Get free help registering your new small business in Queens

What to know before you get started:

• Business names in New York State are required to be unique. You can check to see what names corporations already have registered here.
• It helps to have a backup name or two, addresses of the owners, the business address, a brief description of what the business does, and the ownership breakdown if there's more than one owner
• You can register your business as a sole proprietorship or partnership (cheapest, but with fewer legal protections). All corporations have legal protections, with the main differences between the three types (S-corp, C-corp, and LLC) being tax benefits, ownership restrictions, and administrative complexity. Despite the name “Limited Liability Company,” all corporations have limited liability.
• Business registration requires paying several government fees. In New York, a sole proprietorship costs $120, a corporation (S-corp or C-corp) costs $135, and an LLC costs $210 (later, for an LLC you will have to pay to have it "published" in multiple newspapers, which can cost around $700). Please have a credit or debit card ready.