I am starting a business with no knowledge of all the licensing I need. And no idea how to start. ?

Question

I am opening a small retail store in my hometown. I have managed business' before but I have never had to start from scratch and do all of the small things it takes to open one myself. Can anyone give me any info on all the llc's licensing and anything I may miss along the way. I am in California if that helps. Thank you all.

Answer 1

Are you going to form a corporation or LLC for the business, or have a sole proprietorship or partnership?  

Of course, for a corp/LLL you will need to file papers with the Secretary of State.  You can probably do it yourself, or to be sure everything is right, hire a lawyer to file for you.  There are companies like LegalZoom which will handle the paperwork at a lower price.  

If you're going to stay with a sole proprietorship, you'll need to file a Fictitious Business Name Statement with your county clerk.  Same for a partnership, except that you ABSOLUTELY should have a written partnership agreement, preferable drafted by a lawyer.  

You'll need a federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) so you can pay your employees.

You'll need a business license from the city, which you can get shortly before you open.

If you're going to remodel your store from what the previous tenant had, you'll need a building permit.  That will probably mean having an architect prepare the blueprints for the contractor you might need.  If your landlord is like mine, all demo/construction work must be done by a licensed contractor (in the lease).

You'll need a resale permit from the state Board of Equalization.  Otherwise your suppliers must charge you sales tax on your goods you're going to be selling.  

Have you prepared a business plan?  Do you know what equipment and fixtures you'll need?  If you haven't done so, before you go any further, I STRONGLY recommend you contact the Small Business Development Center (at your local community college) and talk to them; the counseling is free.  

Then sign up for the NxLevel Entrepreneurial program...  it's a 12 session course that walks you through the ins and outs of starting or growing your business, and as part of that you will write a business plan.  At the end of the class your plan will be reviewed by a lending professional, and will be critiqued, telling you the strong points of your plan AND the weak points.  

There is a cost for the NxLevel program but it’s a lot cheaper than losing your investment.

Even if you hire a professional to write your plan, you should still take the NxLevel course.  It saved me from going into a business that would have failed within a year or so, taking my investment with it.  

Business plans may be a pain in the butt to prepare, but without one, your business is doomed to failure.  To start with, you won't know what your startup costs are going to be, what kind of income to expect, what your ongoing expenses are, who your competition is, and even whether or not you can make a profit.  Without a GOOD business plan, you will not be able to get a business loan to get your business off the ground.

Answer 2

Your best bet is to check to see if there are any local business classes. Here (Pennsylvania) we have free "courses" (one quick night of simple basics and Q&A type thing). Also, to start out, don't hire any help until you get things figured out. Most people don't realize the complications with employees. Not only do you have to pay them at least min. wage, but then you pay about the same that you pay them to insurance agencies for every hour they work (so with employee pay and insurances you're actually paying double what you pay the employee).  

Answer 3

Use this basic checklist to make sure all the important steps are taken before you launch your new venture. This business checklist will make sure that you cross all your t's and dot all your i's before your business launch.

Steps to Starting a Business -

http://www.developer-resource.com/starti...

Other sites you might find helpful are:

SBA - http://www.sba.gov/

SCORE - http://www.score.org

Small Business Resource - http://www.small-business-software.net

Business Link - http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/act...

Goodluck!