Small Business Resources

If you want to operate a business in the City of Tigard, you will need a business license. The fee for a business license is paid annually, and the fee amount varies depending on your number of employees. Visit the City of Tigard’s Business License page for the latest fee schedule.

How to Apply for a City of Tigard business license:

• Online: http://www.tigard-or.gov/business/business_licenses.php
• In Person: Tigard City Hall, 13125 SW Hall Blvd, Tigard, OR 97223

Additional Considerations:

• REGISTER & SETUP YOUR BUSINESS

  Federal:  Apply online for your Employer Identification Number (EIN). This allows you to report and pay federal employee taxes.
  
  State of Oregon:  Businesses operating in Oregon must register with the State. A Business Identification Number (BIN) will be assigned to you, allowing you to report and pay Oregon payroll taxes.

• Home Occupation Permit: Required if you are doing business out of your home. Click here for more information and to apply online (navigate to the “Other Permits May Be Required” tab).
• Building Permits: Making changes to your space? Contact the City of Tigard Building Department at 503-718-2439 or tigardbuildingpermits@tigard-or.gov to determine if building permits are needed to make improvements or repairs. Permits are generally needed to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move or change the occupancy or intensity of use of a building or structure or electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system. Skip this step if you’re not making any changes to your building.
• Workers’ Compensation Insurance
  Oregon requires all employers to have workers’ compensation insurance on their employees. The Small Business Ombudsman provides information and assistance to small businesses regarding workers’ compensation insurance.

• Mobile Food Carts in Tigard: Interested in opening a food cart in Tigard? Read this handout for rules and regulations. En español 
• Food Service License - Food businesses must be licensed with Washington County. Licensed food service facilities include operations that provide food to the public for immediate consumption.
  Contact: Washington County Department of Health and Human Services | 503-846-4402

More Info: WA County

• Los Empresarios de Tigard City of Tigard program to connect Latinx entrepreneurs to the services and support they need to launch and grow successful businesses. 
• United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce America’s largest Hispanic business organization, promoting the growth, development and interests of Hispanic-owned businesses.
• Minority Business Development Agency Promotes the growth of minority-owned business through the mobilization and advancement of public and private sector programs, policy, and research.
• National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) NAWBO is a one-stop resource to help propel women business owners into greater economic, social and political spheres of power worldwide.
• SBDC Latino Outreach Program  This program of the Small Business Development center targets established Latino-owned or operated businesses with advising to expand business productivity through market research, capital acquisition and strategic planning. Specialized services include counseling about ways to recruit and leverage the unemployed or under-employed Latino workforce.
• Small Business Administration Office of Women’s Business Ownership Seeks to enable and empower women entrepreneurs through advocacy, outreach, education and support.  
• Oregon Association of Minority Entrepreneurs Non-profit with a mission to promote and develop entrepreneurship and economic development for ethnic minorities in Oregon and SW Washington. Offers free technical assistance, business counseling, and access to capital.
• Women Entrepreneurs of Southern Oregon (WESO) WESO is a community of dynamic entrepreneurs helping each other achieve business goals through networking, education, and inspiration.
• Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber Works to increase the economic advancement of Latinos in Oregon and SW Washington. Provides one-on-one technical assistance, networking events, and business seminars, among other services.
• Women’s Business Center - Mercy Corps Northwest Works to elevate women entrepreneurs by educating, financing and counseling them through the process of starting and growing a business. Offers one-on-one consulting, mentoring, networking, and educational opportunities along with grants and microloans for women-owned businesses.
• Certification Office for Business Inclusion and Diversity The sole certification authority for the State of Oregon, providing a certification process that opens the door to targeted government contracting opportunities for minority and women-owned businesses.
• AVITA Offers consulting services with results driven training classes for women, minorities, and persons with disabilities that are starting or growing a business.
• Small Business Administration Office of Native American Affairs Works to ensure that American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians have full access to the necessary business development and expansion tools available through entrepreneurial development, lending and procurement programs.
• Our Native American Business Network (ONABEN) Non-profit created to increase the success of Native American owned businesses.
• National Minority Supplier Development Council Advances business opportunities for certified minority business enterprises and connects them to corporate members who wish to purchase their products, services and solutions.
• BESThq: Provides a sustainable business community servicing and supporting small and historically underutilized entrepreneurs.  
• XXcelerator:  Provides education, mentorship, peer support and access to debt financing for woman entrepreneurs.
• Elevate Capital: Early stage fund that invests in aspiring under-served entrepreneurs with disruptive ideas and products.  
• PDX Impact: Aims to build a diverse investment community that focuses on underserved businesses, and financial technology that promotes economic opportunity, resilience, and capacity for women, immigrant, minority and veteran-owned businesses.

• Los Empresarios de Tigard 
  City of Tigard program to connect Latinx entrepreneurs to the services and support they need to launch and grow successful businesses. 
• Small Business Webinar & Workshop Series
  Business education webinar series co-sponsored by the cities of Forest Grove, Sherwood, Tigard and Wilsonville. This series provides presentations from regional business support organizations on a variety of topics to provides entrepreneurs with knowledge to start, sustain and grow their businesses.

Tigard based firms employ more than 42,400 people. Our partners in workforce development are WorkSystems and WorkSource. These partners manage several programs that increase business competiveness and employee retention by supporting employers' commitment to skill-up their existing workforce. Here are some programs that help you develop your workforce.

• Intern Resources – Whether you’re seeking assistance with a specific task or project or looking for short-term student help, our intern recruitment resources are here for you.
• Workforce Oregon: On-the-Job Training Overview - Provides training cost reimbursement for qualifying positions.
• ProStep: Employee Training Assistance Fund – Provides grants funds to help advanced manufacturing, IT and software companies enhance employee skills.
• SummerWorks - Addressing youth employment crisis through summer jobs.