Q: I need to file a fictitious-business-name statement. Can I do that and get a business license on the Internet? If there are any costs involved, are there Web sites that would accept credit cards and process the whole license thing?
--Madhu Puwula, Burbank
*
A: We don't do business over the Internet. You must either come in person to file your fictitious-business-name statement or send it in the mail. We can't accept this information over the Internet because these documents have to be examined and sometimes they are accepted and other times they are not.
A fictitious-name filing costs $10 for the first name and $2 for each additional name, up to $16. We take cash and checks but no credit cards. To file your statement, you may come in person to the Los Angeles County Recorder's Office at 12400 E. Imperial Highway, Norwalk, CA 90650, or write and we will send a form you can file by mail. For more information, call (562) 462-2177.
--Joyce Spikes, section head,
fictitious business filings and
registration, Los Angeles County
Recorder's Office, Norwalk
*
We license only specific businesses that are located in the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County, and we do not do business over the Internet. Some cities license strictly for regulation and others license for regulation purposes and to impose a business tax. Los Angeles County charges a fee to recover its regulatory costs but does not impose a tax. We license only certain types of business activities for public safety or welfare concerns, and of the total business community in the county, we probably license only 10% of them.
To find out whether you need a business license and how to obtain one, call your local city hall and ask for the department that handles business licenses. For more information on county business licenses, call (213) 974-2011.
Because you must make sure that your business will be located in an area with proper zoning, it is probably best to apply for your business license in person.
--Dwight Anderson,
assistant division manager,
tax and license division,
Department of Treasurer and Tax Collector, Los Angeles County
*
Q: I occupy a small retail space where I make and sell children's clothing. I'm interested in expanding and am looking for some good literature on retailing. Specifically, I'm interested in any information available on how to estimate optimum inventory levels and realistic marketing costs in comparison to sales projections. Do you have any references?
