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Your small business checklist, item by item
Q: What do I need to get a small business up and running legally?
A: Think of this as a trail map for your small business. Not every marker applies to every traveler, so we check which ones are on your path.
1. Business license: A business license for a small business with customer pickup MAY ask what you sell, how customers collect orders and whether pickups happen at your address.
2. Home occupation permit: A home occupation permit MAY apply if customers collect orders at your home, usually with limits on pickup hours, parking, signs and the number of visits per day.
3. Sales tax permit: A sales tax permit MAY be needed because goods handed to customers at pickup are generally taxable, even when orders were placed online or by phone.
4. Product category permit: Depending on what you sell, such as food or personal care items, extra rules may apply.
5. Pickup procedure statement: A short description of when and how customers collect orders may accompany a home permit.
6. Insurance certificate: Proof of liability coverage may be asked for when customers visit a home-based business.
7. Company papers: A DBA, an LLC or a tax ID number MAY make sense for your small business, and we prepare all of these documents on this site, so everything can be ordered in one place.
One service fee covers more than one license. If you order a business license and it turns out you also need another one, for example a home occupation permit, we obtain both for the service fee of the business license. Annual tax and application fees charged by the govt are not part of our service fee: we find the applications and fill them out for you.
Why it is worth the paperwork
Easy, friendly convenience wins loyal buyers who return every single week.
Opening day, imagined
Archibald prepared the first order for Curbside Carrot Co., with the license in the same folder as the receipts.
A cautionary example
A pickup mix-up leads to a dispute about an expensive item and a claim against you.
Your numbers
Business code (NAICS): 541990 (All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services). This page lists 7 paperwork items for a small business, and each one is marked as something you MAY need, since we confirm which apply.
Tip: Offer set pickup windows and send a reminder message with the address and instructions.
Pickup is the only time a customer says 'I'm outside' and you hear 'I'm judging your porch'.
Ready when you are: start your order and we will find out what applies to your small business, fill out the applications and keep the paperwork moving. |