Publications & Reports

Select a topic, or press the enter key on a topic, to reveal its answer.

Businesses

Small Business Forward

New York City Mayor Eric Adams took major steps to reduce burdens on and cut red tape for the city's small businesses by announcing reforms to 118 city regulations. The reforms stem from Executive Order 2 (EO2) "Small Business Forward" — signed in January 2022 — that requires City agencies to review existing business regulations and ensure local businesses face fewer needless fines and penalties without jeopardizing public health or safety. The reforms outlined in the Small Business Forward report include the repeal of 30 provisions, the reduction of civil penalties associated with 49 provisions, and amendments to 39 provisions to include a first-time warning or cure period or to extend an existing cure period.

Small Business Advisory Commission: Making NYC a City of Yes for Small Businesses

Small Business Advisory Commission Report Cover

Created by Mayor Eric Adams through Executive Order 15, the NYC Small Business Advisory Commission (SBAC) is tasked with providing guidance and insight to the Mayor and other policymakers on how to best support New York City's small businesses. SBAC assesses the impact of state and local policies, laws, and regulations on small business owners, and delivers annual recommendations to make New York City a "City of Yes" for small businesses.

Previous reports:

SBAC Report FY2023

Black Entrepreneurs NYC (BE NYC)

Cover image for Advancing Black Entrepreneurship in NYC report

Advancing Black Entrepreneurship in NYC highlights the challenges Black entrepreneurs face when starting and growing their businesses and offers solutions through public-private partnerships.

Cover image for Advancing Black Entrepreneurs in NYC briefing paper

The Advancing Black Entrepreneurs in NYC briefing paper describes the current state of Black entrepreneurs in NYC, as well as our plan to understand and address these challenges after conducting outreach and research.

M/WBEs Get Stuff Done for NYC

A resource booklet highlighting M/WBE programs and services, best practices for working with city agencies, and more.

City of New York M/WBE Program Reports

Review our Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) Program Reports to learn more about the City's efforts to ensure minority and women-owned businesses have greater access to public contracting opportunities.

Food Business Pathways: A Pathway to Business Ownership for Public Housing Residents

The Food Business Pathways: A Pathway to Business Ownership for Public Housing Residents white paper outlines the achievements of Food Business Pathways, a business accelerator program launched in 2015 by SBS, the NYC Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), and the NYC Housing Authority (NYCHA).

Immigrant Entrepreneurs

Building Your Business in New York City: A Guide for Immigrant Entrepreneurs offers step-by-step advice for immigrant entrepreneurs planning, launching, or growing a small business. Topics include: signing a commercial lease, navigating government, and understanding the rights of immigrant New Yorkers. Developed by SBS in partnership with Citi Community Development, the guide is available in seven languages:

Unlocking Potential: Empowering New York City's Immigrant Entrepreneurs looks at immigrant entrepreneurs in New York City, the administration's commitment to supporting immigrant New Yorkers, and specific programs and initiatives designed to strengthen immigrant communities.

State of Small Businesses Survey Results (June 2019)

Pursuant to Local Laws 209 and 210 of 2017, the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) created and distributed a voluntary online survey to small businesses in NYC. The State of Small Businesses Survey Report (released in June 2019) summarizes key findings from the survey results.

Small Business First

Small Business First is a comprehensive plan to reduce the regulatory burden on small businesses in New York City. Learn more about Small Business First.

Supporting NYC Small Business Recovery & Growth

Supporting NYC Small Business Recovery & Growth describes the agency's rapid response and mobilization during the pandemic to create a Small Business Recovery Plan, focused on promoting equitable economic growth, lowering operating costs, cutting red tape, and helping businesses to increase revenue through innovation.

Veteran-Owned Businesses

A Roadmap for Supporting Veteran-Owned Businesses looks at veteran-owned businesses in NYC, and how the City can help strengthen these businesses and better prepare them for City contracting opportunities.

Women Entrepreneurs NYC (WE NYC)

Two diverse smiling women holding signs at WE NYC event with name of report at bottom Unlocking the Power of Women Entrepreneurs: The Influence of the WE NYC Initiative

Unlocking the Power of Women Entrepreneurs: The Influence of the WE NYC Initiative measures the WE NYC program's outcomes during its first five years, revealing how WE NYC programming influenced women to launch new businesses, advance their business stage, gain confidence in core business skills, and improve other key indicators that demonstrate personal and business success.

Commissioned by SBS and funded by Citi Community Development, Unlocking the Power of Women Entrepreneurs in New York City engaged more than 1,500 women business owners through an online survey, focus groups, community forums, and in-person conversations to uncover the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing women business owners in New York City today.

Worker Cooperative Business Development Initiative (WCBDI)

Working Together: A Report on the Ninth Year of the Worker Cooperative Business Development Initiative

Working Together: A Report on the Worker Cooperative Business Development Initiative highlights the accomplishments of the Worker Cooperative Business Development Initiative, which helps New Yorkers to build and own businesses together, and gain access to upward mobility and better working conditions.

Nightlife

NYC Office of Nightlife Reports

Multi-Agency Response to Community Hotspots (MARCH) Reports

Pursuant to Local Law 220 of 2019, the NYC Office of Nightlife at the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) presents the semi-annual reports on the Multi-Agency Response to Community Hotspots (MARCH) program.

2023: Q1-Q2, Q3-Q4
2022: Q1-Q2, Q3-Q4
2021: Q1-Q2, Q3-Q4
2020: Q1-Q2, Q3-Q4

You can also view a compilation of data from these reports on the NYC Open Data Website.

NYC’s Nightlife Economic Impact Reports

NYC's Nightlife Economy: Impact, Assets, and Opportunities (2019)

Careers

Career Pathways

Career Pathways is a vision for transforming the City's workforce programs to reduce the emphasis on basic "rapid attachment" job placement employment services and increase efforts that support long-term employment and career building.

Neighborhoods

Business Improvement District (BID) Trends Report

Each year, we compile a report on the revenues, expenses, and impacts of NYC's Business Improvement Districts (BIDs). This information is collected to monitor and communicate the impacts of BIDs across the City, as well as share the information with the BID community to better inform their decision making.

Comprehensive Guide to BID Formation and Expansion

The Comprehensive Guide to BID Formation and Expansion explains the multi-year process to form a new BID or expand an existing BID. The guide provides detailed instructions and advice for local stakeholders to progress through the planning, outreach, legislation, and start-up phases of BID formation. Forming a BID can take a long time and involves the hard work of property owners, businesses, and other local stakeholders.

After reviewing this guide, groups interested in creating a BID should contact us for more information before beginning the process.

Commercial District Needs Assessments (CDNAs)

Commercial District Needs Assessments (CDNAs) highlight the existing business landscape, consumer characteristics, physical environment, and unique character of the commercial corridors and local businesses that make up the identity of each neighborhood.

Comprehensive Guide to Starting a Merchants Association

The Comprehensive Guide to Starting a Merchants Association outlines the step-by-step process of organizing merchants in a commercial corridor and creating a merchants association to provide services and advocate on behalf of local business owners. Merchants associations can provide a commercial corridor with a stronger voice, greater resources, a stronger community, and improved quality of life.

Storefront Improvements: A Guide for Neighborhood Commercial Districts

Storefront Improvements: A Guide for Neighborhood Commercial Districts will help you understand the parts of a traditional storefront — the sign, awning, lighting, display window, and security devices — and make good design decisions. It also includes an overview of some costs and regulations related to storefronts and guidance to start a storefront improvement program in your neighborhood.

Comprehensive Guide to Designing a Storefront Improvement Program

The Comprehensive Guide to Designing a Storefront Improvement Program is a step-by-step guide to help community-based development organizations (CBDOs) through the detailed process of designing and executing a Storefront Improvement Program (SIP) to improve their neighborhoods.