While you do not need a certification to legally operate your business in California, Small Business Certification does offer advantageous business opportunities like government contracts. Federal, state and governments offer business opportunities to sell billions of dollars worth of products and services. Certifying your business can help you successfully compete for government contracts that would represent a significant source of revenue for your business.
You must first register as a vendor with the government. This will include:
More information about each of these steps on the Small Business Association website. You will also need to meet the Federal government’s definition of a small business. For most industries, a small business is defined in terms of the average number of employees the business has had over the past 12 months, or the average annual receipts over the past 3 years.
US small businesses typically:
Small businesses may be sole proprietorships, partnerships, corporations or any other legal forms. Read more about small business eligibility requirements and small business certification benefits at the California Department of General Services.