607-756-5005

Business Assistance

Running your own business. Few callings are as exhilarating, as challenging, or as satisfying. Get the best start on starting and running a successful business enterprise by following the BDC’s step-by-step business assistance program:

  • Providing business-critical training and consulting to businesses and organizations.
  • Upgrading the transferable skills of area employees.
  • Partnering with WorkforceNY organizations to provide workplace ready training for the unemployed.
  • Winning grant funds for workplace training for area businesses.

Step 1: Contact the BDC/IDA

Step 2: Establish a business plan

A business plan is essential to ensuring your business has the right direction for development. If you don’t have a business plan, or would like your current plan to be reviewed, the New York Small Business Development Center is available to help you craft an invaluable plan for your business. Contact the BDC for an appointment to meet with a consultant, free of charge, in our Cortland offices. You may also contact the Small Business Development Center Directly.

Step 3: Define the project

After your business plan is in place, your project must be defined in order to figure out where to turn to next. Three important questions to ask are:

  • What’s the total capital investment?
  • What is the job creation impact?
  • What’s your financial need?

Step 4: Understand zoning, code and signage issues

If you have any questions about building or zoning restrictions, please contact your local municipality for the appropriate code enforcement officer. If you need a list of local contacts, contact the BDC or the Cortland County Planning Department.

Cortland County Planning Department

40 Main Street, Suite A
Cortland, New York 13045
(607) 753-5043

Step 5: Financing

The BDC can help you get in touch with a number of various lending sources. The loans from the lenders, along with Cortland County’s Revolving Loan Fund, are often enough to fund your business needs. Contact the BDC to schedule a session that will prepare you for the underwriting process.

Small business development center

The Small Business Development Center (SBDC), which is based out of Onondaga Community College, is one of the 20 Regional Centers located throughout the state that provides management and technical assistance to small business firms.

The SBDC receives funding from three sources:

  • US Small Business Administration
  • New York State
  • State University of New York system

The SBDC specializes in one-on-one consulting services and offers the following services:

  • Startup assistance
  • Feasibility assessments
  • Business plan development
  • Bookkeeping, accounting, and financials
  • Sources of financing
  • Marketing
  • Business expansion and relocation
  • Human resources
  • Invention assessment
  • Exporting
  • General research

For more information, contact the Onondaga Community College at (315) 498-6070

United states small business administration 

One of the SBA’s main purposes is to help provide loans to businesses who couldn’t otherwise obtain the funds they need. This is done by providing a low risk option for lenders.

For more information on the SBA, please visit http://www.sba.gov/ny or call (607) 734-8130 or (315) 471-9393.

New york business development corporation

The NYBDC is a privately-owned consortium whose goal is to help both start-up and existing businesses succeed. This is accomplished by taking accountability for a portion of the risk involved in the investment. There are four affiliate companies within the NYBDC, and they all provide different types of services and loans.

For more information, please call the NYBDC at 1-800-923-2504

Looking for a specific type of business or something to do in Cortland?

Cortland County Chamber of Commerce
Cortland County Convention and Visitor's Bureau