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New York Business Express

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Business Express

To start your own consulting business in New York you will first decide what industry you will consult for (i.e. Marketing, Technological, Political) as well as where you would like to operate. Local requirements vary so it is important that you decide where your business will be located, early in the process.

Next, choosing the right legal entity structure of your consulting business is necessary. Please visit the links below to begin researching which legal entity will best suit your consulting business:

Depending on what type of consulting business you open, certain taxes and labor requirements may apply. Please visit the New York State's Department of Taxation and Finance, Workers' Compensation Board, and Department of Labor to find out more.

If you submitted an application via NY Business Express Portal, you will be able to print your application from your Recent Activity account view.  1 - Login with your NY.gov ID, 2 - select the dropdown indicator from your account name at the top right of the page and 3 - select "My Dashboard".  Your applications and their statuses will be displayed.  There will be a print option available to print each application summary.  If you do not see the option to "Print", you should contact the NYS agency you submitted your application to.  An agency representative can help you obtain a copy of your application.

If you submitted an application via NYS License Center, you will be able to print your application from your Manage My Licenses account view.  1 - Login with your NY.gov ID and 2 - select the tab "Manage My Licenses".  Your applications and their statuses will be displayed.  3 - Select the hyperlink on the record number to open the application summary.  4 - Select "File" then 5 - "Print" from the browser toolbar to print a copy of the application summary.

For information about financial support and other support services you may qualify for, use our Support and Incentive Finder.  After answering a few questions about your business, you'll be provided with a list of support services that may apply to your business.

To apply for a New York State grant, you need to complete separate registration, prequalification, and application processes. The steps are outlined below.

  1. Access the Grants Opportunity Portal. This resource is open to the public. It allows users to locate grant funding opportunities with State agencies, and to sign up for notifications of upcoming funding opportunities.
  2. Register with the Grants Gateway to become eligible to apply for funding opportunities. State agency funding opportunities are posted on the Gateway for online application. To register,
    • Existing NYS Vendor administrators can log in through the Statewide Financial System (SFS) ID to access the Gateway.
    • All other vendors who have not previously done business with New York State, must
      • Download and complete the Substitute W-9 Form to obtain a NYS SFS Vendor ID.
      • Download and complete the Grants Gateway Registration Form for Administrator.
    • Not-for-profit corporations must complete an online Prequalification Application
  3. Once logged into the Gateway, you may locate online opportunities by selecting View Opportunities from your home page.
  4. Select Apply to submit your proposal for grant opportunities.
  5. State agencies review proposals on the system and make their awards.
  6. When an award has been made, the Gateway automatically generates a standardized draft contract which includes the successful applicant's proposed budget and work plan.
  7. State agency and grantee staff collaborate in the Gateway to finalize and execute the agreement.

For more information, visit the Grants Gateway.

For additional assistance, select from the following:

  • Prequalification process: Contact your agency representative or the Grants Reform Team at grantsreform@its.ny.gov.
  • Application, policy, and registration: Contact the Grants Reform Team at Grantsreform@budget.ny.gov
  • Technical assistance: Contact the Grant Gateway Help Desk via email at helpdesk@agatesoftware.com, or call 1-800-820-1890 Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Apply for certification as an MWBE online, or with a paper application.

Paper

  • Download the application from the New York State Contract System (NYSCS).
  • Mail your completed application to:
    Empire State Development - MWBE
    633 Third Avenue, 33rd Floor
    New York, NY 10017

Additional information and assistance is available with the Division of Minority and Women's Business Development (DMWBD).

  • MWBE Hotline: (212) 803-2414
  • MWBE Resource Line: (855) ESD-4MWB / (855) 373-4692
  • Email: MWBECertification@esd.ny.gov

For information on electronic tax filing requirements, see Electronic Filing Mandate.