City & State Processes - Alexandria Small Business Development Center

Resources & Programs

There are many resources and programs offered by the Alexandria SBDC. Whether you are just starting a business, managing an existing business, or looking to grow your company, you can find important information organized by stage of growth. Perhaps you would like to browse our listing of topics by industry to identify resources that are relevant to your business. You can also find important information listed by area of need, which covers a variety of topics on which business owners frequently have questions. Last, but certainly not least, explore our list of partner programs to find other resources that may assist you in your endeavors.

Whether you are a startup business or an existing business moving into the City of Alexandria, it is important to comply with all City and State processes and requirements. A good place to start is the Checklist under Start Your Business.

State Processes include:

Determining Your Business Structure. See the Virginia Business One Stop for assistance in determining your structure and in filing Articles of Organization for a LLC if that is the structure you determine best suits your business. (Step 3 of the Start Your Business Checklist)
Special state licensing required for certain professions ( Step 7 of the Start Your Business Checklist)
Taxation Requirements (Step 9 of the Start Your Business Checklist)

City Processes include:

Business License – required for all businesses in the City of Alexandria. The City’s Permit Center is the go-to place for all City permits (Step 8 of the Start Your Business Checklist)
Special use Permit, if needed (Step 10 of the Start Your Business Checklist)
City taxation requirements (Step 9 of the Start Your Business Checklist)
Sign permits (Step 11 of the Start Your Business Checklist)
See materials from the Alexandria Retail & Restaurant Initiative for additional specific information about City of Alexandria processes for retailers & restauranteurs

The Alexandria SBDC is ready to assist you in these processes. We also have referral lists of attorneys, accountants and other professionals who can help in their specialized areas.