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ASSISTANCE IN YOUR AREA
Only a few of Louisiana's local and regional economic development organizations and business assistance agencies are included in this section. To find out about additional regional, parish and city agencies in your area, including local chambers, contact your Regional Planning District or consult the list of local resources maintained by Louisiana Economic Development.

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Louisiana has eight regional planning districts that work to assist municipal and parish governments, promote economic development, and assist new, small and expanding businesses. These quasi-governmental organizations can typically help with planning, research, grants and loans, and information about other agencies you need to contact.

STATE GOVERNMENT OFFICES

Louisiana Economic Development, (225) 342-0215
As the State of Louisiana's economic development department, LED provides information for businesses interested in locating and expanding in Louisiana; offers assistance programs, such as business matchmakers, building and site locators, and small business services; and provides information on tax and business incentives, such as industrial property tax exemptions, capital investment tax credits and state-supported training programs.

LED is also the key agency to consult about small business loans, government contract loans, and other loan and investment programs. An information clearinghouse on the LED Web site contains economic indicators, parish profiles, demographic statistics, infrastructure and industrial data, and contact information for parish and local economic development assistance.

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Small and Emerging Business Development Program
SEBD is a program of LED that helps small businesses by assisting with entrepreneurial training, legal needs, marketing, computer skills and accounting. These services are offered through Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs), universities and consultants in Louisiana's rural and urban areas.

Benefits of SEBD certification include:

• Developmental assistance including entrepreneurial training, marketing, computer skills, accounting, business planning, legal and industry specific assistance
• Eligibility for the Bonding Assistance Program
• Additional guaranty support under the Louisiana Economic Development Corp. Loan Guaranty Program (see INCENTIVES & FINANCING for details)
• Consideration for bidding on selective service or product purchases by state agencies

Application for SEBD certification

Secretary of State, (225) 342-4479
The Secretary of State's First Stop Shop provides information to current or potential business owners about operating in Louisiana, including license and permit information. The Commercial Division is responsible for registration and monitoring of corporations, LLCs, partnerships, and trade names. See PERMITS & LICENSES for details about procedures, forms, contact information and online access. The Commercial Division also maintains a Corporations Database that can be searched for business names, trademarks, registered agents and individual names.

Louisiana Department of Revenue, (225) 219-7318
Consult LDR for all questions about corporate income taxes, corporate franchise taxes, sales taxes, excise taxes, income taxes, withholding, forms, filing and tax rules and statutes in Louisiana. The department publishes several manuals and guides for businesses. Assistance is available through the department's Web site , by phone, or at any of its regional offices (listed below). Commonly requested tax forms can be downloaded in electronic format from the LDR Web site, and online filing is available for some business taxes. LDR can also assist nonresident contractors with questions about required applications, fees and bonds. Nonresident contractors and subcontractors who operate in Louisiana and who enter into contracts in which the total contract price is $3,000 or more must register each contract with LDR.

The Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control within LDR is responsible for overseeing the alcoholic beverage and tobacco industries. Retail dealers selling alcohol or tobacco products must be licensed and are monitored for compliance with Title 26, the Alcohol and Tobacco Control Law. The office is also responsible for licensing alcoholic beverage manufacturers, native wineries, retailers, wholesalers, and wholesale tobacco product dealers.

LDR Regional Offices

Headquarters 617 North Third St. Baton Rouge, LA 70802 (225) 219-7318	New Orleans 1555 Poydras St., Ste. 2100 New Orleans, LA 70112-3707 (504) 568-5233
Alexandria 900 Murray Street, Room B100 Alexandria, LA 71309-7661 (318) 487-5333	New Orleans - Covington Satellite Office 1305 North Florida Ave. Covington, LA 70433 (985) 893-6277
Baton Rouge 8549 United Plaza Blvd., Ste. 200 Baton Rouge, LA 70809-2251 (225) 922-2300	Shreveport 1525 Fairfield Ave., Rm. 630 Shreveport LA 71101-4371 (318) 676-7505
Lafayette 825 Kaliste Saloom Road Brandywine III, Ste. 150 Lafayette, LA 70508-4237 (337) 262-5455	Thibodaux 1418 Tiger Drive Thibodaux, LA 70301-4337 (985) 447-0976
Lake Charles 1 Lake Shore Drive, Ste. 1550 Lake Charles, LA 70629-0001 (337) 491-2504	Dallas 4100 Spring Valley Road, Ste. 315 Dallas, TX 75244-3800 (972) 701-9682
Monroe 122 St. John St., Rm. 105 Monroe, La. 71201-7338 (318) 362-3151	Houston 5177 Richmond Ave., Ste. 325 Houston, TX 77056-6704 (713) 629-8335

Louisiana Department of Labor, (225) 342-3111
LDOL is the key state agency to contact regarding workers' compensation, unemployment compensation, workforce development and labor market information. The department's Web site contains publications on business operations, employment, workers' comp, apprenticeship programs, wages, drug testing, taxes, licensing, and related forms. Business resources include information about workforce training programs; tax credits; hiring minors, apprentices and alien labor; state and federal posters; labor laws; and wage, tax and status reporting.

Online wage and tax reporting

Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, (225) 219-LDEQ or 1-866-896-LDEQ
LDEQ can assist with questions related to business and industrial activities that impact the state's air and environment and the regulations and procedures pertaining to such activities. The office oversees the permitting, surveillance and enforcement process for all businesses that emit particles, gases, or waste into the air, water, or land. Details about necessary air, solid waste, hazardous waste and water permits are available through the department's Web site or its network of regional offices.

Detailed information about air quality, water quality and recovery-related waste issues such as debris removal and approved debris sites is also available from DEQ. The department also operates a sophisticated GIS Center for mapping environmental data and an Internet-based search tool, the Electronic Documentation Record System, that allows access to DEQ public records dated after July 1, 2005.

DEQ also administers a Small Business/Small Community Assistance Program that provides free technical assistance to small businesses with permitting and compliance issues. Information available online includes "Regulations in a Nutshell," a handy reference manual for environmental regulations affecting a wide variety of businesses. LDEQ GIS Center: (225) 219-3363

Small business assistance: 1-800-259-2890 or (225) 219-3262

LOUISIANA SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER, (318) 342-5506
The Louisiana Small Business Development Center provides comprehensive assistance to existing and potential small businesses through individual counseling services, training programs, and information resources. The program provides low- or no-cost guidance and training in management fundamentals helping small business owners and potential owners make sound decisions. Part of a statewide network (the LSBDC Network) supported by the SBA and state universities, the Louisiana SBDC serves businesses through individual, one-on-one, confidential counseling and group training. Centers sponsor several workshops, conferences and courses each year at various locations. Instructors include SBDC staff, private-sector professionals, government experts and university faculty. Programs are nominally priced to serve the small business community.

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OTHER STATEWIDE BUSINESS AND TRADE ORGANIZATIONS
Manufacturing Extension Partnership of La.
Louisiana Association of Business and Industry
Louisiana Partnership for Technology and Innovation
Louisiana Business Incubators Association
Louisiana Chapter of the American Planning Association
Louisiana Oil & Gas Association
Louisiana Chemical Association
Louisiana Restaurant Association
Louisiana Retailers Association
Louisiana Minority Business Council
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana
SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives)
MicroEnterprise Development Alliance of Louisiana

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WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Louisiana offers employers a wealth of resources to find workers, train workers and track labor market information. The Louisiana Department of Labor offers an online portal where employers can handle everything from filing unemployment insurance claims and quarterly wage reports to paying employer taxes; identifying positions that employers around the state are seeking to fill; locating jobseekers; and online job posting and resume searching.

Incumbent Worker Training Program
This award-winning program is a partnership of LDOL, business and industry, and training providers that provides grants to eligible businesses to pay for highly customized training and skills development programs. Employers select their own qualified training providers and identify their own objectives and curricula. Companies can obtain a grant to train different departments in different skills or focus more narrowly on a particular skill development. Training may take place at a nearby campus or onsite. Only companies that have operated in Louisiana and contributed to the unemployment insurance system for at least three years are eligible. Forms and informational brochures are available online.

Small Business Employment Training
This part of the IWTP program is designed to benefit business and industry by assisting in the skill development of existing employees through individual, standardized (off-the shelf) training. Employers are reimbursed for tuition and required textbooks and manuals. Forms and informational brochures are available online.

Recovery Workforce Training Program
A $38 million program to train workers for high-demand jobs in construction, health care, transportation, advanced manufacturing and the oil and gas and cultural sectors was announced by Gov. Kathleen Blanco, the Louisiana Workforce Commission and the Louisiana Recovery Authority in October 2006. Funded by Community Development Block Grant funds, the specific training programs were under development at time of publication. Contact the Louisiana Recovery Authority for details about programs and providers.

Louisiana Workforce Development and Training Program
This Louisiana Economic Development program provides funding for customized workforce training programs for: (1) Louisiana companies expanding within the state by an additional location in a new area; (2) existing Louisiana businesses that have been operating less than three years; and (3) companies located outside of Louisiana locating a facility within the state. The expansion of an existing Louisiana company, by the addition of a new technology or product line, can be considered. For more information, contact LED at www.LouisianaForward.com or (225) 342-5375.

Postsecondary institutions See the higher education map for locations of universities, colleges and technical college campuses in your area. The Louisiana Board of Regents maintains a list and contact information for all institutions of higher learning in the state. In addition to supplying the state's higher education needs with a variety of technical, professional and advanced degree programs, many of these institutions are also active in partnering with business and industry to apply for and supply training for IWTP grants. This network of postsecondary institutions is working in partnership with local Workforce Investment Boards and the Louisiana Department of Labor to assure all businesses in the state have access to comprehensive workforce solutions.

Foreign Labor Certification
The U.S. Department of Labor issues labor certifications for permanent and temporary employment under the following programs: Permanent Labor Certification H-1B Specialty (Professional) Workers H-1C Nurses in Disadvantaged Areas H-2A Temporary Labor Certification (Seasonal Agricultural) H-2B Temporary Labor Certification (Non-agricultural) D-1 Crewmembers Certification Foreign labor certification programs permit U.S. employers to hire foreign workers on a temporary or permanent basis to fill jobs essential to the U.S. economy. Certification may be obtained in cases where it can be demonstrated that there are insufficient qualified U.S. workers available and willing to perform the work at wages that meet or exceed the prevailing wage paid for that occupation in the area of intended employment. For additional information contact LDOL at (225) 342-6407.

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