California Business

So, you’re tired of working for someone else and going into business for yourself; applying for a business license can be exhilarating. It is the first stage of being your own boss! The process of obtaining a business license is a relatively simple process. The process of obtaining a license varies from state to state and county to county. I will be explaining the process of how to obtain a business license in California.   

When you are taking the leap from being employee to employer you must decide what type of business you would like to open. Knowing if you would like to open a Limited partnership, LLC, soleproprietorship is important because most small business license application are for sole proprietorship. When you are registering a business in California there are some forms that are required: a seller’s permit, fictitious business name, or DBA (“Doing business as”), and a business license that may be obtained by visiting the local city hall; it shall cost approximately $75 dollars for a business license.

First, you must do is decide on a unique name for your business; the business name must not be already be in use. To do a search if your business name is already in use you may visit sos.ca.govfor California business searches. In California, any retailers and wholesalers must obtain a seller’s permit; after you have filed a DBA or fictitious name. The process is simple for a seller’s permit is easy to obtain and may be obtain and applied for on your local government website. There are three requirements you must meet to obtain a seller’s permit: engage in business in California, intend to sell or lease tangible personal property that would ordinarily be subject to sales tax if sold at retail, and will make sales for a temporary period. Lastly you will need to fill out a business license application form fro your city hall, which may be done in person or at home by downloading the form and mailing it in. Applying for a business license in California is easy to do and no matter how small of a business you are intending on operating you must have a business license.  

Patent Up

What is there for you to do, when you have a brilliant idea for an invention or product? Protect yourself! No, I don’t mean go bare arms but instead get a patent for that brilliant idea. A patent is an intellectual property right granted by the Government to an inventor “to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling the invention throughout the United States or importing invention into the United States” for a limited time in exchange for public disclosure of the invention when the patent is granted. There are several benefits to having a patent and filing for one is relatively simple. In most cases, you may file a patent on your own and save on attorney’s fees. The process of obtaining a patent may be a bit tedious but it is relatively easy if you take it step-by-step.

The first agenda, figure out if your invention and/or idea have already been patent. Use USPTO (The United States Patent & Trademark Office) to help determine if your idea has been patent, if it is, then the journey ends here until the next idea. If the idea or invention hasn't been patent then you will have to decide what type of patent application to file.

There are three different types of patent that you may file: design, plant, and utility (most common). A design patent may be given to anyone who invents a new, original, and ornamental design for an article of manufacture. Plant patent are for those who invents or discovers any distinct and new variety of plant. Lastly, utility patent are for any new and useful process, machine, article or manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof.

After you must determine your patent filing strategy, whether you would like to file globally or in the United States. Lets say we are filing your patent in the U.S., assess the potential of your invention because when you’re applying for a patent it is a business decision. Although you will be saving money be not using an attorney or agent to help file your patent it shall still cost approximately $1,500 in fees to file and obtain a patent. Once you have decided that you would like to go forward with filing the patent you may go online an apply at uspto.com. The USPTO will then examine your application for a patent and determine to allow it or not. If there is not objection to the patent, all there is left to do is pay the issue fee and the publication fee.  

Having a patent provides plenty of benefits especially if you have a million dollar idea. A patent does not only protect you by eliminating competitors but increases the value of your idea or invention. Not to mention having a patent allows you to have multiple options from joint-marketing to cross-licensing. Banks are robbed for the thousands of dollars that are in their vault; million dollar ideas are easier to steal unless you take one step further than just thinking, patent up!