The largest source of capital for new businesses typically comes from personal savings, family and friends, and partners. Business credit cards are widely used. To obtain a bank loan, a small business owner should present a clearly thought out loan proposal or business plan to the lender. Read a basic primer on financing your business from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

For additional financing alternatives, check out business assistance from Seminole County Economic Development. Also, investigate these state and local business incentives.

Government grants for starting or expanding small businesses are rare. Government loans for small businesses are more accessible.

The Library provides a rich collection of print and electronic resources.  Search for books, access databases,
magazines and newspapers.   Also, take a look at some of our recommended capital funding and investment links.

Our library has many excellent books on writing business plans.  Use the Library Catalog to find them.  The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) offers a basic explanation and step-by-step details on writing business plans. There are also templates and free sample business plans available.

A good starting point would be our Small Business Startup page with the Small Business Startup Checklist.

The Seminole County Library offers free small business seminars in the Spring and Fall. Get an overview of startup basics and business planning.

You will find detailed information on choosing and registering your corporate structure in Florida's Division of Corporations website. Florida also provides a convenient online service for processing forms through SunBiz.

The Internal Revenue Service provides detailed federal tax information for businesses, with a one-stop resource for those with small businesses or who are self-employed.

Doing business in Florida? The Department of Revenue (DOR) provides complete Florida business tax information. Also, find out how to save time and postage by using the DOR's electronic services for sales tax and other state remittances.

All businesses must file a Tangible Personal Property Tax Return annually with the Seminole County Property Appraiser before April 1st.  The Tax Collector mails the tax notices and collects the monies due.

Check out the Record and Tax information at the Seminole County Tax Collector's office.  Access their Information Guide for New Business Owners as an additional resource.

Try  Reference Solutions to compile a list of competitors and for marketing purposes. This excellent database contains 14 million U.S. businesses and 89 million U.S. households.

To find major employers in the Central Florida area, stop by one of our branches and ask for the Central Florida Book of Lists, a publication of the Orlando Business Journal.

Florida's SunBiz allows you to research your business name for duplications and also makes it easy to electronically file your fictitious name.

Seminole County business licenses can be obtained at the Seminole County Tax Collector's office.  City licenses may be obtained at the individual city governments in:  Altamonte Springs, Casselberry, Lake Mary, Longwood, Oviedo, Sanford, and Winter Springs.   Depending on your category of business or profession, you may need to comply with additional state and federal licensing and regulation requirements.

Our five Library branches are located in Casselberry, Lake Mary, Longwood/Wekiva, Oviedo, and Sanford. All branches are open Monday-Thursday 9am-8pm, Friday-Saturday 9am-5pm, and Sunday 1pm-5pm.