For more information please see the Small Business Administration

Contact the city’s Planning Department to make sure the zoning is correct for your new business address. Every business must meet zoning requirements and restrictions to insure that its business category and site are compatible.

Note: Before signing any leases or moving into a building, check with the Planning Department of the city that you intend to build your business in.
 

1. Contact the State of California to file proper State tax forms and obtain labor standards for employees. Obtain a State Board of Equalization resale permit, if required. www.ftb.ca.gov/forms
   
   If your business will have employees other than yourself, contact the Employment Development Department for information on state withholding taxes, disability and unemployment insurance. www.edd.ca.gov
   
   For business employing only the owners, contact the Franchise Tax Board for state withholding and corporation state taxes. www.ftb.ca.gov (This might not be the case in your situation, but you should probably call them anyway to confirm this.)
   
   Contact the Internal Revenue Service for your Employer Identification Number. The IRS will also provide a businessperson's kit, seminars for new business, additional information and required forms. www.irs.gov
    
2. File a fictitious name and file your “doing business as” name in a local newspaper. Prior to filing a fictitious name statement, it is recommended that you call the Los Angeles County Clerk’s Office and determine if in fact your business name is already in use. Business owners wishing to use a fictitious name (other than his/her own full family name) for the business must clear the name through the Los Angeles County Clerk to ensure that no one else is using it. Once cleared, the owner is required to print it in a newspaper of a specified circulation, in the area in which the business will be operated. (DBA renewal every 5 years)
    
   1. Los Angeles County Clerk 12400 E. Imperial Hwy., Suite 1007 Norwalk, CA 90650 (562) 462-2177
       
   2. To file a fictitious name statement, you must contact the local newspaper. The paper will file your DBA statement and publish your new business name.
      
      Daily News of L.A. 21221 Oxnard Street Woodland Hills, CA 91367 (818) 713-3381 Fax: (818) 713-3092
       
3. Contact the License and Code Division to find out what your business needs to register for in regards to Business License, Business Tax and Business Permits. We encourage you take advantage of License and Code Service personnel assistance.