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Department of Commerce

Making Philadelphia a business-friendly city where companies choose to start, stay, and grow.

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Department of Commerce

Services

Meet your area’s business services manager
Find loans through the Philadelphia Business Lending Network
Do business with the City
Register as a minority, woman, or disabled-owned business
Find location and zoning information
Pay your business taxes
See all Services

What we do

The Department of Commerce helps businesses—large and small—thrive in Philadelphia. Philadelphia is the ideal home for your business, offering:

  • A central location along the Northeast corridor.
  • A ready and talented workforce.
  • Competitive office rents and commercial real estate costs.
  • Vibrant commercial districts and growing innovation industries.
  • World-class dining, history, and cultural attractions.

We work to:

  • Attract and grow a diverse set of businesses.
  • Revitalize neighborhood commercial districts throughout the city.
  • Support small businesses and improve their access to funding.
  • Build a strong talent pipeline.
  • Increase economic opportunities for historically underserved business owners.

Connect

Address
1515 Arch St.
12th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Email business@phila.gov
Phone: (215) 683-2100
Social
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Business Resource Finder

Looking for guidance or support?

Connect with organizations that can help you start, run, and grow your business.

Go to the finder

Programs

Storefront Improvement Program

Helping business and property owners to upgrade their storefronts.
Man on a ladder installing a security camera.

Business Security Camera Program

Funding for businesses to get surveillance cameras.

Fair Chance Hiring Initiative

Reimbursing local employers who hire individuals returning from incarceration.

PHL Taking Care of Business Clean Corridors Program

Creating employment opportunities for residents while keeping Philadelphia’s neighborhood commercial corridors clean.
A woman working at her small business.

Quality Jobs Program

Investing in businesses that create new jobs with living wages and health insurance benefits for Philadelphia residents.
An open hand holding a key

Commercial Real Estate Acquisition Loan (CREAL) Program

Funding small businesses to purchase commercial property or real estate.
See all Programs

Posts

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Events

  • May
    15
    Event
    OEO Doing Business in the City - Doing Business with SEPTA
    1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
    Event

    OEO Doing Business in the City - Doing Business with SEPTA

    May 15, 2024
    1:00 pm to 3:00 pm, 2 hours

    The City is providing businesses with the resources, education, and knowledge needed to thrive now and throughout the year. Did you hear the good news? We are expanding capacity-building efforts for businesses with a series of monthly, educational workshops. 

    The goal of each workshop is to share pathways toward generational wealth for minority-, women-, disabled-owned businesses. Join us this year to:

    • Learn about available resources.
    • Explore opportunities to grow with City contracts.
    • Develop a strategy to pursue business proposals.
    • Network with like-minded businesses.

    Register for this workshop.

    Topic: Doing Business with SEPTA

    Presenters: Muschi Jean-Baptiste, Director, DBE Program Office, Karen Cyphers, Contract Administrator, and Tiffany L. King, Manager, DBE Program Office

    This virtual series is from the Department of Commerce, Office of Economic Opportunity. For additional information, please contact Jennifer Wise at Jennifer.Wise@phila.gov

  • May
    16
    Event
    SCORE - How to Create a LinkedIn B2B Marketing Strategy for Your Business
    1:00 pm to 2:00 pm
    Online
    Event

    SCORE - How to Create a LinkedIn B2B Marketing Strategy for Your Business

    May 16, 2024
    1:00 pm to 2:00 pm, 1 hour
    Online
    map

    LinkedIn is the world's largest professional networking platform and marketing on LinkedIn can generate more leads than some of the top social media platforms, especially for B2B marketers.

    If you want to grab the attention of top-level executives, then you should work on your LinkedIn marketing strategy. In this webinar, our expert presenter will explain how you can use LinkedIn as an effective marketing tool to grow your business. 

    What you'll learn:

    • Why LinkedIn can be an effective marketing tool
    • What you should have on your LinkedIn profile
    • How and why to create your company page
    • Finding LinkedIn groups and making connections
    • LinkedIn posts, engagement, and the unique LinkedIn algorithm

    Live attendees will receive free business resources and a link to this webinar recording.

    Click Here to Register 

  • May
    16
    Event
    SBDC - Free Library Digital Resources to Help Your Business
    4:00 pm to 5:00 pm
    Online
    Event

    SBDC - Free Library Digital Resources to Help Your Business

    May 16, 2024
    4:00 pm to 5:00 pm, 1 hour
    Online
    map

    If you’re currently thinking about entrepreneurship for the first time or you’re an established business owner, the BRIC has resources to help support your current needs. Join and Learn how BRIC's extensive digital resources can help your business start, grow, and thrive! Join a business librarian in this virtual session for an introduction to BRIC's business databases and services, plus, learn how to book a librarian!

    All resources are accessible remotely with your Free Library of Philadelphia library card number and PIN. Don't have a library card? Get one here: https://catalog.freelibrary.org/MyResearch/register

    Attendees will be able to:
    - Review research database options
    - Learn how to generate sales leads, conduct a competitive analysis, and start demographic research
    - Discover free resources, such as sample business plans, online courses, & more

    Target Audience:
    - Budding Entrepreneurs
    - Start-up Small Businesses
    - Philadelphia residents

    This webinar will be presented by Birch Mezzaroba (they/them), a business librarian at the Business Resource and Innovation Center (BRIC). As a business librarian, Birch helps Philadelphia-area business owners and entrepreneurs conduct research to set themselves up for success. They are passionate about using their skill set as a librarian to help folks achieve their goals. Before joining the library about a year ago, Birch held roles in education and with Philadelphia small businesses.

    Register Here

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