Create a Plan of Action (POA)

Starting a Business Check List

Thank you for your interest in registering a business with the California Secretary of State’s office. The Secretary of State supports California businesses by registering business entities and processing millions of filings and records requests each year.

There are several key steps to launching a business in the state of California. These steps will vary according to the type of business you intend to start and the county and city in which the business will be located. Therefore, be sure to check specific rules and regulations within the county and city in which you want to conduct business, and any other agency’s requirements regarding zoning, licensing, employment, permits and taxes. The “Starting a New Business in California” brochure should be used as a general tool to help you broadly assess how to start a business in California, not as a direct step-by-step guideline. In order to maintain your business, there may be recurring reporting, fees, taxes and filings that the business must provide to state, local, and federal agencies.