Starting A Business In California
When starting a new business, there are many important decisions to make and many rules and procedures that must be addressed. While there is no single source for all filing requirements, the following steps have been developed to assist you in starting your business.
Business Plan
It is helpful to begin with a business plan. A business plan is a blueprint of every aspect of your business. Sales, Marketing, Advertising, Promotion and Location are just some of the aspects of creating a plan. Click on the following link to the U.S. Small Business Administration to find a tutorial on how to create a business plan.
Business Location
If you would like help deciding on a location for your business, visit the California Business Investment Services (CalBIS) section of the California Labor & Workforce Development Agency website. CalBIS provides tailored site selection services for businesses, real-estate executives, and site selection consultants.
Business Structure
Choose a business structure. Select a business entity type from the following list for a brief overview of the principal types of legal business structures available in California. A legal representative and accountant should be consulted before making a determination as to the type of business entity to form.
Processing Times
Due to the large volume of business entity filing and order requests received, customers may experience delays in receiving confirmation of requests submitted by mail. Current mail processing times are provided below in an effort to assist customers in determining approximate response times for such requests.
Depending on your needs, the following services are offered by the Secretary of State to assist you in receiving a more expeditious response to your request:
California Business Search – Free online access to corporate, limited partnership and limited liability company information is available through the California Business Search.
E-file – The Statement of Information for most corporations can be filed online at no additional charge. Statements filed online are processed and entered into our database by the following business day.
Special Handling - is available for all filing and order requests submitted in person to our Sacramento office and for limited filing and order requests submitted to our regional offices. The average processing time for filing and order requests submitted for special handling is approximately five business days.
Preclearance Service - provides a customer with the opportunity to submit a business entity document in person to the Secretary of State's Sacramento office prior to filing to determine if the document conforms to law and to receive a preclearance response within a guaranteed time frame.
Expedited Filing Service - provides a customer with the opportunity to submit for filing a business entity document in person to the Secretary of State's Sacramento office and to receive a filing response within a guaranteed time frame.
Tax & Employer Identification Documents
Your next step will be to file your tax and employer identification documents.
Licenses & Permits
To assist you in finding the appropriate permitting information for your business, the CalGOLD database provides links and contact information that direct you to agencies that administer and issue business permits, licenses and registration requirements from all levels of government. The CalGold listings include descriptions of the requirements, the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of the agencies that administer those requirements and issue the permits and licenses, and in most cases a direct link to the agencies' Internet web pages. Much of the information is specific to the type of business and its location in California. To search for license and permit requirements, click CalGOLD.
