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.