Starting a Business

Thank you for contacting the Lucas County Improvement Corporation (LCIC). The LCIC is the county's economic development agency. We work in conjunction with other economic development organizations provide a complete spectrum of technical assistance to area businesses.

If you are interested in starting a business in Lucas County then you have come to the right place. Although the LCIC offers no direct technical assistance in starting a business we do provide guidance to would-be entreprenuers to make sure that they start from the right point for governmental assistance in starting a business. Northwest Ohio's "No Wrong Door" philosophy enables the entreprenure to get to the right agency or department in the economic development continum of assistance without being passed around to various offices before getting to the correct assistance provider.

We strongly believe that a citizen should be able to walk in the door of any economic development agency and be directed as to where they need to begin their particular project based upon its unique characteristics no matter where they are in the development process. The LCIC's economic development professionals often provide a first review of the proposed project and connect the entreprenuer to the right resource to simplify the process of starting a business in northwest Ohio. Please contact any of the economic development partners listed below for assistance in starting your business.

1st Stop Business Connection, a program sponsored by the Ohio Department of Development's Small Business Development Centers and the U.S. Small Business Administration, provides FREE state-level information needed to get started or continue on your entrepreneurial journey. You will be guided through six simple steps to create a business information kit. Then, you can immediately download your kit.

Your FREE business information kit will contain the basics all business must know and the state-level regulations and forms specifically for your business. You will still need to check federal and local regulations before starting your business. After you complete your kit request, you will be able to click on links to the state and federal agencies every business comes in contact with.

The Ohio Secretary of State has all of the forms necessary to register a business entity with the State of Ohio. There are couple of steps that you must take in order to complete the process. First, determine if your desired business name is available.  After you have completed the name availability search you will need to download the appropiate form, complete it, and mail it in to the Secretary of State along with the appropiate fee(s). It usually takes about 5-6 weeks for the Secretary of State to process the application and send back a certificate stating that the business name is now registered as a particular type of legal entity barring an unforeseen mistakes or anomolies.

The Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce (TRCC) serves as northwest Ohio's regional host to the Small Business Administration (SBA) primary tool for providing business development technical assistance. Business assistance is provided on a one-on-one basis to ongoing concerns and individuals that are seeking to address specific issues related to their businesses. An indepth overview of all of the services offered by the SBA in the State of Ohio can be found in the "2010 SBA Resource Guide for Ohio."

Assets Toledo is dedicated to providing business planning education to individuals that have never written a business plan or owned or operated a business. Assets Toledo's mission is..."to assist self-motivated individuals in Lucas County who have a personal vision for self-employment and small business initiatives, but limited resources, by providing hands-on-training, peer networking, and support network and capital." You can learn more about the program by visiting their website.

The Minority Business Assistance Centers (MBACs) aka Minority Contractors Business Assistance Program (MCBAP) was created in 1982 via O.R.C. provide a variety of business development services to new and existing business owners. Each MBAC office is staffed with certified business counselors that assist minority entrepreneurs with loan and bond packaging services, management, technical, financial and contract procurement assistance.  There are seven MBAC offices located throughout the state in the following cities: Akron, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Portsmouth and Toledo.

LCIC DISCLAIMER STATEMENT: THE  LUCAS COUNTY IMPROVEMENT CORPORATION PROVIDES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ON AN INFORMATIONAL BASIS ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE LEGAL ADVICE. THIS INFORMATION IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.