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State of Ohio and Regional Resources

Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association (OMEGA):

  • Revolving Loan Fund Program — offers fixed rate low-interest loans to private-for-profit businesses in conjunction with bank financing

Ohio Business Gateway:

  • Business licenses and permits required by State of Ohio

Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation:

  • Employers — review available services; apply for coverage, etc.
  • Safety Services — training and grants

Ohio Department of Commerce:

  • Divisions — Industrial Compliance, Liquor Control, State Fire Marshall, Real Estate, etc.
  • Resources — laws and rules, orders and policies, helpful links, etc.

Ohio Civil Rights Commission – Businesses:

  • Charge Responses - how to respond to a charge of discrimination
  • Mediation Process, equal employment practice poster, training requests, brochures, etc.

Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency:

  • Click on Ohio or enter zip code — lists policies and incentives for Ohio

Ohio Environmental Protection Agency – Do Business:

  • Office of Compliance Assistance and Pollution Prevention, permit fees, small business assistance, financial assistance, recycling, etc.

Jobs & Family Services Office of Workforce Dev. – Employers:

  • Ohio Means Jobs — post a job order for free and register to search resumes
  • On-the-Job Training — federally funded program that helps hire and train individuals
  • Disabled Veterans Outreach Program

Minority Business Development Division:

  • Access to capital for small and minority businesses; minority business assistance centers
  • Minority Certifications — EDGE (encouraging diversity, growth, and equity), MBE (minority business enterprise)

State of Ohio – Business:

  • Starting a Business — 1st Stop Business Connection, licensing, counseling, etc.
  • Hiring and training employees, filings and payments, licenses and permits, laws and regulations
  • Financial Assistance — bonds, grants, loans, and tax credits

Attorney General – How may we help you? Who am I? Business:

  • Services — Antitrust Business Review Program, background checks, collections, file a complaint about a product or service, support for small business, etc.

Ohio New Hire Reporting Center:

  • Federal and state law requires employers to report newly hired employees to the Ohio New Hire Reporting Center; register to report new hires electronically
  • Employer Resources — links to many state agencies

Ohio Small Business Development Centers (SBDC):

  • Tool Box:
    • First Stop Business Connection — help with finding licenses, regulations, permits, etc.
    • National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) — provides day-to-day support, including direct access to experts, benefits, and consolidated buying power
    • Ohio Business Gateway — the most comprehensive online business service available; makes government accessible by helping you find the information and services you need to keep your business thriving
  • Local Centers:
    • Contact information for all Ohio Small Business Development Centers
    • Online request for counseling services
    • Training — training events including local training with online registration

Treasurer of Ohio  Economic Development:

  • GrowNow, Ag-Link, ReEnergize Ohio, etc.

Ohio Secretary of State – Businesses:

  • Business Services — business name search/availability, register business name, filing forms and fee schedule (name registration, trademarks, UCCs, etc.)
  • Business Information — starting a business, business identity theft, business publications, glossary of business entities, etc.

Ohio Department of Taxation – Business:

  • Register for taxes, file business taxes online, download tax forms
  • Vendors License — Ohio law requires any person or business making retail sales of tangible personal property or taxable services to register for the sales tax by obtaining a vendor's license
  • Additional Business Resources — due dates, municipal sites, sales and use tax, commercial activity tax, tutorials, etc.

Ohio Tax Identification (ID) Number:

  • Information regarding which tax ID numbers are legally required for your business
  • 4 Tax ID Numbers — business tax registration ID, state sales tax ID, federal tax ID (EIN), and state employer ID
  • All businesses are required to identify their business with one of two numbers: either a Social Security Number (SSN) or a Federal Tax ID number (EIN). If you are a sole proprietor, your SSN can be used on all your tax forms and other official documents. However, most small business advisors recommend that you apply for a Federal Tax ID Number (EIN) and use that number instead of your SSN.

TechGROWTH Ohio – Entrepreneurs:

  • Assists entrepreneurs with commercializing a new technology innovation (i.e., biosciences, agricultural sciences, advanced energy, digital media, innovative general business ideas, etc.)
  • Intense operational services (mentoring, resources, patents, etc.)
  • Mini-Grants
  • Apply for assistance online

Federal Resources

Americans with Disabilities Act: 

  • Information, technical assistance, compliance, etc.

Business USA:

  • Start or grow your business, finance your business, explore exporting, explore state and local resources, hiring employees, Veteran resources, taxes, etc.

U.S. Census Bureau – Topics – Business:

  • Data sources for business sectors including manufacturing, mining, retail trade, services, wholesale, etc., i.e., county business patterns, statistics, surveys, etc.
  • NAICS Classification Codes

Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency:

  • Click on Ohio or enter zip code — lists policies and incentives for Ohio

Department of Labor – Wage and Hour Division:

  • Davis-Bacon compliance, prevailing wage resource book, contract work hours and safety standards act guide, etc.
  • For Employers — regulatory library, posters, forms, fact sheets, compliance assistance, etc.

Dun & Bradstreet – D-U-N-S Number

  • A DUNS number is a business identification system used by businesses, banks, and government to learn about your business, track trends/statistics, track grants/government loans, etc.
  • A DUNS number establishes credibility with lenders and is required to do business with the government and foreign entities

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Laws and Regulations:

  • By business sector, by topic, compliance, policy and guidance, etc.

National Flood Insurance Program – Commercial Coverage:

  • Business property risk, policy rates, understanding the basics, agent locator, etc.

Internal Revenue Service – Filing – Small Businesses and Self-Employed:

  • Paying and filing your business taxes, download forms (SS-4, W-2, 1040, etc.)
  • Apply for your EIN (Employer Identification Number)
  • Employment taxes, self-employment taxes, etc.
  • e-File form 940, 941 or 944 for small businesses, filing past due returns, etc.

Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA):

  • Start, finance, expand your business
  • Access to capital, access to contracts, access to markets
  • Research Library – fact sheets, publications, etc.
  • Strategic business consulting, webinars, locate a MBDA business center, etc.

North American Industry Classification System (NAICS):

  • NAICS — standard used by federal agencies to classifying businesses for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and publishing statistical data related to the U.S. business economy
  • Also lists SIC codes

U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration – Employers – Small Business:

  • Compliance Assistance Quick Start — a tool to introduce employers, especially those at new or small businesses, to the compliance assistance resources on OSHA's website
  • SHARP — free on-site consultation program
  • Small business resources

U.S. Small Business Administration:

  • Starting and managing a business, loans & grants, contracting, learning center, assistance
  • Create business plans; register your business; obtain business licenses, etc.
  • Business guides by industry, business forms; free online training or request local assistance
  • Veterans — Boot to Business program

SBDC National Information Clearinghouse:

  • Small Business Help Topics — business plans, finance, human resources, marketing, veteran resources, import/export help, etc.
  • Small Business Snapshots — market research reports cover industry trends, market statistics, customer demographics, recent business articles, and links to industry trade associations

U.S. Department of State – Businesses:

  • Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization — assistance and support, publications, Mentor-Protégé Program, Veteran Owned Small Business Program, etc.
  • Direct Line Program — provides unique opportunity for U.S. businesses interested in expanding to engage directly via webcast with U.S. Ambassadors overseas to promote their business

Social Security Administration – Business & Government – Business Services:

  • Employer W-2 filing provides guidance to employers and businesses on reporting wages to Social Security; file W-2s/W-2Cs online
  • Social Security Number Verification Service — verify SSNs of current and former employees
  • Self-employed individuals, service-disabled Veteran-owned small businesses, etc.

U.S. Government – Jobs and Unemployment – For Business Owners:

  • Grow or start a business, starting a non-profit, importing and exporting, tax issues, etc.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services:

  • Forms — I-9 employment eligibility verification form, I-765 application for employment authorization, etc.
  • Tools — E-Verify, self-check, research, etc.

United States Patent and Trademark Office:

  • Patents — patent basics, application process, maintaining a patent, file online, etc.
  • Trademarks — trademark basics, application process, maintaining trademarks, etc.
  • IP Policy (Intellectual Property) — includes IP protection in other countries

U.S. Department of Veterans Administration (VA) – Resources – Business:

  • Small Business — implements/coordinates programs for Veteran-owned businesses; assists Veteran-owned businesses with locating government and corporate procurement opportunities
  • Doing Business with VA — VA is one of the largest procurement/supply agencies of the federal government
  • Inside Business — VetBiz.gov, small business opportunities, starting a business, etc.