Registering Your Business

The idea of entrepreneurship is a tantalizing one. You are your own boss and work for no one other than yourself. It's pretty much everyone's dream, but what separates the entrepreneurs from the non-entrepreneurs is initiative. A smart person once said that starting a business is simple, but most people are just too lazy to actually do it.

When you think about it, the only difficult part in launching a business is the research end of the job meaning you have to navigate the law to figure out what the correct procedures are for operating your business legally.

Fortunately, cities and governmental organizations do a great job for the small business owner by offering a lot of the forms entrepreneurs need to start their business online as well as step-by-step guides of what you need to do to start a business.

So, if you are ready to jump into the deep end and launch your idea into the marketplace, there are just a few things you will need to do. By few, this in no way is meant to diminish the fact that a lot of your personal time and money (not to mention emotional sacrifices) will be spent in launching your business. It's just meant to show that the process, though somewhat tedious, is actually rather simple.

The first step in starting your own business is remembering that it's all in the name. Sure, a web site and great product are good too, but a business name that gets people to stop and pay attention to you, is really something special. So, take the time to think of one and then register it with the filing of a fictitious business name (otherwise know as a dba - an acronym for doing business as).

What you will need to do is contact your county clerk's office to first see if the name has not already been registered by someone else. If it has been, then it's back to the drawing board for you, but don't give up. If you are like most entrepreneurs, you will realize that your down time does not coincide with the hours of the clerk's office, which is fine since most of your research can be done online.

Many county clerks provide an online search so that you can check the status of the fictitious name you want to file on the Internet. Just remember that it's your responsibility to verify that no one else has registered that name, because when you fill our your business registration form, the clerk will accept any name (even if it's one that's already taken).

Once you have decided on an untaken name, you will need to print the notice of your name in a newspaper once a week for four weeks. Your county's clerk will have a list of newspapers you can go to. Although you can simultaneously submit your business registration form and run the dba statement in a newspaper, be cognizant of the paper's publishing schedule because you will be required to show proof of publication to the clerk within a certain number of weeks after submitting your business registration form.

Once you have done this, you will need to obtain a resale or sales tax use permit. This special little number will allow you to purchase things wholesale and also is required if you are planning on any retail sales (which would be most people). This permit can be obtained through the Board of Equalization and is free of charge.

Lastly, if you are operating your business out of your home, be very aware of your city zoning ordinances and also of the tax schedule. You will need to pay an annual tax, which is specified on your city's website. The website will also tell you when this tax is due.

Remember, this may seem like a bunch of scary forms, but take the time to fill them out. Don't get discouraged by lines or phone calls to the city or state. Most people do give up before even starting the process of registering a business, which only means less business competition for you.