All Updates

The new Small Business Manual from the New Jersey Business Action Center (NJBAC) is designed to provide support and guidance for small business owners and entrepreneurs. This free resource offers a wealth of information on planning, launching, operating, and growing your business in New Jersey.

The manual covers essential topics such as writing a business plan, financing your business, registering with the state, obtaining licenses and certifications, navigating taxes, hiring employees, and much more.

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Existing investors supporting early-stage, innovation-focused companies in New Jersey can receive guarantees on their loans from the NJ Entrepreneur Support Program. The program provides guarantees at 80% of the loan amount totaling a maximum of $500,000 to a company on investor loans advanced for working capital to businesses.

Completed applications from investors and the company for guarantees will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis, including the ability to consider multiple guarantees per company towards the $400,000 company exposure cap.

Please review the program website at www.njeda.com/njesp for further information and to determine your eligibility for the program.

Upcoming changes to liquor license regulations in New Jersey may require holders of inactive licenses to take action. Beginning August 1^st, 2024, if a liquor license has not been used for two consecutive license terms, the holder may face the risk of the license expiring. However, there are options for transferring the license and preventing its expiration.

Transferring an Inactive Liquor License:

1. Activate at a New Location: License holders may reactivate their license by using it at a new premises within the same municipality, subject to local regulations and zoning requirements.
2. Transfer to a Contiguous Municipality: License holders can opt to transfer their license to a neighboring municipality for use in a designated redevelopment, improvement, or revitalization area. Both the sending and receiving municipalities must approve the transfer, which is subject to a transfer fee.
3. One-Year Extension: Municipalities have the authority to grant a one-year extension to the inactive period, giving license holders additional time to make arrangements for the use or transfer of their license.

Affected license holders should take timely action to either use or transfer their inactive license.

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Starting August 1st, 2024, New Jersey liquor license holders should be aware of new provisions affecting inactive licenses. An inactive license is one that hasn't been used for two consecutive license terms. To prevent expiration, license holders must either use their inactive license or transfer it. Municipalities may offer a one-year extension to this period.

License holders are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the options for activating or transferring their licenses to avoid forfeiture. Detailed information on these processes is available here, providing guidance on how to navigate the new law and maintain your license.

A new law provides breweries, distilleries, and other craft beverage manufacturers with additional operational flexibility. Here are the key provisions:

• Outdoor Service: Craft manufacturers can now serve alcohol outdoors with the approval of the local municipality.
• Onsite and Off-Premises Events: License holders are permitted to hold unlimited onsite events and up to 25 off-premises events per year without needing additional permits for each event.
• Production Cap: The annual production limit for holders of restricted brewery licenses has been raised to 300,000 barrels.
• Food Vendor Partnerships: Craft manufacturers are allowed to form partnerships with food vendors, provided that the operations of the craft manufacturer and the food vendor are conducted independently.
• Snack and Non-Alcoholic Beverage Sales: Manufacturers are now authorized to sell pre-packaged snacks and non-alcoholic beverages.
• Televised Events: Showing televised events on the premises no longer requires special permits for craft manufacturers.
• Merchandise Sales: The sale of merchandise related to the craft manufacturer, such as branded apparel, is now permitted.

The prior requirement for educational tours as a condition for on-premises sales has been removed. For complete details on how these changes could affect your craft beverage business, please refer to the full text of the legislation or seek professional legal advice.

Enhance your recruiting and retention of highly-skilled employees with STEM Loan Redemption. The New Jersey Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA) will help qualifying employees payoff student loans by matching your company's contribution of $1,000 per year for up to four years. Eligible STEM professionals can receive a total of $8,000 towards their student loans.

Small businesses and nonprofits can now apply for working capital loans of up to $250,000 from the NJ Capital Access Fund.

Eligible businesses have been operating for at least 12 months with a revenue of $10 million or less and fewer than 50 employees.

Loans from the Fund offer flexible terms, including no minimum credit score or collateral requirements, terms from 36 to 60 months, low fees, and competitive fixed interest rates. Additional terms apply.

As of June 1st, 2023, employers hiring teenagers must register online to receive a unique 8-digit code and share that code with every minor they intend to hire. The potential hire can then visit the website to create an account and start their working papers application, entering the employer's unique code. Caregivers must review the details of the job and provide proof of the minor’s age. The NJ Department of Labor will notify the business once the application is approved.

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A recently passed law made a series of technical corrections, clarifications, and changes to the Corporation Business Tax Act (CBT) and Gross Income Tax Act (GIT). A series of Technical Bulletins from the Division of Taxation summarizes the new requirements and categorizes them by effective date.

A recorded webinar from New Jersey Clean Communities and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection explains the inspection process the State uses to ensure compliance with the plastic bag and straw ban at New Jersey businesses. For questions please call 1-800-537-7397(1-800-JERSEY-7).