Business Licenses and Permits
We started by mentioning that opening a new business in the United States is not easy, but that is not to say that it is impossible, before you can legally open your ice cream shop and start making sales, you will need to acquire some correct business licenses and permits. We are going to give you a review of the most important permits and licenses below:
1.- Corporation Registration:
You must start by registering your company with the commercial name to be used with the department of corporations of the state in which you or your business is located.
2.- IRS Registration:
Next, you must register the corporation with the IRS, to obtain a Tax Identification Number, this is called FEIN or TIN.
3.- Local business Tax Certificate:
This is a license that in some cities is required before opening your business, check with the city entity before proceeding. Remember that this type of license is granted to you, after passing through the construction or remodeling inspections of the unit where the nitrogen ice cream shop will operate.
4.- County Business Tax Certificate:
This license is very similar to that of the city, some counties require it to process this license to go through the construction or remodeling inspections of the unit where the nitrogen ice cream shop will operate.
5.- License of the Commercial Sign:
This license corresponds to the commercial sign that will be at the top of your location, in some Shopping Centers, they do not accept the logo of your Nitrogen ice cream parlor, with the excuse (Landlord) that you want your shopping center looks uniform and does not give you a visual advantage over your neighbors. Consult before renting the unit and evaluate if this suits you or not.
6.- Food Handler Permit:
It is the license that is granted to be able to handle food, you must take a course, it is not difficult, but an inspector from an institution like ServSafe must take an exam to be able to grant you the license.
7.- Start Utility Services:
Register with all utility services, such as electricity, gas and water, to obtain their respective account numbers.
8.- State Resale License:
Every company must have a record of this license to be able to make legal sales and be a tax collector for the sale of your company.
9.- Certificate of Occupancy:
Called by general contractors (C.O.) this is the last step to take into account, you must have all the aforementioned permits and licenses on hand to obtain this certificate, once obtained you are authorized to start your business .
Keep in mind that you should check your local laws and seek legal advice to make sure your ice cream shop has everything it needs to open.