4. Sources of Assistance

The Small Business Development Center (SBDC), located on the campus of Stony Brook University, is made up of talented and dedicated New York State Certified Business Advisors who take a personal interest in the success of your business. Helping new and existing businesses leads to their increased productivity and profitability and, in the long run, contributes to the stability and growth of the small business sector and the economy.

Free one-on-one assistance with business planning, marketing, financial management skills and technology transfer are just a few of the ways the SBDC can help to improve the viability of your small business. Contact information for the SBDC at Stony Brook University is provided below:

The New York State Small Business Development Center Research and Development Park
Building 17, Stony Brook University, NY 11794-6016

Phone: 631-632-9070

State of New York Business Portal

The State of New York has created a site that puts all business related information in one place. The New York Business Portal also has a search engine to help you find the forms you need: http://www.business.gov/states/new-york/start.html

Choosing a Business Name

List of current business names are available at: http://www.dos.state.ny.us/corps/bus_entity_search.html

Registering Your Business

Decide (with the advice of an attorney) whether your business will be a Sole Proprietorship, Partnership, Limited Liability Company, or Corporation. Additional information on these types of businesses and required forms are available at: http://www.dos.state.ny.us/corps/bus_forms.html

Obtaining Your Federal Employer Identification Number

Corporations and Partnerships require Federal Employer Identification Numbers (FEIN). A Sole Proprietorship may be able to use its Social Security Number. You can obtain you FEIN at: http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=102767,00.html

Obtaining Your Sales Tax Number

If you engage in a type of retail sales business, you must have a sales tax number. You can obtain your sales tax number at:
http://www.tax.ny.gov/forms/sales_cur_forms.htm