Start a Business

Starting a Business / Locating Business to the Fort


1.Introduction: Welcome to Fort Thomas, a dynamic city in Northern Kentucky known for its strong community, beautiful parks, and thriving local economy. As a new business owner or moving your business here, you are now part of a community that values support, innovation, and collaboration. Please read through the boarding to make sure you are set!

2.Business Registration and Permits: Before opening your doors, it’s crucial to ensure all legalities are in order. This Includes:

3.Local Business Resources: Fort Thomas, and the region, offers a variety of resources designed to help your business thrive, including:

  • Fort Thomas Economic Development Team– That’s right, our team has experts that will help you get situated and offer assistance as needed. We are here to support our local business owners and work to create a thriving business community. Check out our Grant page for upcoming grant opportunities as well.
  • Fort Thomas Business Council– Offers networking events, marketing opportunities, and business support services through a partnership with the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. The city hosts many of the meetings in our spaces, and our businesses host happy hours to bring people together. If you would like to sign up for a membership, reach out to Beth Farrer at bfarrer@nkychamber.com to get notified about upcoming meetings.
  • Small Business Development Center (SBDC)– Provides free business consulting and affordable training services. They also have a 10 Step to Start Your Business list to help in the early stages.
  • Campbell County Economic Development– Offers a variety of resources to our business community to encourage economic growth through new and expanding businesses, job growth, and capital investment within the County.

4.Tax Information: Understanding your tax obligations is key to operating successfully. This involves:

5. Utilities Providers: Understanding who provides what utilities and who to best contact when needed.

  • Water- Northern Kentucky Water District serves nearly 300,000 people in Campbell, Kenton and portions of Boone, Grant and Pendleton Counties and additionally sells water wholesale to Bullock Pen Water District (Grant County), Walton Waterworks Department, and Pendleton County Water District (Pendleton County).
  • Gas & Electric- Duke Energy is executing an ambitious energy transition, keeping customer reliability and value at the forefront as it builds a smarter energy future. The company is investing in major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including natural gas, nuclear, renewables and energy storage.
  • Trash & Recycling- Rumpke is one of the nation’s largest privately owned residential and commercial waste and recycling firms, providing services throughout the Midwest. 

6. Frequently Asked Questions: Common queries new business owners might have when starting a business in Fort Thomas.

I would like to apply for an alcohol beverage license, who do I contact?

Joe Ewald, Finance Director and ABC Administrator, oversees the process for applying. You can contact him at jewald@ftthomas.org for more details and the process.

Does the city offer ribbon cuttings for new businesses?

Yes, the Fort Thomas Economic Development Team offers new businesses the opportunity to schedule a ribbon cutting ceremony to help launch them to the community. Included is:
– Cutting of the ceremonial ribbon (you get to keep your cut off section).
– Invite sent to local business owners, elected officials, and city staff to attend.
– Social media post on the city’s social media platforms advertising to event.
– Introduction by our team to everyone in attendance.

How can I get involved in the Fort Thomas Community?

The city has multiple ways for our businesses to reach their demographics and to get involved in the community.
City Socials– The city shares businesses posts daily on our Instagram story and follows them on platforms where the city can be found. Use the hashtag #FortThomasKY in your posts to be featured.
Community Events– Check out our calendar of events for possible partnerships and opportunities to showcase your business.

City of Fort Thomas
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