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Steps to Starting a Business in Fort Wayne, Indiana
There
are important steps to starting a business in Fort Wayne
Indiana. The steps below give you
a general idea about where to begin. For more information, download the
topics desired from the
updated 2003 Permits, Licenses and Taxes: Starting a
Business.
The entire document is 82 pages.
It is not necessary to print the entire document, but you will
need to tell your printer what pages
to print or you will get all pages by default. Click on
the format desired:
WORD
(hyperlink - enabled) and PDF
(for those without WORD software).
Both formats contain a link on page 3 and 7 to government forms
and documents available in Spanish.
BEFORE
YOU BEGIN
Starting a business can be confusing. For this reason,
there are multiple agencies
in Fort Wayne that can
assist you with all your business questions. The Department
of Economic Development
serves as a clearinghouse for business information. While
we do not provide business
start-up counseling, there are a host of agencies in Fort
Wayne that can assist you.
Business Information:
Allen County Public Library-Business Technology
www.acpl.lib.in.us
Business Counseling:
Center
for Entrepreneurial Excellence (CEE)
www.niic.net
Women's Enterprise - a program of the Fort Wayne Women's
Bureau
www.womensenterprise.org
Northeast Indiana Small Business Development Center
(SBDC)
www.neisbdc.org
SCORE (Service Corp of
Retired Executives)
www.score.org
NOW
YOU ARE READY TO BEGIN. See Permits,
Licenses and Taxes: Starting a Business
for contact information and details on each step.
Double click each numbered heading for expanded
information (WORD required). If you do not have WORD
software, all information is obtainable by
clicking the PDF link at the beginning of this page.
1.
Create a Business Plan.
A business plan is like a roadmap; it shows you where you are in
relation to where you want to be.
Whether you believe in a business plan or not, starting a
business involves many ideas
that need to
be documented and actions that need to be taken. Many businesses fail
without a business plan,
and furthermore, banks require one prior to being
considered for a loan. The above organizations
can assist
you with this process.
2.
Decide the legal structure
of your business.
Various legal structures exist in the state of Indiana.
Your choice of legal structure
will affect your income
taxes and personal liability. Most businesses start as a
Sole
Proprietorship or a
Partnership and are legally the least complicated.
Corporations
Limited Liability
Companies (LLC's), Limited Partnerships (LP's), and Limited
Liability
Partnerships
(LLP's) must register with the Secretary of
State. Assistance on the
structure
that suits your business should be sought from one of the business assistance
organizations or from an attorney or accountant.
3.
Choose and Register a Business/Company
Name.
The name you choose for your business is very important.
In addition to making
sure that the name
describes your business clearly, you need to ensure that the
name is not already being
used. If you choose a name that is anything other than
your personal name, state
law requires you to file an assumed business name statement.
The Certificate of Assumed
Business Name can be is available at the Allen County
Recorder's Office.
4.
Select a Site and Determine Zoning Requirements.
Determining
zoning requirements prior to signing a lease or contract is
imperative.
You must check with the
City to see if the type of business you plan to operate is
legal in the desired
location. If operating from home, you must follow the
requirements
of the Home Based Business
Regulations. You can obtain more information by contacting:
Planning Department (Zoning)-City of Fort Wayne
City/County Building 8th
Floor, Room 830
260-427-1129
County:
Allen County Department of Planning
City/County Building 6th Floor,
Room 630
260-449-7607
5.
Most new start-up
businesses will need to get a Federal Identification Number
(EIN)
(unless you will not hire employees) and an Indiana State
Withholding number. If you
will sell any product, you will
need a Retail Merchant's Certificate.
6.
Get Business Tax Information.
Several types of taxes may be levied on businesses including
income tax, employment
tax and other fees.
State Taxes:
Department of Commerce
1-800-280-0584
http://www.ai.org/doc/compare/State_Taxes.html
County Taxes:
Treasurer's Office
City/County Building, Room 100
260-449-7693
http://www.allencountyindiana.org/allencounty/Services+and+Elected+Officials/Treasurer/sub_pages/Tax+Collection.htm?NRMODE=PublishedBusiness
7. Apply For Any
Needed Business License/Permit.
The City of Fort Wayne does not
offer a general city business
license. But there may be
specific licenses required by the City
of Fort Wayne, Allen County and/or through the the
State of Indiana. To find out what licenses
are needed, please contact:
Indiana Professional Licensing Agency
www.in.gov/pla/
Indiana Health Professions Bureau
www.in.gov/hpb/about/index.html
8.
If You Intend to Hire Employees, learn your responsibilities for
payroll taxes, worker's
compensation, Federal
and State employee notices, and Indiana Occupational Safety
and
Health Administration standards.
9.
Apply for permits for
new construction, fences, signs, and parking lots.
10.
Obtain Business Insurance.
For more
helps on starting a business, click
here.
last updated:
07/28/2003
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