Choosing Your Business 9

Where can I get help if I need it?

The legal requirements for starting a business vary from state to state, and even from county to county or city to city within any one state. They also vary according to the type of business you are starting. Unfortunately there is little consistency in the way the offices responsible for administering the regulations are named. In one locality you might need to contact an office of permits; in another, the county clerk's office. In some cases you will need to comply with regulations issued by several different state or local offices.

The first place you should turn for help, therefore, is the blue government listings in your county or regional telephone directory. For information about registering your business name and getting a business certificate, look for a county or city clerk's office or an office of business permits and licenses. Call and ask if that office is the right place to register your business name, and if there are other local or state regulations that the type of business you are thinking about starting must comply with.

Don't be surprised or get discouraged if the first office you call doesn't have the information you need and doesn't know where to refer you. Clerks in any one government office often know little about what goes on in other government offices. A man in Chicago called and wrote letters to several Illinois state offices; then, when he got no response after two weeks, decided "it was time to trek on down to the State of Illinois Building."

There, he says, he asked four different people if there was "any central office to find out all the licenses and permits that might be required of a business or for a contractor doing a particular job." Three out of the four people he asked were of no help at all. "One of them, upon my saying the word 'job,' said that anyone looking for a job should go see personnel and pointed me in that direction.

"A fourth came through, but not with a one-stop answer. She said that various agencies and departments handled various areas. Incorporation, for instance, would be handled via the secretary of state. Licensing, on the other hand, would be the department of revenue."

If you can't quickly find out what permits and licenses you may need and where to apply for them, a nearby office of the Small Business Administration (SBA) or the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) should be able to help. Other government-funded agencies that may be able to help you find your way through the maze of red tape are Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs), Economic Development Agencies, and Offices of Women's Business Ownership. You also can get the phone number of a local SBA by calling the SBA answer desk in Washington, D.C. That phone number is (800) 827-5722. The SBA web site also has contact information. See http://www.sba.gov . Local business groups such as the chamber of commerce, regional industrial associations, and Lion's Clubs can be helpful. Colleges and universities that offer business classes may also offer some help.

In addition to securing any necessary licenses and permits, you may also need to apply for a state sales tax number. The place to get that information as well as information about state income taxes is often called the state tax department or state revenue service. (See the list of state tax department addresses and phone numbers in Appendix 5.) If you will be hiring employees, contact your state department of labor to find out about any state labor laws with which you must comply.

Information on federal income taxes for businesses and on payroll deductions you are required to make if you hire employees is available from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Visit a local IRS office, or download the information as well as tax forms from their web site at http://www.irs.gov/. You can reach the part of the web site that focuses specifically on business information and forms at http://www.irs.gov/businesses/index.html or at http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/index.html.

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