Starting or growing your Business | San Luis, AZ

Step 1

Define a Business

Step 2

Develop a Business Plan
A business plan provides you with the tool to evaluate the feasibility of your business venture and to determine potential sales revenue. It is a tool that will allow you to attract capital investment or apply for loans. To assist you in developing your business plan, you can contact the AWC Small Business Development Center at awc.azsbdc.net.

Step 3

Secure Financing
Securing funding to finance your business venture is critical to successfully start up and/or expand your business. There are different forms of financing, please visit the following areas to obtain more information.

SBA loan provided by the US Small Business Administration for startup at www.sba.gov.
Grants for small business can be access to through the www.grants.gov website.
Commercial Banks offer a wide variety of financing options. You can contact any of the branches in the area.
Business Financial Organizations provide commercial business loans; you can visit the www.sba.gov/az for a list of authorized lenders.

Step 4

Establish Your Corporate Structure

There are several forms of business structures to consider. The structures are as follow:
Sole Proprietorship
General or Limited Partnership (LP)
Limited Liability Partnership (LLP)
Limited Liability Company (LLC)
Corporation
Nonprofit Corporation
Sub S Corporation
For more information on the business structure, please visit the U.S. Small Business Administration website at www.sba.gov.

Step 5

Choose a Business Name
Choose a name for the business entity and search it on the internet to see if other persons are using the name. If others are using the name, you may incur legal consequences if you use the same or very similar name. Consult an attorney to find out the legal consequences of using a name that tis owned by or used by others.

Step 6

Check name availability with the Arizona Corporation Commission
Check the entity name on the A.C. C. website to see if it’s available. You can go on http://ecorp.azcc.gov/ under File, then Name, then check name availability.

Step 7

Secure the name or form the entity and register
Submit the paperwork to the A.C. C to form your entity at http://ecorp.azcc.gov/ and Register the name as a trade name at the Secretary of State website at www.azsos.gov.

Step 8

Obtain License with the Arizona Department of Revenue
You might need to complete a transaction privilege tax application with the Arizona Department of Revenue if you sell tangible products. Check the ADOR website at www.azdor.gov.

Step 9

Obtain a federal EIN or TIN
Check the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website www.irs.gov to obtain an EIN (employer identification number) or TIN (tax identification number). You can contact the IRS at (800) 829-4933 to obtain a “getting started” package.

Step 10

Acquire Permits and Licenses
The federal permits and licenses you will need are based on the type of business andj the products or services offered to consumers.

Step 11

Open a Business Bank Account
Open a business account with your bank or credit union.

Step 12

Locate a site
Location is more important to a business than others. The economic development division can assist you in locating a site or a building that it’s right for you. San Luis Site Prospector is a tool that can assist you, please click on link

Step 13

Check your zoning
All businesses need to confirm with the City of San Luis zoning ordinance (link) which describes the legal uses of property in San Luis. Contact the development services department to check for zoning. Please have the address or location ready. (Zoning map)

Step 14

Hire a professional to develop your plans
As part of the approval process, the City usually requires plans from a licensed or certified professional. Contact the Economic Development Division to set up a pre-application conference to discuss your business and location. This will help us better understanding your needs.

Step 15

Obtain a City Business License
A business license is required to operate in the City of San Luis. Business license applications can be pic- up at City hall or downloaded from (Link).

Step 16

Permitting Process
Manage your plan review, permits and inspections. The architect, engineer and building contractor can help you comply with city regulations including developing site plans, elevations and floor plans for submittal. City staff will review your plans to help you comply with City’s planning and building codes and ordinance. Once the city has review and approval your plans, you will obtain building permits. City building inspections will be conducted during construction to help you continue to comply with city building codes. To obtain a timeline for review of plans, obtain a license of schedule inspections, or obtain fees please contact the development services department.

Ready to Start/Grow Your Business?