Business Licenses and Permits

Interested in opening a new business in Chicago?  Be prepared to navigate a potentially complex set of procedures that may require a facilitator or submitter to help shepherd your license application through the process.
However, yesterday, mayoral candidate Rahm Emanuel announced a plan to reform city government.  The plan includes a component aimed at making the …

Expanding your business?  Qualifying your business to conduct operations in a new state?  Good for you!  The list of items on your action plan is likely a mile long.  Have you determined what licenses and permits might be required to execute your plan?
Eliminate the guesswork.  Consider purchasing a business license research and compliance package.  For …

On November 10, we blogged about a ski resort town in Utah requiring rental owners to obtain a business license.  Fueled by a variety of factors, leaders in Telluride Colorado have followed suit.
City leaders lamented the fact that owners who open their properties to tenants interested in securing a place to stay during peak ski …

Planning to open or manage a Florida hotel?  As with most mature businesses, there are a myriad of compliance requirements.  Below, I’ve listed a few highlights.  This information is not intended to be a comprehensive list, rather a quick overview.
The Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation – Division of Hotels and Restaurants is the …

Thankfully, often cooler heads prevail.  Everyday, it seems, we see examples where agencies and organizations implement a new policy or process only to encounter unintended consequences.  Philadelphia’s recent extension of their business license policy to include bloggers who don’t generate income is one such example.
In August, the city sent letters to bloggers indicating they may …

My grandfather always said, if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, chances are, it’s a duck.  I always elicited an annoyed look when I retorted, “What if it walks like a duck, but talks like a goose?
The City Council in the city of Clive, Iowa considered a similar question recently when the …

A recent blog post claimed that 86% of global 100 companies use at least one form of social media, and 75% of U.S. small businesses have a company page on a social networking site.  It’s no surprise, then, that huge increases in business activity in the area of social media have given rise to social …

Off I-10 in Southern California, in the desert community of Cathedral City, local government has applied a blanket approach to business licensing.  City level business licensing isn’t unique to Cathedral City.  However, Cathedral City requires virtually all businesses to be licensed, including home based businesses.
A Home Occupation License costs $40 annually, and applicants must appear …

Follow through is so important.  As a kid, that seemed to apply to my golf swing, my slap shot, and my throw to first base.  As a young man, it seemed to apply to my college papers and assignments.  As an adult, it applies to a variety of things.  As a business owner, it can …

Regarding Ohio Sales and Use Tax, the Ohio Department of Taxation outlines several taxpayer types.  The various types determine the cost of the license, as well as the form type, and filing return frequency.
Highlights regarding taxpayer types:

Like several of the other taxpayer types, a Vendor license costs $25.  Vendors must have one license for each …