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# Doing business in the Houston District

## Business requirements

SBA’s Business Guide lists the requirements needed to start, grow, and expand your business. Since laws and taxes vary by state, here’s what you need to do before starting your business in our area.

### Business name and registration

Register your business name with the county clerk where your business is located. If you are a corporation, you will also need to register with the Secretary of State.

### Business licensing and zoning

Licenses are typically administered by a variety of state and local departments. It is important to consider zoning regulations when choosing a site for your business. Contact the local business license office where you plan to locate your business. You may not be permitted to conduct business out of your home or engage in industrial activity in a retail district.

### Taxes

IRS Texas Taxpayer Assistance Center1919 Smith St.Houston, TX 77002Phone: 281-721-7021

Texas Department of Revenue Services1919 N. Loop West, Suite 640Houston, TX 77008Phone: 713-426-8200

### Health and safety

Texas Department of Labor8701 S. Gessner Dr., Suite 1164Houston, TX 77074Phone: 713-339-5500

Texas OSHA690 S. Loop 336 W., Suite 400Conroe, TX 77304Phone: 936-760-3800

## State small business profiles

Need information on the local business landscape? SBA's Office of Advocacy has the latest demographic and statistics on local small business economic activity.

##  Local assistance

          Find counselors        

## SBA lending in our area

-  Loan programs              Learn more about SBA's 7(a) loans, 504 loans, and microloans that you can use for your business.                  Find a loan 
-  Local lenders              Download a list of participating lenders in our area.                  Download lender list 
-  Lender Match              Describe your business needs and get matched with an SBA-backed lender in your area.                  Get matched with a lender 
-  Lending activity reports              View 7(a) and 504 lending activity reports from our district.                  View lending reports 

## Additional local resources

###         State and local governments      

                    -  City of Houston Office of Business Opportunity 
                    -  Port Houston 
                    -  Texas Workforce Commission 
                    -  Texas Comptroller's Office 
                    -  Texas State Law Library 

###         Community organizations      

                    -  Greater Houston Partnership 
                    -  Texas Chambers of Commerce 
                    -  Houston Community College 
                    -  Greater Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce 
                    -  BakerRipley 
                    -  Camara De Empresarios Latinos De Houston 
                    -  Brazoria Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 
                    -  City of Houston Office of Business Opportunity 
                    -  Asian Chamber of Commerce 
                    -  Woodlands Chamber of Commerce 
                    -  Fort Bend County Chamber of Commerce 
                    -  Houston Area Urban league 
                    -  Houston Veterans Chamber of Commerce 
                    -  Jewish Federation of Greater Houston 
                    -  Harris County Department of Economic Equity and Opportunity 
                    -  Houston Hispanic Chamber 
                    -  Impact HUB 
                    -  Fort Bend County Economic Opportunity & Development 
                    -  Port Houston 
                    -  Harris County Department of Education 
                    -  Vision Galveston 
                    -  Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston 
                    -  Ion District 

##           Download our guide to SBA resources        

Learn about the opportunities available for small businesses nationwide.

Download English version PDFDownload Spanish version PDF