Northern California

Doing Business in NorCal

 

Since the events of the California Gold Rush, northern California has been a leader on the world's economic, scientific, and cultural stages. From the development of gold mining techniques and logging practices in the 19th century that were later adopted around the world, to the development of world-famous and online business models (such as Apple, Hewlett-Packard, Google, Yahoo!, and eBay), northern California has been at the forefront of new ways of doing business. In science, advances range from being the first to isolate and name fourteen transuranic chemical elements, to breakthroughs in microchip technology. Cultural contributions include the works of Ansel Adams, George Lucas, and Clint Eastwood, as well as beatniks, the Summer of Love, winemaking, the cradle of the international environmental movement, and the open, casual workplace first popularized in the Silicon Valley dot-com boom and now widely in use around the world. It is also Home to one of the largest Air Force Bases on the West Coast, and the largest of California, Travis Air Force Base.

 

Northern California's economy is noted for being the de facto world leader in industries such as high technology (both software and semiconductor), as well as being known for clean power, biomedical, government, and finance. Other significant industries include tourism, shipping, manufacturing, and agriculture. Its economy is diverse, though more concentrated in high technology, and subject to the whims of venture capital than any other major regional economy in the nation especially within Silicon Valley, and less dependent on oil and residential housing than Southern California. It is home to the state capital, as well as several Western United States regional offices in San Francisco, such as the Federal Reserve and 9th Circuit Court.

 

If you're doing business in Northern California or you plan on starting a California business, here's information that may be helpful.

 

·         If you have people working for you

·         If you have independent contractors

·         If you are a retailer or purchase goods subject to sales or use tax

·         Income taxes for your business type

 

Here are more tools to help you with your business:

 

·         Striking Gold in California - A joint agency publication describing what you need to know about and your small business.

 

·         Small Business and Self-Employed One-Stop Resource - If you run a small business or are self-employed, the IRS provides this site to help you. It offers industry/profession specific information and provides links to other helpful non-IRS sites.

 

·         California Business Investment Services - Find out why the Golden State is the ideal place to locate your business and what services are available to assist you with business investment and expansion.