• Be sure your signage on the front of your business makes you easy to see. It should be big enough to be easily read from the road, and bright enough to stand out from those around it.

• Your signage should make it immediately clear, to someone driving by with only a second to glance at it, exactly what your business does.

California is a fantastic place to start a business, with several enormous cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego. The population and diversity of the state is enough to begin just about any business you could imagine, and thrive.

Here are a few things you should consider when starting your California business:

1. Where in the city is your market demographic?
   • The cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego are enormous, with many different pockets of demographics. Even the smaller communities in California like Sacramento, Stockton, Bakersfield and Palm Springs are large communities by any other state standard. You may want to research in what location of the city your particular business would be best suited.
2. What does business space cost in your desired location?
   • Different parts of the city will have wildly varied monthly lease costs. For example, in Los Angeles, Melrose Avenue or Downtown LA will have much higher rates than Culver City or North Hollywood would.
3. What kind of business entity should you form?

   • Learn how to set up a California Incorporation (http://california-incorporation.legalspring.com/)

   • Read about places to form a DBA, or "Doing Business As".

4. Get a Federal EIN number

   • You can file for an EIN as soon as you get your EIN from the IRS (http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=98350,00.html) or you can have your incorporator get it when you file your incorporation.

5. Get a business license

   • Get a Los Angeles business license (http://ttax.co.la.ca.us/Proptax/Business_License_FAQ.htm)

   • Search in Google for the term "(city name) business license" and you will be presented with results for your particular city.

6. Set up a bank account
   • You need your EIN and Incorporation (or DBA) paperwork before you can open a bank account and deposit checks made out in your company's name. Once you have this paperwork, it's a fairly easy process. You just walk into your local branch, and they should help you get set up. The only bank I don't recommend is Washington Mutual, who wanted original copies of paperwork that the state of California had kept. I had the certified copies from the state of California, but Wamu would only accept the originals. I've had better luck with California National Bank, they have very good customer service.
7. Find an accountant
   • Lack of bookkeeping is one of the top reasons new businesses fail. As the owner of the business, you'll be very business running your operations, and the books will fall behind. Be sure to set up your books, and hire a good accountant at the outset so that this doesn't become a problem.
8. Find advertising space

   • Any good business owner knows that the flow of customers into their store is the lifeblood of their business. But not all business owners know where and how to advertise their services. Here are a few ideas:

   • Offline

     • Set up business in a high traffic area

       • Be sure your signage on the front of your business makes you easy to see. It should be big enough to be easily read from the road, and bright enough to stand out from those around it.

       • Your signage should make it immediately clear, to someone driving by with only a second to glance at it, exactly what your business does.

     • Yellow pages

     • Billboards

     • Bus benches

     • Poster boards

     • Hand out flyers

     • H
       Tea Blending-An Accidental Invention! It Needs More Support From Tea Research!
       There was an English tea merchant selling tea packs in his town during the year 1660 A.D. He used to get a bag of tea from one estate or the other and make small packs and sell them to the people in his area. People were buying from him, but used to make remarks on the quality of the tea he supplied. THE GOODNESS OF TEAS! It had become quite customary to hear comments of his customers about his tea. They said, “The tea was good last time, but it is different now”. When the color was good, the taste was not so. Again, when the taste was good, the tea color was very low. The flavor was not always the same.When ever he buys a new tea bag and distributes it in small packs, the customers’ comments were also changed. This is because the
       are large communities by any other state standard. You may want to research in what location of the city your particular business would be best suited.
   • What does business space cost in your desired location?
     • Different parts of the city will have wildly varied monthly lease costs. For example, in Los Angeles, Melrose Avenue or Downtown LA will have much higher rates than Culver City or North Hollywood would.
   • What kind of business entity should you form?

     • Learn how to set up a California Incorporation (http://california-incorporation.legalspring.com/)

     • Read about places to form a DBA, or "Doing Business As".

   • Get a Federal EIN number

     • You can file for an EIN as soon as you get your EIN from the IRS (http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=98350,00.html) or you can have your incorporator get it when you file your incorporation.

   • Get a business license

     • Get a Los Angeles business license (http://ttax.co.la.ca.us/Proptax/Business_License_FAQ.htm)

     • Search in Google for the term "(city name) business license" and you will be presented with results for your particular city.

   • Set up a bank account
     • You need your EIN and Incorporation (or DBA) paperwork before you can open a bank account and deposit checks made out in your company's name. Once you have this paperwork, it's a fairly easy process. You just walk into your local branch, and they should help you get set up. The only bank I don't recommend is Washington Mutual, who wanted original copies of paperwork that the state of California had kept. I had the certified copies from the state of California, but Wamu would only accept the originals. I've had better luck with California National Bank, they have very good customer service.
   • Find an accountant
     • Lack of bookkeeping is one of the top reasons new businesses fail. As the owner of the business, you'll be very business running your operations, and the books will fall behind. Be sure to set up your books, and hire a good accountant at the outset so that this doesn't become a problem.
   • Find advertising space

     • Any good business owner knows that the flow of customers into their store is the lifeblood of their business. But not all business owners know where and how to advertise their services. Here are a few ideas:

     • Offline

       • Set up business in a high traffic area

         • Be sure your signage on the front of your business makes you easy to see. It should be big enough to be easily read from the road, and bright enough to stand out from those around it.

         • Your signage should make it immediately clear, to someone driving by with only a second to glance at it, exactly what your business does.

       • Yellow pages

       • Billboards

       • Bus benches

       • Poster boards

       • Hand out flyers

       • 7 Tips to Deal With a Bad Performance Review
         Q. “I wasn't happy with my last performance review. Should I dispute the review? Write a letter for my file? Talk to a lawyer? Or just let it go?”A. Most professionals feel you should offer some kind of response. But whether to respond, and the way to respond, will depend on your company's culture, the unwritten message and your own career goals.1. Assess your report in light of the company's culture.In some cultures, anything but glowing praise will be viewed as negative. In others, tough reviews are the norm.Often your boss will be expected to come up with at least one point of constructive criticism. After all, nobody walks on water. But if you're being attacked or unfairly criticized, you must explore further.Some
         s soon as you get your EIN from the IRS (http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=98350,00.html) or you can have your incorporator get it when you file your incorporation.

     • Get a business license

       • Get a Los Angeles business license (http://ttax.co.la.ca.us/Proptax/Business_License_FAQ.htm)

       • Search in Google for the term "(city name) business license" and you will be presented with results for your particular city.

     • Set up a bank account
       • You need your EIN and Incorporation (or DBA) paperwork before you can open a bank account and deposit checks made out in your company's name. Once you have this paperwork, it's a fairly easy process. You just walk into your local branch, and they should help you get set up. The only bank I don't recommend is Washington Mutual, who wanted original copies of paperwork that the state of California had kept. I had the certified copies from the state of California, but Wamu would only accept the originals. I've had better luck with California National Bank, they have very good customer service.
     • Find an accountant
       • Lack of bookkeeping is one of the top reasons new businesses fail. As the owner of the business, you'll be very business running your operations, and the books will fall behind. Be sure to set up your books, and hire a good accountant at the outset so that this doesn't become a problem.
     • Find advertising space

       • Any good business owner knows that the flow of customers into their store is the lifeblood of their business. But not all business owners know where and how to advertise their services. Here are a few ideas:

       • Offline

         • Set up business in a high traffic area

           • Be sure your signage on the front of your business makes you easy to see. It should be big enough to be easily read from the road, and bright enough to stand out from those around it.

           • Your signage should make it immediately clear, to someone driving by with only a second to glance at it, exactly what your business does.

         • Yellow pages

         • Billboards

         • Bus benches

         • Poster boards

         • Hand out flyers

         • Fashion Tips For Urban Wear Sellers
           The urban market is unique in the sense that the customer base buys out of a sense of popular appeal, as opposed to practical considerations.While the business attire market buys based on practical considerations such as corporate dress codes and client interactions, the urban market buys based on other criteria.Customers buying urban clothing will opt for extra large sized clothing, even if their regular size is smaller.To maximize your urban wear sales you need to use these urban fashion tips.Urban Fashion Tip #1Concentrate on large sizes.Large sizes sell well because the style is to wear baggy and extra large looking clothing. While the customer may only need a medium sized shirt, he will often prefer a 2X or larger
           ch, and they should help you get set up. The only bank I don't recommend is Washington Mutual, who wanted original copies of paperwork that the state of California had kept. I had the certified copies from the state of California, but Wamu would only accept the originals. I've had better luck with California National Bank, they have very good customer service.
       • Find an accountant
         • Lack of bookkeeping is one of the top reasons new businesses fail. As the owner of the business, you'll be very business running your operations, and the books will fall behind. Be sure to set up your books, and hire a good accountant at the outset so that this doesn't become a problem.
       • Find advertising space

         • Any good business owner knows that the flow of customers into their store is the lifeblood of their business. But not all business owners know where and how to advertise their services. Here are a few ideas:

         • Offline

           • Set up business in a high traffic area

             • Be sure your signage on the front of your business makes you easy to see. It should be big enough to be easily read from the road, and bright enough to stand out from those around it.

             • Your signage should make it immediately clear, to someone driving by with only a second to glance at it, exactly what your business does.

           • Yellow pages

           • Billboards

           • Bus benches

           • Poster boards

           • Hand out flyers

           • Anticipating Future Risks in the New World
             Technology is taking us into the future at a pace that is faster than we previously imagined possible. Our ability to conjure an image of what the world may look like five to ten years down the track is improving, thanks to new strategic planning theories and tools. However, it is our willingness to consider emerging, new categories of risk that is still a stumbling block for many business planners. Some executives and business owners are “risk adverse”, preferring to deal with a business interruption as and when it occurs. Yet it is through the discipline of Risk Management that we can improve our ability to survive in the cutthroat world of the modern economy. Risk management, when employed as an integral part of business operations, can improve both the qualit
             ess owner knows that the flow of customers into their store is the lifeblood of their business. But not all business owners know where and how to advertise their services. Here are a few ideas:

           • Offline

             • Set up business in a high traffic area

               • Be sure your signage on the front of your business makes you easy to see. It should be big enough to be easily read from the road, and bright enough to stand out from those around it.

               • Your signage should make it immediately clear, to someone driving by with only a second to glance at it, exactly what your business does.

             • Yellow pages

             • Billboards

             • Bus benches

             • Poster boards

             • Hand out flyers

             • Host groups and clubs at your business

             • Attend local business networking functions

             • Local newspapers like the la times (http://www.latimes.com)

           • Internet

             • Los Angeles Citysearch (http://losangeles.citysearch.com)

             • San Francisco Citysearch (http://sanfrancisco.citysearch.com)

             • Los Angeles Craigslist (http://losangeles.craigslist.com)

             • San Francisco Craigslist (http://sanfrancisco.craigslist.com)

             • You can find a version of the above web sites for almost any of the larger cities in California by putting the city name at the front of the url.
             • PPC ads on Google (http://adwords.google.com) or Yahoo (http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com/)
               • Pay-per-click ads can be targeted to a very localized area. You can ensure that only people surfing the internet in the Los Angeles area (for example) will see your ads. They will appear only when they're actually looking for your product, or reading something similar to what you offer.

         • Stay current on your California Tax Laws.
           • One thing that can ruin a new business quickly is falling behind on taxes. Make sure you don't make that mistake! Make a solid effort to understand what you need to know about California taxes - talk to your accountant about it!
         • Set up a web site

           • Customers expect to be able to find you on the Internet.

           • Without a web site, you take away a potentially lucrative advertising avenue (see the Internet advertising tips above).

           • Many places like Yahoo (http://store.yahoo.com) make it easy to setup your own website, with your own domain name.
             • Find a domain name. I always use GoDaddy (http://www.godaddy.com) to register my domain names. I've found that DomainsBot (http://www.domainsbot.com) is a great tool to find a cool domain name. Once you find it with DomainsBot, you can register it with GoDaddy.

They say that 9 out of 10 businesses fail within the first 5 years. Most businesses are not financially or legally ready to succeed. If you follow the simple steps in this article, you'll be better prepared to run a long-term and profitable business. Los Angeles is ready for you - you need to be ready to handle Los Angeles!

Oh yeah, and have fun!