How to Open a Business in Fresno County, California
Depending on where you live in Fresno County, different permits or licenses may be required to open a business. However, there are certain basic steps to take once you have decided that you want to launch a new enterprise.
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Instructions
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Contact the County Clerk’s office. Find out what licenses and certificates are required for the town or area you live in.
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Initiate the fictitious business name statement process. See the Resoures section for a link. You will need to make sure nobody else has the name, and then publish your prospective business name in the newspaper. This can take several weeks, so it should be started as soon as possible. The exception is if you name your company John Q. Public Tax Services--if your name is in it, you usually don’t have to file a fictitious business name statement.
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Complete and submit the necessary business licenses for your town or area. See the Resources section for a link. Most towns require a license for you to operate. They in turn will bill you quarterly for a percentage of your profits. Understand that you usually have to have received approval for your fictitious business name before you can get your licenses and permits.
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File for a Federal Tax ID number. If you are a partnership, corporation, LLC or other organization, you may need to get a Federal Tax ID number. This acts like a social security number for your business.
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Establish a business bank account. Usually it’s a good idea to keep your business and personal bank accounts separate. You are usually required to have proof of your approved fictitious business name in order to open an account.
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Tips & Warnings
Many steps to starting and opening a business can be done concurrently to save yourself time. Make a detailed business plan in advance to make sure you're covering all your bases.
