Small Business Development Links
The Resources You Need to Start & Grow a Business
The Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce greatly appreciates your business and the jobs it provides here in Dothan. We, our partners and our various programs are here to be a resource for you. We’ve compiled a list of city, state, and national resources for small businesses.
If there’s something you think should be on this list, feel free to contact us and we will make an addition.
Alabama Government & Code
ALABAMA CODE
http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/alison/codeofalabama/1975/coatoc.htm
ALABAMA ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
www.alabamaadministrativecode.state.al.us
ALABAMA TAXES AND INCENTIVES
www.revenue.alabama.gov/tax-incentives/income-tax-incentives
ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
ALABAMA TECHNOLOGY NETWORK
ALABAMA OCCUPATIONAL LICENSE REQUIREMENTS
www.revenue.alabama.gov/division/business-license
INCORPORATING IN ALABAMA
www.incparadise.com/incorporation/alabama.htm
ALABAMA SECRETARY OF STATE CORPORATION FORMS
Business Plans
SCORE BUSINESS PLAN AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT TEMPLATES
www.score.org/resources/business-planning-financial-statements-template-gallery
BUSINESS PLAN BASICS WITH EXAMPLES
www.sba.gov/tools/business-plan/1www.sba.gov/business-guide/10-steps-start-your-business
www.score.org/resources/business-planning-financial-statements-template-gallery
www.bplans.com/sample_business_plans.php
www.entrepreneur.com/businessplan/index.html
www.entrepreneur.com/bizstartups
U.S. CHAMBER SMALL BUSINESS CENTER
Business Licenses
City Dothan
https://www.dothan.org/150/Business-Licensing
Houston County
https://houstoncountyal.gov/probate/business_license/
NAICS Codes
What is a NAICS Code and Why Do I Need One?
NAICS Association
Entrepreneurship
ALABAMA ENTREPRENURIAL INSTITUTE
https://aei.culverhouse.ua.edu
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF THE SELF-EMPLOYED
U.S. ASSOCIATION FOR SMALL BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES
MY BUSINESS MAGAZINE
COUNCIL FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT
ENTREPRENUR SITES
www.entrepreneurshipcouncil.org
www.entrepreneur.com
http://entrepreneurs.about.com
http://fambiz.com
ENTREPRENEURS REFERENCE GUIDE TO SMALL BUSINESS INFORMATION
www.loc.gov/rr/business/guide/guide2
ENTREPRENEUR MAGAZINE
ENTREPRENEUR COUNCIL
Employment Law
ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF LABOR POSTERS
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR POSTERS
www.dol.gov/general/topics/posters/
EMPLOYMENT LAW EMPLOYEE THRESHOLDS
www.shrm.org/LegalIssues/FederalResources/FederalStatutesRegulationsandGuidanc/Documents/FederalLawThresholds.pdfwww.thehrspecialist.com/3011/Employment_Laws_Compliance_Thresholds.hr?cat=tools&sub_cat=white_paper
SMALL BUSINESS GUIDE TO OSHA
www.osha.gov/dcsp/smallbusiness/index.html
EMPLOYMENT LAW
www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/hr-employment-lawhttp://statelaws.findlaw.com/alabama-law/alabama-employment-laws.htmlwww.dol.gov/agencies/whd/compliance-assistance/toolkits/basic
FEE FOR SERVICE BUSINESS AND LEGAL REPORTS
FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT
http://www.dol.gov/whd/flsawww.dol.gov/dol/siteindex.htmwww.dol.gov/agencies/whd/compliance-assistance/toolkits/basic
WAGE AND HOUR EMPLOYMENT LAW GUIDE (DOL)
www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage
PERSONNEL RECORD RETENTION REQUIREMENTS
www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs21.htmwww.eeoc.gov/employers/recordkeeping.cfm
BACKGROUND CHECKS
www.ussearch.com/background-check
OSHA SAFETY AND HEALTH INFORMATION PUBLICATIONS
OSHA SMALL BUSINESS OUTREACH TRAINING PROGRAMS
OSHA HAZARD COMMUNICATION STANDARD – 29 CFR 1910.1200 HAZ COMM
www.ilpi.com/msds/osha/1910_1200.html#1910.1200(c)
BUSINESS SAFETY TOOLKIT
WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDE
www.ccohs.ca/products/publications/pdf/samples/humanresources.pdf
EEOC RESOURCES
www.eeoc.gov/employers/small-business/eeoc-resources
FORM I-9 INSTRUCTIONS
www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/files/form/m-274.pdf
FAQs ABOUT IMMIGRANT ELIGIBILITY
Franchising Sites
THE FRANCHISE HANDBOOK
FRANCHISE EXPERTS
INTERNATIONAL FRANCHISE ASSOCIATION
FIND A FRANCHISE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
Getting Started
ENTREPRENEUR, DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE AN ENTREPRENEUR?
www.entrepreneur.com/personalityquiz
STARTING A BUSINESS IN ALABAMA
BUZGATE
SMALL BUSINESS FACTS
https://advocacy.sba.gov/category/research/facts-about-small-businesses
INFORMATION FOR STARTING OF EXPANDING A BUSINESS
www.usa.gov/business?source=busa
FREE SMALL BUSINESS COURSES
http://academicearth.org/online-college-courses/business
http://academicearth.com/entrepreneurship
DOING BUSINESS IN ALABAMA
www.madeinalabama.com/resources
LABOR LAW GUIDE
IRS SMALL BUSINESS AND SELF-EMPLOYED TAX CENTER
www.irs.gov/businesses/small/index.html
ENTREPRENEURSHIP BUSINESS TRAINING
SMALL BUSINESS ADVOCACY – THE PLACE TO START
STARTING A BUSINESS – SMALL BUSINESS FINDLAW
http://smallbusiness.findlaw.com/starting-a-business.html
BUSINESS OWNERS IDEA CAFE
www.businessownersideacafe.com
SMALL BUSINESS RESOURCE CENTER
www.entrepreneur.com/topic/starting-a-business
LEGAL DOCUMENT CENTER
www.lawdepot.com/contracts/usa
BUSINESS INCORPORATION
http://sos.alabama.gov/business-entities
www.lawdepot.com/contracts/articles-of-incorporation
PARTNERSHIPS
www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-541
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
FACTS ON STARING A SMALL BUSINESS (1996)
http://purl.access.gpo.gov/gpo/lps29982
SMALL BUSINESS FINANCIAL BASICS
www.bankrate.com/brm/bizsteps.asp
SBA STARTUP BASICS
www.sba.gov/starting-business/how-start-business
13 CFR-BUSINESS CREDIT AND ASSISTANCE
www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/cfr.php?title=13
FREE FORMS AND PAY FOR COPY FORMS
www.businessnation.com/library/forms
www.businessnation.com/legalforms
EMPLOYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/employer-id-numbers-eins
SCORE LIST OF STARTUP RESOURCES
Government Contracting
GENERAL INFO
ALABAMA GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
ARTICLES AND HOW-TO GUIDES
SBA GUIDE FOR DOING BUSINESS WITH THE GOVERNMENT
https://www.sba.gov/federal-contracting
SBA 8(a) BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
ALABAMA 8(a) BUSINESSES
SBA 8(a) INDEX
MINORITY BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AGENCY FINANCING
Grants
THE TRUTH ABOUT GOVERMENT GRANTS
www.sba.gov/funding-programs/grants
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS CONCERNING GOVERNMENT GRANTS
www.sba.gov/funding-programs/grants
www.usgovinfo.about.com/od/moneymatters
www.sba.gov/category/navigation-structure/loans-grants
www.thoughtco.com/truth-about-government-grants-3321254
LINK TO GOVERNMENT GRANTS
Home Based Business
International Trade
INTERNATIONAL TRADE EXPORT READINESS
www.export.gov/Plan-and-Assess
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADMINISTRATION
U.S. CUSTOMS
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE EXPORT SOLUTIONS
IRS
IRS ONE-STOP RESOURCE
DOCUMENTATION FOR SELF-EMPLOYED
www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/self-employed-individuals-tax-center
IRS PUBLICATION 15, CIRCULAR EMPLOYERS TAX GUIDE
www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p15.pdf
IRS PUBLICATION 505, TAX WITHHOLDING AND ESTIMATED TAX
www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p505.pdf
IRS CONTRACTOR V. EMPLOYEE DETERMINATION
IRS CHECKLIST FOR STARTING A SMALL BUSINESS
www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-Self-Employed/Checklist-for-Starting-a-Business
Minority Business
FEDERAL MINORITY PROGRAMS
www.sba.gov/business-guide/grow-your-business/minority-owned-businesses
MINORITY BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
ADECA OFFICE OF MINORITY ENTERPRISE
www.adeca.alabama.gov/Divisions/ced/cdp/Pages/ombe.aspx
U.S. DEPARMENT OF TRANSPORTATION OFFICE OF SMALL AND DISADVANTAGE BUSINESS
www.transportation.gov/content/office-small-and-disadvantaged-business-utilization
SMALL DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ELIGIBILITY AND CERTIFICATION
www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-assistance-programs/small-disadvantaged-business
NATIONAL MINORITY SUPPLIER DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
SOUTHERN REGION MINORITY SUPPLIER DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
Miscellaneous
U.S SENATE SMALL BUSINESS COMMITTEE
U.S. HOUSE COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS
http://smallbusiness.house.gov
SMALL BUSINESS META DATA
ALABAMA SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER NETWORK
TROY UNIVERSITY SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER
www.troy.edu/about-us/strategic-approach/small-business-center.html
VETERANS BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
BUSINESS DISASTER PLANNING AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
SCORE
Small Business Administration
NATIONAL
SBA ADVOCACY
BIRMINGHAM SBA OFFICE
SBA LEARNING CENTER
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION NAICS CODE SIZE QUALIFICATION
www.sba.gov/content/table-small-business-size-standards
HUB ZONE
ALABAMA 8(a) BUSINESSES
ALABAMA SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER
Small Business Regulatory Compliance
In May 2007, President Bush signed into law the Small Business Compliance Assistance Enhancement Act of 2007. The Act proposes to:
- Clarify the requirements that agencies would have to meet.
- Ensure that the guides are useful to small businesses and other small entities.
- Clarify that the guides should be published simultaneously with the final agency rule or as soon as possible after publication.
- Require agencies to report annually to Congress on how they are meeting the requirements of this Act.
There are many web sites that provide compliance assistance to businesses, including:
FEDERAL LABOR LAW POSTERS
www.dol.gov/general/topics/posters
ALABAMA EMPLOYMENT LAW POSTERS
https://labor.alabama.gov/business/default.aspx
FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT LAW
https://webapps.dol.gov/elaws/?_ga=2.152188272.855174769.1671143718-1068706248.1671143718
EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT INCOME SECURITY (ERISA)
www.dol.gov/general/topic/health-plans/erisa
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING
www.sba.gov/federal-contracting
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY (EEO) REQUIREMENTS
www.dol.gov/dol/topic/discrimination
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION (OSHA)
www.osha.gov/dcsp/smallbusiness/benefits.html
OSHA PUBLICATIONS FOR SMALL BUSINESS
www.osha.gov/pls/publications/publication.html
OSHA HELP FOR NEW BUSINESSES
www.ehso.com/OSHA_IntroSBS.htm
For OSHA compliance, every small business should know:
- Federal and/or state regulations (Alabama employers must comply with OSHA).
- Businesses with one or more employee(s) are regulated by OSHA.
- There are fewer record keeping requirements for very small businesses.
- Which OSHA standards apply to their business and how OSHA enforces these standards.Small Business Development Centers have partnered with OSHA consultation programs to help small businesses know and comply with safety and health regulatory requirements.
- Benefits for businesses include protecting the worker, thus decreasing worker’s compensation costs and ensuring compliance with OSHA. OSHA penalties could be detrimental to the profits of a small business.
INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE (IRS)
IRS compliance for small business includes knowledge of:
- Federal tax regulations.
- Basic IRS Requirements – responsibilities including the impact of regulations on business profitability.
- Employment Taxes – provides detailed instructions for filing important tax records.
- Record Keeping – in depth information on how to keep good business records.
- Depreciation – helps small businesses understand how to claim deductions for business equipment and vehicles.
- IRS enforcement practices – how to comply with tax requirements.Where to find IRS compliance assistance, whether by consultation or helpful web sites.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA)
Environmental compliance for small businesses includes knowing:
- Federal, state and local regulations may apply.
- Compliance is not just for large companies, businesses may be subject to regulations regardless of size.
- Businesses may face requirements for material handling, waste disposal, wastewater, storm water, used oil, air emissions, record keeping, training and reporting.
- Compliance costs impact operating costs.
- Consequences of violations and liability exposures.
- Where to find compliance assistance, resources and services.
- Pollution prevention can result in the use of less hazardous materials, enhanced operational efficiency and reduced waste, discharges and emissions.
Small Business Development Is A Chamber priority. If you have questions or need additional information, please contact the Chamber.
Women-Owned Business
WOMEN-OWNED BUSiNESS INFORMATION
U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE’S CENTER FOR WOMEN IN BUSINESS
www.uschamberfoundation.org/center-women-business
WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING
www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-assistance-programs