Find Your Place in Denton, Texas

Business Structure

The first step when opening a business is to determine the appropriate structure for your business in consultation with an attorney or accountant. Business structure descriptions can be found here. In general, sole proprietorships and partnerships need to register and file the business name (DBA or assumed name) with the Denton County Clerk. If you decide to incorporate, you can register your entity through the Texas Secretary of State.

Denton County Clerk’s Office
1450 E. McKinney St., Denton
denton.tx.publicsearch.us
(940) 349-2012

Texas Secretary of State
P.O. Box 13697, Austin
sos.state.tx.us/index.shtml
(512) 463-5555

EIN

Corporations, partnerships, and limited liability companies must use EINs. You can apply here.

Internal Revenue Service
1100 Commerce St., Dallas
https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/checklist-for-starting-a-business
(214) 413-6010

Sales Tax Permit

If you are selling goods or services in Texas, you must apply for a sales tax permit with the Comptroller of Public Accounts (CPA). You can register here.

Comptroller of Public Accounts
1250 W. Mockingbird Ln. Ste. 250, Dallas
sales.applications@cpa.texas.gov
(972) 792-5800

Small Business Administration Preferred Lenders

The following banks are preferred lenders for Small Business Administration-backed loans: American National Bank & Trust, First Guaranty Bank, First United Bank, Frost Bank, Guaranty Bank, Independent Financial, and Truist Bank. Contact the Denton EDP to connect with any of these institutions.

Denton Economic Development Partnership
401 N. Elm St., Denton
info@dentonedp.com
(940) 382-9693

Small Business Development Center

The Denton SBDC can provide information on loan programs to assist small businesses.

Small Business Development Center
1517 Centre Place Dr., Ste. 350, Denton
nctsbdc@gmail.com
(940) 498-6470

StartHer Grant

The CWE’s StartHER Grant Program helps women business owners—current or aspiring—to undertake new and innovative projects. A total of 25 business owners will be selected to each receive a $5,000 grant. The grant application opens each fall.

Center for Women Entrepreneurs
1202 Old Main Cir Building, Ste. 260, Denton
cwe@twu.edu
(940) 898-2895

Veteran Woman Entrepreneur Grant

Ten, $5,000 grants will be awarded to qualified Texas women veterans who own or are starting a business. This grant program is aimed specifically at helping veterans and is open to women entrepreneurs throughout Texas. The grant application opens each spring.

Center for Women Entrepreneurs
1202 Old Main Cir Building, Ste. 260, Denton
cwe@twu.edu
(940) 898-2895

Grant Notifications

City and County grants are typically shared on the email lists of the Denton Chamber of Commerce, Stoke Denton, or Texas Woman’s University Center for Women Entrepreneurs. Sign up to be the first to know of available opportunities!

Financial Institution Recommendations

Contact the Denton EDP at (940) 382-9693 to find a bank or financial institution that meets your needs.

Denton Economic Development Partnership
401 N. Elm St., Denton
info@dentonedp.com
(940) 382-9693

Expansion Grants

Companies that significantly expand personnel operations may be eligible for performance-based grants.

City of Denton Economic Development
401 N. Elm St., Denton
Economic.Development@cityofdenton.com
(940) 349-7776

Zoning

Determine what zoning usage your business falls within on page 246 of the Denton Development Code. Then, contact the Denton EDP for assistance to find a building or a broker to represent you through the real estate process.

City of Denton Development Services
401 N. Elm St., Denton
development@cityofdenton.com
(940) 349-8541

Available Real Estate

Find available space for lease or purchase here or by contacting the Denton EDP at (940) 382-9693.

Broker

Contact the Denton EDP to be matched with a local real estate broker.

Denton Economic Development Partnership
401 N. Elm St., Denton
info@dentonedp.com
(940) 382-9693

Co-Working/Virtual Address

Stoke’s coworking space offers flex seating, dedicated desks, private offices, virtual memberships, and shared amenities such as conference rooms, printer/copier, stocked kitchen, mailing address and more.

608 E. Hickory Street, Ste. 128., Denton
info@stokedenton.com
(940) 268-5374

Denton Municipal Electric

601 E. Hickory St., Denton
customer.service@cityofdenton.com
(940) 349-8700

Denton Water Utilities

601 E. Hickory St., Denton
customer.service@cityofdenton.com
(940) 349-8700

Denton Solid Waste Department (Trash)

601 E. Hickory St., Denton
customer.service@cityofdenton.com
(940) 349-8700

CoServ (Gas)

7701 S. Stemmons Fwy., Corinth
jwillis@coserv.com
(940) 321-7699

Atmos (Gas)

5430 LBJ Fwy., Dallas
(888) 286-6700

Unite Private Networks (Internet)

8111 LBJ Fwy., Dallas
cynthia.gokoo@upnfiber.com
(469) 410-2662

AT&T (Internet)

308 Akard St., Dallas
(877) 385-7578

Frontier (Internet)

7979 N. Belt Line Rd., Irving
(800) 921-8101

Spectrum (Internet)

308 Akard St., Dallas
(855) 366-7132

Certificate of Occupancy

A Certificate of Occupancy is required for all new businesses and a change in use, business name, or owner for a tenant/building. You can find the application here.

City of Denton Development Services, Building Safety Division
401 N. Elm St., Denton 
(940)-349-8360

Health Permit

If your business handles, processes, or packages, or warehouses food, you must obtain a health permit through the City of Denton. You can find the application here.

City of Denton Building Safety
401 N Elm St., Denton
building@cityofdenton.com
(940) 349-8360

Special Event Permit

Click here for the City of Denton’s event planning guide that includes key contacts and required permits.

City of Denton Parks and Recreation
321 E. McKinney St., Denton
Arianna.Bencid@cityofdenton.com
(940) 349-7275

Alarm Permits

All alarm systems in the city are required to have an alarm permit. This permit costs $5 annually. An application must be submitted to the City of Denton Police Department

City of Denton Police Department
601 E. Hickory St., Suite E, Denton
(940) 349-8181

Sign Permits

All new signs require a permit. More information can be found here.

City of Denton Development Services
401 N. Elm St., Denton
(940) 349-8360

Texas Business Licenses & Permit Guide

This comprehensive permit guide offers a listing of state permits that may be required for persons desiring to operate a business enterprise in the state. Access the guide here.

Texas Business Permit Office
1601 Rio Grande St Ste 455, Austin
(512) 936-0100

Alcohol Permit

The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) requires alcoholic beverage manufacturers, distributors, retailers, etc. to apply for permits and licenses before they may operate in the State of Texas. Click here to apply for a permit.

Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission
2225 E. Randol Mill Road, Ste. 200, Arlington
licensing@tabc.texas.gov
(817) 652-5912

Public Safety Information

Emergency notifications are also distributed through City social media platforms here.

Emergency Notifications

Sign up for Denton County Alert notifications about hazardous weather and disasters here.

Engage Denton

Need help with maintenance or other requests? Engage Denton is the primary spot for business owners to submit service requests and contact the city. Requests can be made here.

Labor Market Information

Gain actionable insight through labor market information to help you understand and plan for workforce trends. Staff can provide industry pay scales, employment trends, and regional economic overviews.

Demographic Information

Businesses in need of demographic information can reach out to the City of Denton Economic Development team for customized demographic reports to suit your needs. 

City of Denton Economic Development
401 N. Elm St., Denton
Economic.Development@cityofdenton.com
(940) 349-7776

WorkInTexas.com

Share job postings on Texas’ largest and most comprehensive job search listing site.

Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas
5800 I-35 N., Ste. 100, Denton
dentonworkforce@dfwjobs.com
(940) 382-6712

Job Fair Assistance

Host your job fair at a Workforce Solutions office or receive guidance on best practices.

Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas
5800 I-35 N., Ste. 100, Denton
dentonworkforce@dfwjobs.com
(940) 382-6712

Mobile Workforce Unit

Reserve Workforce Solutions’ 38 ft. vehicle to bring additional recruiting capacity to your remote locations. The truck has internet access, 13 computer workstations, as well as interior and exterior screens.

Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas
5800 I-35 N., Ste. 100, Denton
dentonworkforce@dfwjobs.com
(940) 382-6712

On-The-Job Training

Benefit from a partial wage reimbursements while employees train on new technologies or learn new technical skills. Employers can receive up to a 50% of employee wages for up to six months.

Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas
​​​​​​​5800 I-35 N., Ste. 100, Denton
dentonworkforce@dfwjobs.com
(940) 382-6712

Vocational Rehabilitation

Workforce Solutions Vocational Rehabilitation Business Services help you fill open positions at your business with qualified job seekers with disabilities, assess your workplace to remove barriers, and provide training and accommodation assistance.

Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas
​​​​​​​5800 I-35 N., Ste. 100, Denton
dentonworkforce@dfwjobs.com
(940) 382-6712

Subsidized Work Employment (SWE)

Candidates recruited from Workforce Solutions’ talent pool are paid and insured by the State. Employers can leverage the employee for up to 510 hours.

Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas
​​​​​​​5800 I-35 N., Ste. 100, Denton
dentonworkforce@dfwjobs.com
(940) 382-6712

Fidelity Bonding

The fidelity bonding service helps at-risk job applicants get and keep a job. The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) and the Workforce Development Boards offer free fidelity bonding services to reduce employers’ concerns about hiring at-risk job applicants who cannot be bonded through other sources.

Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas
​​​​​​​5800 I-35 N., Ste. 100, Denton
dentonworkforce@dfwjobs.com
(940) 382-6712

Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC)

Employers who invest in job seekers who have consistently faced barriers to employment can apply for a payroll tax credit ranging from $1,200 to $9,600 per person. Employers must apply for and receive a certification verifying the new hire is a member of a targeted group before they can claim the tax credit.

Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas
​​​​​​​5800 I-35 N., Ste. 100, Denton
dentonworkforce@dfwjobs.com
(940) 382-6712

Child Care Financial Assistance

Workforce Solutions provides child care financial assistance for parents who are looking for work, working, and/or going to school. Financial assistance for child care is subject to the availability of funds.

5800 I-35 N., Ste. 100, Denton
dentonworkforce@dfwjobs.com
(940) 382-6712

Hiring University Student Talent

Contact any of the career centers below to hire students from North Central Texas College, Texas Woman’s University or the University of North Texas.

JoinHandshake.com

Handshake is a recruiting management system where employers can post jobs and internships, schedule interviews, and post events for NCTC, TWU, and UNT students.

1200 Parker Sq., Flower Mound
careerservices@nctc.edu
(940) 498-6259

1202 Old Main Cir., Denton
careers@twu.edu
(940) 898-2950

1167 Union Cir., Denton
career.center@unt.edu
(940) 565-2105

Skills Development Fund (SDF)

The SDF grant provides site-specific, customized training opportunities for Texas businesses and their employees to increase skill levels and wages of the Texas workforce.

Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas
5800 I-35 N., Ste. 100, Denton
dentonworkforce@dfwjobs.com
(940) 382-6712

Skills for Small Business (SSB)

Employees that have been with the company less than 12 months have a pool of $1,800 and employees with more than 12 months of tenure have a pool of $900. These funds cover training costs where classes are taken through a community college.

Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas
5800 I-35 N., Ste. 100, Denton
dentonworkforce@dfwjobs.com
(940) 382-6712

Critical Skills Initiative

The TWC provides employers the opportunity to develop new and expand existing registered apprenticeship programs with the help of this available funding. Programs must be registered through the U.S. Department of Labor.

Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas
5800 I-35 N., Ste. 100, Denton
dentonworkforce@dfwjobs.com
(940) 382-6712

Adult Education and Literacy (AEL)

Grants provide English language, math, reading, and writing instruction to help students acquire the skills needed to succeed in the workforce, earn a high school equivalency, or enter college or career training.

5800 I-35 N., Ste. 100, Denton
dentonworkforce@dfwjobs.com
(940) 382-6712

Small Business Development Center

Receive complimentary advising in such areas as new business feasibility and start-up, business plan preparation, financial management, and general management strategies for small businesses engaged in retail, service manufacturing, and wholesale industries.

Small Business Development Center
1517 Centre Place Dr., Ste. 350, Denton
nctsbdc@gmail.com
(940) 498-6470

The Center for Women Entrepreneurs

Texas Woman’s University Center for Women Entrepreneurs provides the tools for women-owned businesses to succeed including business advising, funding, networking, training, and resources.

The Center for Women Entrepreneurs
1202 Old Main Cir Building, Ste. 260, Denton
cwe@twu.edu
(940) 898-2895

Murphy Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation

The Murphy Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation – University of North Texas Murphy Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation is a collaborative environment facilitating new business ventures and strengthening the prospects of early-stage companies in the North Texas region. They develop programs and partnerships across D/FW and the region with entrepreneurs, venture funds and service providers to accelerate the success of the local ecosystem.

University of North Texas - Murphy Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation
1155 Union Cir., #311160, Denton
murphycenter@unt.edu
(940) 565-3179

Denton Public Libraries

The library offers businesses research assistance, free meeting rooms, and printing.

Denton Public Library
502 Oakland St., Denton
library@cityofdenton.com
(940) 349-8762

Stoke Coworking

Stoke provides free small group mentorship through Coffee + Convos on the last Tuesday of every month. Other programs and services include co-working and co-learning memberships, an incubator program for female entrepreneurs, FlintConf, and Denton Pitch Competition.

Stoke
608 E. Hickory Street, Ste. 128 Denton
info@stokedenton.com
(940) 268-5374

Historically-Underutilized Business (HUB) Certification

The HUB Program was created to promote full and equal procurement opportunities for small, minority- and women-owned businesses. Companies interested in doing business with the Texas government agencies are encouraged to become HUB certified. Visit here to get certified.

Statewide HUB Program
statewidehubprogram@cpa.texas.gov
(888) 863-5881.

City of Denton Procurement

Register as a vendor for the City here.

901 B Texas St., Denton
purchasing@cityofdenton.com
(940) 349-7100

Denton County Procurement

Register as a vendor for the County here.

1 Courthouse Dr., Denton
purchasing@dentoncounty.com
(940) 349-3130

University of North Texas Procurement

Register as a vendor for the University of North Texas here.

1112 Dallas Dr., Denton
buyers@untsystem.edu
(940) 369-5500

Texas Woman's University Procurement

Register as a vendor for TWU here.

procure@twu.edu
(940) 898-3535

State of Texas Procurement

Register as a vendor for the state here.

spd.outreach@cpa.texas.gov
(512) 463-3034

Denton Independent School District Procurement

Register as a vendor for DISD here.

purchasing@dentonisd.org
(940) 369-0124

Service Provider Recommendations

Visit the Denton Chamber of Commerce business directory here or call (940) 382-9693 to find providers in IT, marketing, HVAC, and more!

Networking

Sponsor or attend monthly networking events with upwards of 300 local business leaders. A full event list can be found here.

Ribbon Cuttings

Let the community know about your business with a Chamber-sponsored ribbon cutting. To join the Chamber, click here.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Advertise to more than 3,500 local business contacts through the Denton Chamber. Available opportunities can be found here.

Denton Chamber of Commerce
401 N. Elm St., Denton
hank@denton-chamber.org
(940) 382-9693

WomenRISE Breakfast

The Center for Women Entrepreneurs hosts a monthly small business training and networking series for female entrepreneurs on the second Tuesday of each month. Registration can be found here.

Center for Women Entrepreneurs
1202 Old Main Cir Building, Ste. 260, Denton
cwe@twu.edu
(940) 898-2895

Community Events

Check out a complete list of community events and gatherings on Discover Denton’s community calendar here.

Discover Denton
401 N. Elm St., Denton
communications@discoverdenton.com
(940) 382-7895

Event & Convention Services

Discover Denton staff assist businesses with convention and meeting services, local entertainment options, and anything to make your event a success.

Discover Denton
401 N. Elm St., Denton
sales@discoverdenton.com
(940) 382-7895

Talent Marketing Resources

Why is Denton the best place to live and work? Check out the EDP’s talent marketing collateral here.

Denton Economic Development Partnership
401 N. Elm St., Denton
dan@dentonedp.com
(940) 382-9693

Downtown Business Networking

Meet and support Downtown businesses as a member of the Denton Main Street Association. Membership information can be found here.

Denton Main Street Association
111 W. Hickory St., Denton
christine@dentonmainstreet.org
(940) 349-8529

Entrepreneur Development

Connect with other entrepreneurs at Lunch + Learns, Coffee + Convos, Flint Conf and other targeted events. Sign up for the Stoke newsletter here.

Stoke Denton
608 E. Hickory St., Ste. 128., Denton
info@stokedenton.com
(940) 268-5374