of microenterprise development in the United States. 
• Internal Revenue Service (IRS) – this Web site provides a wealth of information for small businesses and the self-employed
• National Association for the Self-Employed was founded in 1981 to provide day-to-day support, including direct access to experts, benefits, and consolidated buying power that traditionally had been available only to large corporations.
• Women Impacting Public Policy is a national bipartisan public policy organization.

• IBM SME Toolkit - general business information for entrepreneurs
•  The Entrepreneur's Help Page - resources and information relating to starting a business. Includes many articles on multiple topics of interest to small business
• MoneyWi$e - (partnership of Consumer Action and Capital One) – basic business information

• IRS - Tax information for businesses- including starting, operating and closing a business, employer id numbers
• IRS Tax Center - Useful links to small business information on IRS Web site
• SBA Small Business Planner - Handles Legal Concerns
• Pro Bono Partnership - provides nonprofit organizations with free, expert business legal advice
• Federal Trade Commission - includes regulations regarding truth in advertising, privacy and security and franchises
• New York Department of State - for information on required corporate filings, corporate and business entities, building and energy filings, and other related areas
  
• Online Permit Assistance and Licensing lists licenses and permits you may need to do business in New York State
• Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp's Credit Resource Center provides links to articles that include securing business loans, raising capital, analyzing new business technology and software, social marketing tips, risk management, and more.

     To protect intellectual property

• Patent and Trademark Office - Basic facts about trademarks
• Patent and Trademark Office - Basic facts about patents
• Copyright Office - Copyright office basics

• The Journal News
• Newsday-Westchester News
• The New York Times- Business & Finance News
• The Wall Street Journal
• Westchester County Business Journal

      See M/WBE page

 SCORE - on-line guidance from Senior Corp of Retired Executives

Westchester SCORE  - in- person mentoring
NYS SBDC- Rockland & Westchester- advice in export assistance,funding, licensing & regulations

• Ellen Parlapiano's Favorite Business Resources
• Lisa Tretler's Sampling of Market Research Resources- useful when writing a business plan