Starting and Structuring a Business

Local Resources

• Steps to Starting a Business in Memphis & Shelby County
  This publication, compiled by the Shelby County Clerk’s office, provides potential business owners with a list of the local government agencies they may have to contact to set up a new business.
• Small Business Resource Guide
  Prepared by the Downtown Memphis Commission in partnership with the Small Business Administration of Tennessee. Also check out the MLGW Economic Development team for resources and TVA incentives for businesses in the Memphis area.

State Resources

• State of Tennessee “Tennessee Smart Start Small Business Guide”
  This “Tennessee Smart Start Small Business Guide” from the Business Enterprise Resource Office (BERO) includes everything from selecting and financing to business assistance and government contracting. 
• Tennessee Department of State – Division of Business Services
  Use this site to download and print business forms from the Division of Business Services. Forms include Fee Schedules, forms for For-Profit Corporations, Limited Partnerships, Limited Liability Companies, Limited Liability Partnerships, etc. A PDF reader such as Adobe Acrobat reader is required to view and print these forms. The site provides a link to download free copies of this software.
• Tennessee Department of Revenue – New Businesses
  Provides instructions for registering a business with the Tennessee Department of Revenue. Also provides guidelines for paying sales or use tax to the State, as well as a tax calendar.
• Department of Commerce & Insurance – Regulatory Boards
  This website provides information on how to acquire and maintain a professional license. From accountants and hairdressers to private detectives and real estate appraisers, this website will outline the necessary steps and forms for those professions required to be licensed to do business in Tennessee. This department also regulates the licensed professions and will revoke licenses of businesses guilty of violating the laws that govern them. The website is searchable and an archive of disciplinary proceedings is maintained.

Federal Resources

• USA.gov
  The State Business Resources link is designed to provide a small business with information concerning the laws and regulations in their locale. This website also offers information on topics such as finance, government contracts and much, much more. By accessing information by region, users find state (Tennessee) specific information that links to information on a variety of subjects of interest to the small business owner.
• IRS Business and Self-Employed One-step Resource
  This small business page on the IRS website has information to help small businesses file their taxes. The site has a Small Business Tax Calendar with the steps necessary to comply with business tax filing requirements. Also included is a link which makes it possible to file online or download a from to obtain a Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN). In addition there is a Small Business Workshop which is an online classroom that uses video streaming technology, allowing “attendance” at this workshop when it is convenient. 
• United states Patent and Trademark Office: Intellectual Property Protection.
  Theft of intellectual property poses a serious threat to all U.S. businesses. The USPTO has created this site to help small businesses consider the benefits of strong IP protection – both in the united States and overseas. It includes important information on whether and when to file for intellectual property protection, what type of protection to file for, where to file, and how to go about it. See alsohttp://www.stopfakes.gov/ for more information. 

Other Resources

• ResearchRoundUp Business Filings Databases
  Corporate and business filings information for individual states is contained on this site. Most of the states make at least some of the business filings available online. The majority of the states disseminate a range of public business records, for the most part at no charge.
• SCORE – Service Corps of Retired Executives
  SCORE is the national, nonprofit association which has 10,500 volunteers and 389 chapters nationwide dedicated to helping anyone interested in starting a new business. Its official home page will allow you to locate your local chapter of SCORE, offers information about workshops and counseling, and contains many links to web sites which contain business information and tools helpful to entrepreneurs. A treasury of information and resources for the potential business owner is found on this site.
• SCORE – Service Corps of Retired Executives Memphis Chapter 68
  Memphis Chapter 68 is the locally-chartered volunteer association and resource partner of the Small Business Administration. SCORE Memphis offers free and confidential counseling to start up businesses and existing small businesses that seek advice.