Californians unite! anyone willing to give me a hand?

[freezermink 3]

so i've in only 3 months time, i've rapidly gone from hobby vinyl cutter and for-fun screen printer to having to cut 100s of decals at a time and just reciving 3 shirt orders totalling ~1000 shirts. i'm sure its not the big-time compared to some, but thats a ton for me. so far its been mostly for friends and a few locals, but as of this summer its going to get serious.

since this has become as big as it has, i'm looking for some sound small business start up advice. aka - what the hell do i need AND (more importantly) what do i NOT need as far as resellers permits, tax ids, etc. (you see the emphasis on what i do NOT need, because this is really not going to be a full time income for me, so the less i need to dip my toes into the federal and state tax pool the better, obviously.)

i have been getting information that has been so scattered that it really makes me cringe when i think about it. i'm sure it can't be that hard, but i'd really like to know for sure.

so to get down to it... any of you from california specifically go through this process? if so, is there anyone willing to give me a basic idea of what needs to happen and what routes i can skip? of course i'm willing to pay someone for their time if it is necessary. thanks guys.

[562r6 0]

so i've in only 3 months time, i've rapidly gone from hobby vinyl cutter and for-fun screen printer to having to cut 100s of decals at a time and just reciving 3 shirt orders totalling ~1000 shirts. i'm sure its not the big-time compared to some, but thats a ton for me. so far its been mostly for friends and a few locals, but as of this summer its going to get serious.

since this has become as big as it has, i'm looking for some sound small business start up advice. aka - what the hell do i need AND (more importantly) what do i NOT need as far as resellers permits, tax ids, etc. (you see the emphasis on what i do NOT need, because this is really not going to be a full time income for me, so the less i need to dip my toes into the federal and state tax pool the better, obviously.)

i have been getting information that has been so scattered that it really makes me cringe when i think about it. i'm sure it can't be that hard, but i'd really like to know for sure.

so to get down to it... any of you from california specifically go through this process? if so, is there anyone willing to give me a basic idea of what needs to happen and what routes i can skip? of course i'm willing to pay someone for their time if it is necessary. thanks guys.

The seller's permit is free and I would recommend getting it, you will need it if you deicide to start an official business anyway.

Look up the city's business license section on their website to see if you need a license. I'm in Anaheim and it basically states anyone doing any business needs a business license, and therefore a seller's permit. Like you, I only do it part time and i have another job that brings in a majority of my income. Anaheim has a hobby business tax program, where if you make less than a certain amount and conduct business from your home your business tax rates are the same as the personal income tax rates.

youll probably need a permit to operate a business out of your home. Double check with your city. I needed one for a business license

If you claim a sole ownership business/have no employees, you dont need any ID's.

One thing that I wish I would of done from the get-go and would of saved me A LOT of time, is go to your city hall and speak to an employee in the business license section. They were so nice and helpful when I went to turn in my business license app I wish I would of gone to them first. It seems overwhelming at first, but it's really not that bad. I got my sellers permit, filed my fictitious business name, and got my business license all in one day (it was a long day though lol).

Hope this helps a bit