When you plan a California business startup, the best place to start is with a state-run website. In the United States, each state has slightly different laws and regulations that govern businesses so starting with the state government as a source of information can save you a great deal of time and effort.
Your Business Plan
A business plan is a blueprint for your California business. A business plan is a living document, and it can be modified as you actually start your business. One of the best places for information on writing a business plan is the federal Small Business Administration. They have a number of articles, plus frequently asked questions, on writing a business plan. At a minimum, your business plan should address the following major categories:
- A description of the business
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- What product or service will you provide?
- Who will want to buy the product or service?
- How will you market your product or services?
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- What media will you use to promote your business?
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- Direct mail
- Radio and television
- Telemarketing
- Newspaper and/or magazine advertising
- Finances
- What will start up cost and where will you get the money for those costs?
- What income do you expect in the first year?
- What are the expected expenses for the first year of operation?
- Do you have sufficient resources to cover all of the costs?
- Management
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- Who will manage the business and how will it be managed?
- Are you the only one who will manage the business or will there be a management team?
Once you have answered all of these questions and many others in your detailed business plan, you will be able to take steps to create your startup business in the State of California. Each state has its own laws and regulations governing business, so as you go through the process of defining your business for registration in California, you may need to modify your business plan to comply with legal requirements. Ideally, you should familiarize yourself with California business guidelines as you write the plan.
California Business Startup
The State of California breaks the process of starting a business into five steps:
- Define a business
- Register a business
- Administer employees
- Set up a facility
- Operate a business
Define a Business
In order to start a business in California, you need to understand the various kinds of business models and select one before you can register your business in California. The types of businesses that can be started in California are:
- Sole Proprietorship
- General or Limited Partnerships
- Limited Liability Partnership
- Limited Liability Company
- C Corporation
- S Corporation
The type of business you decide to start determines how you will register your business and the requirements and regulations that govern that type of business. For more detailed information on each type of business, you may wish to seek legal advice.
Administer Employees
Administering employees encompasses equal employment opportunity laws, employee benefits, establishment of wages and hours, filing employment taxes, obtaining workman's compensation insurance, and finding employees.
Setting Up Facility and Operating Business
The state provides advice for California business startups on topics essential to successfully starting up and maintaining a business. This advice goes beyond legal advice, because the state has a vested interest in keeping business in the state. Your success is their success in terms of tax revenues. Therefore, they
- Getting loans and financial assistance
- Opening a bank account
- Selling merchandise
- Manufacturing products
- Site selection and location
- Business incubators
- Acquiring office and manufacturing equipment
- Obtaining office/facility Insurance
Using Business Incubators
A number of organizations in the State of California offer advice to business startups. The state provides a list of organizations which assist new businesses.
Legal Assistance
Legal assistance is available from private attorneys, business incubators, and from on-line sources. The more complex the business, the more important it is for you to get competent legal advice when you start a business. For small businesses or simple businesses with few employees, the on-line sites, such as Legal Zoom, can be helpful in expediting paperwork. These sites tailor the paperwork tailor the forms and paperwork to the state in which it will be filed.
The best resource when you are planning to start a business anywhere is the state government. A person contemplating California business startup has access to excellent information at a state-run web site. Not only will the advice provided by the state assure that you are in compliance with laws and regulations governing business in the state, you'll have access to excellent advice to assure the success of your business in the state.
