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Getting a Business Started in San Francisco
For more than 150 years, San Francisco has defined itself as the place to do business. From the Gold Rush of 1849 to the globally transforming technology boom of the 1990s, San Francisco stakes a claim as a world leader in business opportunity and innovation.
Now as we are in the 21st Century, San Francisco continues to provide the perfect setting for established businesses and entrepreneurs alike – a dynamic consumer driven economy, stunning locales, and a city government ready to help your business thrive.
San Francisco boasts a highly educated and culturally diverse population with needs ranging from the everyday commonplace to the extraordinarily sophisticated. Its metropolitan setting, world-class cuisine, and signature tourist attractions lure record breaking numbers of vacationers as well as business and convention travelers from all over the world, providing a multitude of commercial opportunities for businesses operating in the import-export, manufacturing, entertainment, technology, retail, financial service and hospitality industries.
San Francisco is the right place for your new business. This booklet introduces the steps to take to make your ideas a reality. We look forward to working with you and contributing to your success.
Dear Entrepreneur:
Thank you for your interest in doing business in San Francisco. We are proud that you have selected our city as the home for your business, and we look forward to working with you. On behalf of the Small Business Commission (SBC), we are pleased to present the resourceful and informative Getting a Business Started: A guide to doing business in San Francisco. This booklet was created for you, the entrepreneur, and is designed to provide you with the information you will need to start your business.
Assembled in this booklet is information on local requirements for doing business in San Francisco, as well as state and federal requirements. In addition, the guide details crucial City departments and the specific services they offer to small businesses. Local, state and federal business incentives are also highlighted in this guide. Finally, we have assembled a comprehensive list of small business resources. We have also included key city phone numbers that will prove invaluable to you as you start and expand your business.
The Small Business Commission was established to help small business flourish in San Francisco. Our mission is to help foster, promote and retain small businesses in San Francisco. We work to provide San Francisco small businesses with the tools necessary to succeed. Our goal is to make doing business in San Francisco a bit easier. Please keep in mind that information is ever changing. If you have trouble accessing an office or department listed in this guide, please do not hesitate to let us know by contacting us at (415) 554-6134or through our website at http://www.sfgov.org/sbc/, so that we may be able to provide the most current and up to date information. We look forward to serving you, and we hope this guide serves you well.
Sincerely,
San Francisco Small Business Commission
Florence Alberts, Norman Ishimoto, Michael O'Connor, Dr. Raye Richardson, David Sahagun, Jordanna Thigpen, Richard Ventura
Introduction
Starting or expanding your business is an exciting undertaking. This booklet is designed to help you through the "maze" of government rules and regulations involving business establishments. Because you want to begin doing business without delay, there is a very strong tendency to ignore or gloss over government requirements. Do not give in to such a tendency. It almost always creates problems that can become very costly to your business.
Dealing with government agencies in San Francisco does not have to be a stressful experience. We want to put you on the right track; connecting you with the appropriate City offices, organizations and services, to help you start or expand your business. In this guide you will find factual, up-to-date and easy-to-understand and important information to doing business in San Francisco. In Sections I, II, and III, we take you through the process of local, state and federal business registration requirements, including permits, licenses and taxes.
Section IV is a Checklist to help you stay on track of steps it takes to start a business. Keep in mind that requirements may vary from one business to another. We believe that this is a useful tool, and one that may come in handy again if you plan to relocate, start another business, and or expand your business.
Section V is a list of local, state and federal business incentives that are available to qualifying small businesses.
Section VI is a description of the Small Business Commission (SBC) and other key City departments and their programs, including information about the Small Business Loan Program, the Disadvantage Business Enterprise Program and Procurement.
Finally, in Section VII, we offer a resource directory covering federal, state, and local resources, including among others: access to capital, business support organizations, chambers of commerce, merchant and small business associations, import/export information, and legal services. Many of these organizations provide technical help and services to small businesses. We encourage you to contact these organizations and take advantage of their free and low cost services.
| Table of Contents | |
| I. Local Requirements | |
| Step 1-Zoning Step 2-Business Tax Step 3-Fictitious Business Name Step 4-Additional Permits & Licenses |
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| II. State Requirements | |
| Seller's Permit Withholding, Insurance, Taxes Worker's Compensation Insurance Licenses Department of Consumer Assurance Regulatory Compliance and Agricultural Standards Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control |
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| III. Federal Requirements | |
| Business Tax (Taxpayer ID, Federal Business Income Tax, Self-Employment Tax, Excise Tax) Withholding-Taxes for Employers |
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IV. Checklist |
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I. Local Requirements II. State Requirements III. Federal Requirements |
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| V. City Departments | |
| SBC MOCD (Small Business Loan Program) OCA HRC MOD Neighborhood Beautification MOED MONS |
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| VI. Business Incentives | |
| VII. Resource Directory | |
| Access to Capital Business Support Organizations Chambers of Commerce and Business Association San Francisco Council of District Merchants Educational Institutions Employment-Placement and Training Import/Export Information Sources Legal Marketing/Advertising Procurement Utilities Waste Reduction City Government Agencies Phone Reference |
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