Research Guides: Launch Your Business! Resources &amp; Research Guide: Resources for Entrepreneurs

New ROC Women’s Business Center Now Open!

The Urban League of Rochester launched the ROC Women’s Business Center (RWBC), the first of its kind in the greater Rochester community, in January 2022. The RWBC is located at 130 Platt Street, just a block away from MCC's Downtown Campus! Street parking is available on the corner of Platt Street and Mill Street.

The RWBC provides a unique array of services specifically for women entrepreneurs, including one-on-one counseling, training, networking, workshops, technical assistance, and mentoring on numerous business development topics, including business startup, financial management, marketing, and procurement.

Questions about the ROC Women’s Business Center may be directed to kgrant@ulr.org.

Resources Spotlight: Rochester Public Library's Business Insight Center

The Business Insight Center at the Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County (115 South Ave., downtown Rochester) is an incredible resource for local entrepreneurs:

Librarians there are specially trained to assist you with market research at no cost to you.
They have digital resources, such as specialized business databases, that will help help you research market trends, intellectual property landscapes, patent holdings, registered trademarks, and business and financial reports. Some are accessible remotely, but most require in-library use.
The Small Business Resource Center has a unique collection of books and other materials on starting and running a small business.
The Carlson Center for Intellectual Property is an official Patent and Trademark Resource Center. Staff help visitors learn about patents, trademarks, and copyrights, and how to protect each kind of intellectual property. They also have a 3D printer for printing prototypes.

You can schedule a free one-on-one consultation with a librarian (done remotely for the time being) on their website or by calling 585-428-8130.

Rochester & Monroe County Resources

Boundless Connections Technology Center
Provides access to digital technology and tech education in downtown Rochester.
City of Rochester Business Services
A list of city, state, and federal programs of interest to small businesses in Rochester.
City of Rochester Department of Neighborhood & Business Development
Partners with all kinds of businesses and provides financial services and other support.
The Commissary: Downtown Rochester Kitchen Incubator
A collaborative community in downtown Rochester that provides shared kitchens combined with food industry specific business assistance to help aspiring entrepreneurs build great food companies, create jobs, and strengthen our regional food economy.
Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce
A networking and advocacy group for local businesses.
Greater Rochester Enterprise (GRE)
Helps existing companies grow their business in the greater Rochester region and works to attract new businesses to the region.
Greater Rochester SCORE
A nonprofit association dedicated to educating entrepreneurs and helping small businesses start, grow, and succeed. Greater Rochester SCORE has almost 100 volunteer members available to provide mentoring, and workshops to assist small businesses located in the area around Rochester.
Innovation Square
Downtown Rochester student housing with internship opportunities, entrepreneur facilities, and more.
Kiva Rochester
Provides crowdfunded business loans of $1,000-$15,000 at 0% interest and with no fees. Borrowers use their loans for projects such as renovations, purchasing pieces of equipment, or moving into storefronts.
Monroe County Clerk's Office
Accepts and files Doing Business As (DBA) Certificates of persons conducting business under an assumed name.
Monroe County Finger Lakes Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC)
Works with businesses to identify, compete for, and win government contracts. Free counseling helps you assess your current status and provides you with the necessary tools and information to be able to apply for government contracts.
New York State Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at the College at Brockport
A free service that can assist with business and marketing plans, finding funding, understanding regulations, and more. Serving Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, and Wayne counties.
PathStone Enterprise Center
Provides small businesses with loans for support, especially for promising businesses that have been unable to access capital from traditional sources.
RIT Center for Urban Entrepreneurship
A hub for urban entrepreneurial programs and research, located in downtown Rochester at 40 Franklin St.
ROC City Biz FastTrac
A training program designed to help those who have a goal of owning their own business navigate the critical first steps of opening a commercial enterprise with coaches, expert speakers and peer support.
ROC Game Dev
Dedicated to fostering a community of game creators in Rochester.
RocGrowth
A grassroots, volunteer organization that aims to identify, support, and build community for the new generation of Rochester leaders. Sponsors networking events and provides modest financial support to visual artists, musicians, and other creatives to help them complete a project.
Rochester Angel Network
A group of accredited investors interested in early-stage, high-growth investment opportunities, designed to link entrepreneurs with capital funding they need to expand in the greater Rochester region.
Rochester Economic Development Corporation (REDCO)
A nonprofit that focuses on neighborhood economic development and supporting emerging local city entrepreneurs.
Rochester Professional Consultants Network (RPCN)
Enables its members to develop their consulting businesses by providing access to networking, education, and mutual support.
Rochester Rotary
A service organization for business leaders that provides a great networking opportunity for entrepreneurs.
RocStarts
A hub for entrepreneurial news and information for the Finger Lakes region. Includes news plus event and resource listings.
TechRochester
An organization comprised of professionals and companies working together to strengthen the greater Rochester area’s technology community. Provides networking events, peer groups, a job board, and more.
Urban League of Rochester
The Urban League's Business Development Center offers one-on-one technical assistance and workshops on starting and running a business with a focus on minority-, women-, and veteran-owned businesses; dislocated workers; the disabled; and all other aspiring (and current) business owners. Assistance with New York State M/WBE Certification is provided.
Volunteer Legal Services Project of Monroe County (VLSP)
VLSP's Micro-Entrepreneur Pro Bono Project gives free legal assistance to low-income individuals who wish to start or develop businesses in economically distressed Monroe County neighborhoods.
Walker's Legacy Rochester
An online community that supports existing and aspiring female entrepreneurs who want guidance, encouragement, and practical advice in business.

Regional & NY State Resources

Business Express NY
Helps guide you through your business and professional requirements. Resources include a how-to guide to starting a business in NY and information about support programs and incentives.
The Entrepreneurs Network (TEN)
An economic development program of Ingenuity Partners LLC for companies in the traded sector, specifically startups and small businesses who are commercializing scientific breakthroughs and new technologies and/or scaling their operation by tapping markets beyond their immediate geography.
ExcellNY
A VC fund that invests in high-tech high-growth startups in New York State, focused on upstate. Excell combines generating returns that rank in the top-quartile of its benchmarks, with supporting regional economic development by providing entrepreneurs with hands-on support as well as investment capital. Excell’s portfolio includes investments in medical devices, materials, energy, biotech, agtech, imaging, and IT/software ventures across New York, with an added focus of investing in minority- and women-owned ventures.
Five Star Bank Emergency Relief Business Loans
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications for existing businesses.
New York Minority and Women-Owned Business Investment Fund
Supports innovation, job creation, and high-growth entrepreneurship throughout New York State by investing in early-stage Minority and/or Women-Owned Business Enterprises in emerging technologies with a proprietary or differentiated product or service.
New York State Business Plan Competition
An annual state-wide venture creation and innovation competition run by the University of Rochester's Ain Center for Entrepreneurship.
New York State Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at the College at Brockport
A free service that can assist with business and marketing plans, finding funding, understanding regulations, and more. Serving Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, and Wayne counties.
NextCorps
A nonprofit catalyst for entrepreneurship in the Rochester area and Finger Lakes region, NextCorps provides a suite of services, including business incubation for high-growth-potential startups and growth services for existing manufacturers.

Federal & National Resources

Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses
A program to help entrepreneurs create jobs and economic opportunity by providing access to education, capital, and business support services.
U.S. Small Business Administration
This government agency's website provides a lot of information about starting and running a small business, including what resources are available for entrepreneurs.