California – 50 States of Incorporation, Rebooted

Eureka, we have made it to the Golden State! We’re referring to the state of California, of course, which boasts one of the largest economies and agricultural producers in the United States.

From NorCal to SoCal, small businesses thrive in California. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, 3.8 million small businesses call the state home (with 1.6 million being minority-owned businesses). California’s overall economy continues to grow, at an annual rate of 2.2% in 2016. If this sounds like the ideal market to start a small business in, consider these five tips when incorporating a business in California.

1. Let’s start off by getting you acquainted with the California Secretary of State’s Business Entities Here, you can find a wide variety of service options at the Sacramento and Los Angeles offices including document processing, requesting information like certificates, and special drop-off handling services. Check in on name availability for corporations, LLCs, and partnerships, tips for filing, and more.

2. Not sure what kinds of forms you need for each entity or how much you need to pay? The Secretary of State has a section dedicated for forms, samples, and fees for a wide variety of entity types. For example, if you’re looking at an LLC, you’ll be redirected to a page where you can find out more about Articles of Organization, Certificates of Amendment, Certificates of Dissolution, and Conversions, just to name a few.

3. The filing fee for the Articles of Incorporation is $100.00 and the filing fee for the Article of Organization is $70.00. When filing, an agent for service of process must be obtained. The agent for service of process must be: (1) a person who resides in California or (2) an active corporation in California that has filed a certificate pursuant.

4. Need a business permit? CalGold helps businesses find appropriate permit information. Keep in mind that they do not issue permits or licenses, but CalGold does provide contact information that allows entrepreneurs to reach out to the appropriate agency contact for administering and issuing out permits.

5. Heard about bizfile California, but not sure what the service does? This is the Secretary of State’s online portal that works as a hub to help businesses file, search, and order business records. And if you’re thinking about getting a cannabis business entity underway, there’s a cannabizfile portal made just for that purpose.

If this has enlightened you to start your own business in the Golden State, browse the California Secretary of State website for more information. You can also follow the California Secretary of State on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates.

Is it time for you to start a small business in California? Give us a call at 1(877) 692-6772 or visit us at mycorporation.com if you have any questions about forming a business or the regulations required.

Welcome back to the 50 States of Incorporation, Rebooted where we share what it takes to start a business in each of the 50 states. Join us biweekly for advice on how to start an LLC or corporation across the United States.

Deborah Sweeney

Deborah Sweeney is an advocate for protecting personal and business assets for business owners and entrepreneurs. With extensive experience in the field of corporate and intellectual property law, Deborah provides insightful commentary on the benefits of incorporation and trademark registration. Education: Deborah received her Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration degrees from Pepperdine University, and has served as an adjunct professor at the University of West Los Angeles and San Fernando School of Law in corporate and intellectual property law. Experience: After becoming a partner at LA-based law firm, Michel & Robinson, she became an in-house attorney for MyCorporation, formerly a division in Intuit. She took the company private in 2009 and after 10 years of entrepreneurship sold the company to Deluxe Corporation. Deborah is also well-recognized for her written work online as a contributing writer with some of the top business and entrepreneurial blogging sites including Forbes, Business Insider, SCORE, and Fox Business, among others. Fun facts/Other pursuits: Originally from Southern California, Deborah enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons, Benjamin and Christopher, and practicing Pilates. Deborah believes in the importance of family and credits the entrepreneurial business model for giving her the flexibility to enjoy both a career and motherhood. Deborah, and MyCorporation, have previously been honored by the San Fernando Valley Business Journal’s List of the Valley’s Largest Women-Owned Businesses in 2012. MyCorporation received the Stevie Award for Best Women-Owned Business in 2011.