If you have selected a site within the City limits of Sonoma, be sure to contact the Planning Division before you commit yourself to a location. Not all types of businesses are allowed in every commercial location, and you want to be sure your new business will have proper zoning.  In addition, the Planners will tell you if you are required to apply for a Conditional Use Permit, which is granted by the Planning Commission, a seven-member appointed body. They generally set conditions of approval which you will be required to follow, if approval is given.  You also must meet parking requirements and you may need Design Review.  Even home businesses are regulated. Planning can be reached by calling 707.938.3681 and is located at the downstairs front counter of City Hall, #1 The Plaza, Sonoma. 

If your location is in the Springs area or in another section of the unincorporated area of Sonoma County, you will need to contact the Permit Resources Management Department (PRMD) to check on zoning, design review, parking and other requirements. In addition, you may have to make a presentation to the Sonoma Valley Citizens Advisory Commission, which reviews certain types of projects in Sonoma Valley. The general number for PRMD is 707.565.1900, or you may visit them at 2550 Ventura Ave., Santa Rosa. The County website is also helpful with many applications available for download.  The website is http://www.sonoma-county.org/.

Tenant improvements are changes you make to your business space to make it uniquely your own, or to make it comply with current regulations, such as handicapped accessibility. Not everything you do will require a building permit, but it is better to find out before you sign a lease.  Even if you don’t plan to change any interior electrical, mechanical, or plumbing features, a change of use may trigger new requirements.  Building Department staff will be happy to talk with you about your plans, to determine if permits are required.  At your discretion, you may want to engage the services of an architect or design-build specialist to advise you on what is likely to be required.

For projects in the city limits, contact the City Building Division at 707.938.3681 or go to the downstairs counter at City Hall, #1 The Plaza. If you are in the County, go to PRMD (Building Division), 707.565.1900, or visit the office at 2550 Ventura Ave., Santa Rosa.

Anyone who operates a business in the city limits of Sonoma, whether permanently or one time only, needs a business license.  Some of the information you provide is public; some of it is kept confidential.  The law requiring everyone to be licensed has been on the books, unchanged, for decades, so the cost of a business license is reasonable, although it is renewable every year. Contact the Finance Department at 707.933.2237 or visit the counter at City Hall, #1 The Plaza, Sonoma.

If your business is located in the unincorporated area of Sonoma County, a business license is not required. However, if you plan to conduct business within the city limits (for example, landscaping), you would still need a city license.

In the City of Sonoma, even home operations need a business license, so don’t overlook this important step.  If you are operating your business from your home, you will also need a Home Occupation Permit.  Both forms can be downloaded from the City’s website.

If your business involves selling products, you will need a Resale Number from the State Board of Equalization.  This allows you to purchase inventory from suppliers without paying taxes.  It does require that you charge sales tax to your customers, which you are responsible for remitting to the State.  Contact the State Board of Equalization's regional office in Santa Rosa at 707.576.2100 or go to their office at 50 D Street, Room 230, in Santa Rosa.  For more information, visit www.boe.ca.gov . 

The name you choose is up to you, as long as someone else hasn’t claimed that name for their business first.  You can check this by contacting the Sonoma County Clerk at 2300 County Center Drive, Suite B-177, Santa Rosa, or by calling (707) 565-3800. The County Clerk’s staff will also be able to provide you with a Fictitious Business Name Statement form, if you need one.

Retail food sales, whether in a market, a restaurant, a snack bar, a bakery, or any other venue requires a permit from the County Department of Environmental Health (707.527.1888).  Permits from existing businesses are not transferable.  If your site has not had food sales before, you will also have to check with City Planning or PRMD Planning Division to determine what modifications you might need to comply with current regulations, and with the County Water Agency (Sonoma Valley Sanitation District) to check on grease trap requirements. If you are in the city limits, the City Building Department can advise you on whom to contact.  The County PRMD information line at 565-1900 can also help. The County’s website at www.sonoma-county.org/health/eh/foodhome.htm will also provide information you might need.

Alcohol sales require special permitting.  First check with the Planning Division (if you are locating in the city limits) or PRMD (in the unincorporated area) to determine if the zone your site is in allows alcohol sales. Then, contact the State’s Alcohol Beverage Control Board to obtain an actual license.  Information about this can be obtained from www.abc.ca.gov.

If you are planning to employ one or more persons, you must apply for a State Employer’s Identification Number.   You can obtain this in the building housing state offices at 50 D Street in Santa Rosa, Room 415, or by calling 707.576.2094.  Helpful information for employers is available at www.edd.cahwnet.gov .

You can get your Federal Identification Number by contacting the Internal Revenue Service Business Tax Line at 1.800.829.1040, or calling the local office in Santa Rosa at 707.523.0924.  You can get it in person at 777 Sonoma Avenue, Santa Rosa, between the hours of 8:30 and 4:30 weekdays.  If you prefer, you can download forms from the IRS website at www.irs.gov.

If you are in the city limits of Sonoma, you can sign up for water service at the downstairs counter at City Hall, #1 The Plaza. Other utilities serving the city are PG&E, Comcast Cable, SBC telephone, and Sonoma Garbage Collector, which all can be found in your local phone book.

If you are in the county area, you may be able to sign up for water service at Valley of the Moon Water District, 707.996.1037, or visit their offices at 19039 Bay Street, Sonoma, in the El Verano area. Other utilities serving the Valley are PG&E, Comcast Cable, SBC telephone, and Empire Waste Management, which all can be found in your local phone book.

If you are on a septic tank and your project involves substantial changes or additions, PRMD will advise you if you need a percolation test or upgraded sanitation facilities. Since this can be a costly requirement, always ask if it will be needed. If you are in the Sonoma Valley Sanitation District boundaries sanitary sewer service is available.

In the city limits, all commercial signs must be approved by the Design Review Board of the City of Sonoma. An application for a sign permit can be obtained at the downstairs counter at City Hall, #1 The Plaza, or in the "Forms" section of this website.  There are regulations governing the size and height of commercial signs and the Design Review Board may make suggestions about color and materials. Information about sign requirements can be obtained from the Planning staff at 707.938.3681.

All commercial signs in the unincorporated area of Sonoma Valley must be approved by the County. Staff at Permit and Resource Management Department can advise you on size and type of sign you are permitted to have and the approval process.

The City of Sonoma does not provide financing, but the City’s Community Development Agency (CDA) may do so with certain limitations.  There is a loan program available for signs and façade improvements, tenant improvements, structural upgrades, and new construction, but funds are limited and strict controls are in place.  (Click here for CDA loan program rules and guidelines.)

The most commonly used program is a “forgivable” loan for façade improvements, which may include signage, in a defined area called the Redevelopment Project Area.  Maximum amount is $1,000, which must be matched dollar for dollar by the applicant and can only be obtained as part of an overall improvement project.  (Click here for a CDA facade improvement loan application form.)

For more information about financial assistance programs offered by the City’s redevelopment agency, contact the Economic Development Manager at 707.327.7338 or the Assistant City Manager at 707.938.3681.

The County’s Redevelopment Agency also has financing available in a defined area along Highway 12. For information about this or any other loan programs offered by the redevelopment agency, contact the Sonoma County Redevelopment Agency at 707.565.7500.

The Economic Development Partnership also keeps a Guide to Business Financing which outlines loans and loan guarantee programs offered through private institutions. If you need information, this document is available at the Chamber of Commerce office, 651-A Broadway, Sonoma.

There are other requirements that may apply to your business.  A good source of information about requirements for new businesses, searchable by type of business, can be found at www.calgold.ca.gov .  Other good websites to visit for general information about starting a new business are the U.S. Small Business Administration at www.sba.gov , the California Business Portal at www.calbusiness.ca.gov  and the Sonoma County Economic Development Board at http://www.sonoma-county.org/edb/resources.htm .

Everyone needs help at one point or another.  The City of Sonoma, in partnership with the Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce contracts with an Economic Development Project Manager who can assist with processing, answer questions, and generally help you find resources you may need. The Economic Development Manager also keeps a database of vacant spaces, if you have not found a location, and can assist with the identification of financial resources, or provide resources to help you with your business plan.

The Pre-Venture Training Program at the local Small Business Development Center (SBDC) can help you with many of the questions that you may have about starting a new business.  The program includes four ninety-minute sessions on planning, marketing, financing, and legal aspects of starting a small business.  There is no cost to attend, but reservations are required.  Once you have completed all four sessions, you have the option to work one-on-one with a business counselor at no charge. 

The SBDC also offers a variety of workshops for start-up businesses on topics such as writing a business plan, marketing basics, and a variety of other topics.  More information is available at www.santarosa.edu/sbdc.

Workshops for start-ups are also offered in Santa Rose by SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives), including a four-hour workshop on opening and operating a restaurant.  Contact the Economic Development Manager for more information about local training programs for new businesses.

More information about the local business community can be found at the Chamber of Commerce website, www.sonomachamber.com .