Regulations and Licenses

• Local regulations and zoning laws exist that certain businesses must conform to, and this information can be acquired at the local county or city government office. Moreover, certain trades or professions require business owners to obtain a business license.
  
  

Business Name

• Registering a business name with the secretary of state allows the company to conduct its business transactions under a registered business name. Some states require certain types of business, such as sole proprietors and partnerships to register a fictitious name, which is also known as "doing business as," or DBA. Most local secretary of state offices have online databases to search business names. If a certain business name has not been chosen by another company, a business owner simply must complete the required paperwork to register the business name.
  
  

Taxes and Workers' Compensation

• Certain businesses, such as retailers, are required to register for state sales taxes. Also, federal excise taxes and retail excise taxes apply to certain types of businesses. Likewise, most businesses must register for a Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN). This identification number associates the business to its federal tax account. Any business that has employees must register for workers' compensation insurance pursuant to state statutes.