Business Assistance & Resources

Bring Your Business to Our Town Reasons to Consider Canton for Your Business Business Assistance and Resources Business Incentives and Economic Development Business Guide Canton Community Profile Data, News and Reports Commercial Property Listings Forms

 

Listed below are some of the agencies and offices that are available to provide help to existing or prospective Canton business owners.  If you have plans to open a business in Canton, or are interested in doing so, you should always contact the Canton Economic Development Office first, and we can help refer you to the appropriate agency as needed. 

 

Canton Economic Development Office

The mission of the Canton Economic Development Office is to facilitate the community’s economic growth by working with major employers, small businesses and community initiatives to bring jobs, residents and visitors to Canton.  We work directly with small and large businesses, including new ventures.  Our services include:

-   Development Incentives & Financing
-   Site Selection
-   Grants for Job Creation or Retention
-   Business Assistance
-   Low Interest Business Loans
-   Customer Research….and more

There's never been a better time to launch, locate or expand a business in Canton. Whether you're a seasoned pro or a new entrepreneur, a big employer or a one-person shop - we can help you succeed in Canton.  Call the Economic Development Office today to find out how we can help you.

Linda McQuinn, Director
Canton Municipal Building
60 Main Street , Canton NY 13617
(315) 386-2871 ext. 5
developer@cantonnewyork.us

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Canton Chamber of Commerce

The Canton Chamber of Commerce welcomes you.  Canton, a college, industrial and farming community, is recognized as an educational center of Northern New York. The small college town atmosphere is enhanced by a picturesque village green opening on to a Main Street lined with restored, turn-of-the-century buildings.  Canton's uniqueness is in its people, community, culture and quality of life.  We are an attractive community for:

We are proud of our community and welcome you to join us.  When you plan a move to Canton, information on realtors, utility companies, contractors, banks, insurance companies, etc., can be obtained through the Canton Chamber of Commerce office.

Sally Roberson, Director

(315) 386-8255
cantoncc@northnet.org
60 Main Street
Canton NY 13617

St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce

The St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce , Inc. plays an important role in maintaining the economic health of St. Lawrence County.

The primary purpose of the Chamber is to serve as the voice of business in improving St. Lawrence County.  The Chamber also works on countywide tourism promotion and is the designated Tourism Promotion Agent for the county.

In addition, the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce provides many cost saving services to its members through a group health insurance program and membership discounts.  The Chamber also assists local organizers of events and projects with reduced advertising costs through cooperative advertising under the New York State Matching Funds Program.

Karen St. Hilaire, Director
(315) 386-4000
101 Main Street , Canton, NY 13617
slccoc@northnet.org.
www.northcountryguide.com

Canton Small Business Development Center

SUNY-Canton's award-winning Small Business Development Center provides personal, confidential assistance with financial projections, loan preparation documents, and more.

The Small Business Development Center offers many free services to Small Businesses.

The Small Business Development Center's goal is to assist entrepreneurs, businesses and industries in the solution of their problems, which leads to increased productivity and profitability.  By assisting new and existing small business firms, the SBDC contributes to the stability and growth of the small business sector of the economy of New York State.

Since their start in 1997, the expert advisors of the SUNY Canton SBDC have worked directly with 1,604 businesses, helping them to invest $13,812,646 in the area's economy, who have created or saved 387 jobs.

Some of the Small Business Center’s regional specialties include working with manufacturing projects, SBA programs, microloan projects, veterans, women, minorities and Native Americans.  They also partner with local, county and state agencies to identify the need for small businesses and to develop economic growth in St. Lawrence County.   All services are available free of charge.

The Small Business Development Center is located on SUNY-Canton’s campus, on Cornell drive in F.O.B. Room 202.  Call (315) 386-7312 for more information. 

CITEC Manufacturing and Technology Solutions

CITEC is a North Country consulting firm that provides business solutions and extensive services including grant applications, industrial marketing, cash flow analysis, business planning, produce development, human resources, safety programs, lean manufacturing, eBusiness solutions and much more.  CITEC stands for “Council for International Trade, Technology, Education and Communication, Inc.”

CITEC is a not-for-profit economic development organization that assists Northern New York companies become more competitive and productive.  They are described as “local people providing real solutions.”  They can help large and small companies. 

Box 8591 Clarkson University
Potsdam 13699
(315) 268-3778
solutions@citec.org or www.citec.org 

St. Lawrence County One Stop Career Center

St. Lawrence County’s strong workforce development and training programs offer numerous sources of workers and funding to meet a full range of staffing needs.  The center can help you in the following ways:

Reduce hiring costs
Job listing, referral, assessment, and job matching can save employers time and money in recruiting workers.

Reduce payroll costs
Subsidies and tax credits can reduce costs for employers.

Provide support services
Stable childcare, transportation, and medical assistance, as well as post-employment counseling can increase employee retention, reliability, and productivity.

Provide customized or subsidized training
Partnerships provide opportunities for underwriting some of the cost of training new workers or establishing customized training to meet employer needs.

The One Stop Career Center is a division of the County Economic Development office, and administers employment and training programs under the Job Training Partnership Act.  Their offices are located at the Canton Human Services Center , 80 State Highway 310 in Canton NY.  For more information, see http://www.slconestop.com/ .

St. Lawrence County Industrial Development Agency

The St. Lawrence County Industrial Development Agency offers financing incentives from federal, state and local agencies to assist in starting or expanding a business in St. Lawrence County.  Incentives include Industrial Revenue Bonds and long term/low interest loans and loan guarantees for the acquisition of property, construction of buildings and purchase of equipment.  In addition, St. Lawrence County and New York State offer a variety of tax credits, deductions, and exemptions on real property and business income.

When you're looking for a location for expansion, they can advise you on the programs, packages and incentives available that can lower your initial start-up costs. Additionally, the St. Lawrence County One-Stop Career Center will test, screen and refer qualified job applicants for your business- one more way to help you hit the ground running. The St. Lawrence County Office of Economic Development can help coordinate your interactions with the local, state and private entities that can make your growth as efficient and successful as possible.

For more information contact the IDA office directly at (315) 379-9806 or see their website at www.slcida.com.  The office is located at 80 State Highway 310, Suite 6 Canton, New York 13617.

Community Energy Services

The North County Energy $mart Communities program, a program of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), is here to help you save money, improve your building’s energy efficiency and protect the environment.

Community Energy Services (CES) is a local non-profit corporation that promotes energy efficiency, renewable energy sources, and coordinates the North Country Energy $mart Communities program. 

Technical and financial assistance is available to building owners such as:

Many partnerships have already been formed in Canton to formulate strategies to improve energy efficiency and lower energy costs.

Becoming “Energy Smart” can make a lot of sense for your business.  Not only can you do your part to be a better steward of the environment, but together, by reducing costs of doing business we can stimulate economic development and growth.

If you are interested in learning more contact Ann Heidenreich, the North Country Energy $mart Communities Coordinator at 315-379-9466 or ces@slic.com . 

Development Authority of the North Country (DANC)

The Development Authority of The North Country (DANC) provides a variety of resources for businesses, including technical services and financing.  The Authority administers several business loan programs in order to promote job creation and retention among small businesses in Northern New York including U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), New York Business Development Corporation (NYBDC), North Country Alliance (NCA), and the DANC Community Development Loan Fund (CDLF).  DANC’s offices are located in the Dulles State Office Building, 317 Washington Street, Watertown NY 13601.  The telephone number is (315) 785-2593 and their website is www.danc.org . 

Additional State and Federal Resources

 

New York State Economic Development Corporation
110 William Street
New York , NY 10038
(888) NYC-0100
http://www.newyorkbiz.com/

 

Empire State Development Corporation

633-3 rd Avenue
New York , NY 10017
(212) 803-3100
http://www.empire.state.ny.us/

New York State Governor’s Office for Small Cities

Agency Building 4, 6 th Floor
Empire State Plaza
Albany , NY 12223
(518) 474-2057
http://www.nysmallcities.com/

US Department of Agriculture—Rural Development

Syracuse State Office
441 S Salina St
Syracuse , NY 13202
(315) 477-6435
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/

US Department of Housing and Urban Development

NYS Office, Division of Community Planning and Development
26 Federal Plaza
New York , NY 10278
(212) 264-0771
http://www.hud.gov/

US Small Business Administration

26 Federal Plaza
New York , NY 10278
(212) 264-1480
http://www.sba.gov/