Required licenses and permits for small business in Florida?

Question

I would like to start a small home based business, mostly internet sales, craft shows, home shows, catalog sales etc. selling different types of gifts. I have found a supplier and have been doing research on the licenses and permits I will need but am a little confused on where to start. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Answer 1

Go to http://www.score.org/ to find the nearest SCORE chapter. Contact them to arrange for a free one on one meeting with a SCORE counselor.

SCORE is a nonprofit organization. They provide a public service by offering small business advice and training. .

SCORE's 10,500 volunteers have more than 600 business skills. Volunteers share their wisdom and lessons learned in business. The volunteers are working/retired business owners, executives and corporate leaders.

Answer 2

The best place to start would be of course getting the license. You should research whom is going to do your site also talk to the supplier and figure out how much inventory you want to have. Try to take an online survey to see what people are buying these days in the gift department. You could try keying in gift shops to see what you come up with. Do your homework or you will be stuck with inventory that you can't get rid of.

Answer 3

Depends on what you want to do. You can simply trade on the internet under your own name. Most Fla. municipalities or counties will not require an occupational license if your business is strictly on line & there are no customers, signs or other indications on your residence that you are doing business. You may or not want a separate business name and/or tax number and or/bank account. If you want a separate business name, you must register it with the Fla. Sec State's office (www.sunbiz.com) & must apply for a tax number on an IRS Form SS-4. (Go to IRS web site & download the form). You may even want to incorporate; which you can also do on line at the Sec. State's web site.

Answer 4

you won't be required to get one finding on what you're advertising. yet, in case you purely prefer a license, you are able to pass on your county clerk's place of work and get one. they're frequently around $20 (purely the license.) yet there is greater to it than that-you are able to look for advice from an lawyer because of the fact there are advantages/unfavourable aspects to installation your company particular techniques finding on what industry you're in. no rely in case you opt for the LLC, a sole proprietorship or style a company; your determination might have an consequence on your company criminal duty, fund-ability besides as taxes due. that's the place a criminal expert is obtainable in obtainable. finding on your selected company shape, might might desire to sign up your company with the state government. installation your company might require an enterprise identity extensive style(EIN) that's additionally utilized by ability of state taxing government to % out companies. further paperwork can entail sales tax licenses, zoning helps and greater. in maximum circumstances a sole proprietorship registration is dealt with in the process the county and/or city the place your company relies, and there could be state and city helps or licenses required for operation. If sole owners decide to comprise their company or to style an LLC or a limited partnership, then state registration is needed. companies frequently sign up with their state's branch of companies, branch of companies or the secretary of state. whilst sole owners sign up their companies with close by or state government, their names become their company names by ability of default. Sole owners may additionally prepare for a fictitious call -- additionally straightforward as a DBA, which stands for “doing company as” -- with their city or county clerk's place of work, meaning they're registering their company below some thing different than their actual names. additionally, finding on what industry you're in, you are going to be requierd to acquire a distributors license or sellers enable.