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Downtown San Jose You're Invited

New Business Guide

Thanks for thinking about setting up your business in downtown San Jose. Our goal is to keep the excitement and momentum you have built while creating your business plan alive while assisting you efficiently and effectively to your Grand Opening and beyond. Suggestion: utilize as many of the following resources as possible.

Getting Started

Business Owner Space
Business Owner Space supports start-up and growth of local small business. Its goal is to increase awareness among small business owners and entrepreneurs of services offered by network partners; improve service availability; create virtual approaches that fit the time limitation of a small business owner; and develop business assistance services and service delivery methods that are of value to entrepreneurs and business owners.

Downtown San Jose Retail Recruitment Program
San Jose Redevelopment Agency Retail Recruitment Program provides assistance to business owners looking for retail space in downtown. Sanjoseretail.com features a comprehensive list of available downtown retail space along with retail facts about downtown San Jose.

Small Business Ambassador Program
The City of San Jose’s Small Business Ambassador Program assists every step of opening a small business downtown. Get one-on-on assistance with a city expert on how to open, relocate or expand a small business.

City of San Jose: Development Services
The city’s Development Services website provides business owners with tinformation and links pertaining to land-use and construction permitting requirements for building projects within the city. The site also has information for small business development. For new businesses with permits pending, check sjpermits.org for status updates.

Northern California Minority Business Enterprise Center
The Minority Business Enterprise Center offers strategic business consulting, procurement assistance, financial services with MBEC partners and certification application assistance. 111 N. Market St., Suite 920.

Workforce and Training

E-Center
The Cisco Systems-San Jose Entrepreneur Center is a collaborative effort between the public sector, private industry and non-profit organizations to provide small business owners with the resources information and tools they need to be successful.

Work2Future
Work2Future's mission is to connect employees and businesses with the tools needed to succeed in a global economy. They help with development, entrepreneurial and employment services.

Incubator Programs

Downtown San Jose is home to many innovative business incubator programs that can assist new businesses by providing space, resources, and counsel.

Environmental Business Cluster
Companies using the center develop clean and renewable energy products, as well as other environmental services.

Software business Cluster
The San Jose Software Business Cluster can provide space, access to resources and a "know-how" network to emerging software businesses and start-ups.

U.S. Market Access Center
International companies specializing in I.T., life sciences and solar or renewable energy come to this center to understand U.S. marketing and strategy.

San Jose Bio Center
The BioCenter is an accelerator, located outside of the downtown core, providing emerging companies a new generation of facilities, specialized equipment, world class laboratory and business support services.

Additional Opportunities

SJDA can also provide some assistance navigating city services and options, or providing the lay of the land. Contact SJDA Community Relations Coordinator Gretchen Knight Baisa. Several programs that benefit businesses are available downtown through our Business Resources and Incentives page.

The City of San Jose has several more pages dedicated to opening a new business within city limits.
Business guide
Business information
Finance Information
Office of Economic Development Business Assistance 
Parking & Transportation