Can you tell me about office space in San Jose?
In addition, San Jose has many different real estate firms
and brokers that can assist in locating the kind of office
space you are looking for. You can find many of the brokers
listed on this web site in the Resource
Links section.
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How do I get Enterprise Zone verification?
The Enterprise Zone map on the web site will give you a general idea as to whether your business may be located in the Enterprise Zone. For further clarification, you may use the Enterprise Zone street inventory listing.
Please take note, street inventories are most useful to verify
that an address is within the boundaries of the area it describes.
An address which is not on the list may still be in the area.
Street inventories are an attempt to represent a geographical
area by listing all address ranges for all streets known at
the time of creation. Since street names and address numbers
change or are added over time, there is always the possibility
that a particular lot may not show up in the inventory. For
further clarification, please call the Office of Economic
Development Enterprise Zone Manager at 408.277.3249.
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How do I become a certified Woman or Minority-Owned Business for federally funded projects?
The Valley Transit Authority (VTA) is responsible for certifying Women and Minority Business Enterprises and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises for certain federally funded projects. If you are interested in becoming certified, please contact them at 408.321.2300 for a certification application.
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Where can I find information on loan programs?
San Jose offers a loan program designed to serve start-ups and non-traditional businesses which may have difficulty in obtaining traditional financing.
The Revolving
Loan Fund (RLF) is a loan fund established to advance
the economic development of San Jose by creating jobs. The
RLF funds are leveraged with private capital. The program
supports loans between $5,000 and $40,000 for equipment, working
capital, inventory and other reasonable business uses. Click here for an information sheet on the Revolving Loan Fund.
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Where can I find directions to the Office of Economic Development?
Directions to our office can be found under About OED.
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Where do I obtain a business license?
All persons or companies conducting business in San Jose must pay the business tax whether or not they have offices located in San Jose. This tax is required prior to the commencement of business in San Jose.
The City of San Jose's Finance Department is responsible for collecting the business tax also known as Business License. The business tax form is located on the Finance Department web site or may be picked up at:
City of San Jose-Finance Department
200 E. Santa Clara Street, Tower 1st Floor, Windows 3,4,5
San Jose, CA 95113
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How can I schedule a meeting of foreign business/government delegations with City officials?
The San Jose Office of Economic Development meets frequently with business and government officials from throughout the world. To schedule a meeting, please send a list of the officials participating in the meeting, issues of interest, and the date of the visit to San Jose. Schedule permitting, we will attempt to accommodate meeting requests.
If you require more information, please contact Economic Development at 408.535.8181
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Do I need to register my small business with your office?
There is no need to register your small business with the Office of Economic Development. However, all persons or companies conducting business in San Jose must obtain a business license, whether or not they have offices located in San Jose. This license is required prior to the commencement of business in San Jose and is renewed annually.
The City of San Jose's Finance Department is responsible for collecting the business tax also known as Business License. The business tax form is located on the Finance Department web site or may be picked up at:
City of San Jose-Finance Department
200 E. Santa Clara Street, Tower 1st Floor, Windows 3,4,5
San Jose, CA 95113
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Where can I get a list of all the companies in San Jose?
All persons or companies conducting business in San Jose must obtain a business license whether or not they have offices located in San Jose. The City of San Jose's Finance Department can provide you with a list of all registered business at a nominal fee.
The special request business tax form is located on the Finance Department web site or may be picked up at:
City of San Jose-Finance Department
200 E. Santa Clara Street, Tower 1st Floor, Windows 3,4,5
San Jose, CA 95113
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Where do I file for a Fictitious Business Name?
County of Santa Clara Clerk's Office
70 West Hedding Street
San Jose, CA 95110
Telephone: 408.299.5665
Hours: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
http://www.clerkrecorder.org
Fictitious Business Name Statements are required to ensure that consumers have access to the true name and address of the owners of a business. A Fictitious Business Name Statement is not required if you are conducting business under a business name that contains your legal name as part of the name. All other individuals, partnerships or corporations are required to register their Fictitious Business Name at the Clerk-Recorder's Office, according to these guidelines:
- Fictitious Business Name Statements must be filed before you begin your business or within 40 days of your first transaction.
- A properly registered Fictitious Business Name Statement is effective for five years.
- Fictitious Business Name Statements are filed only in the county in which the principal place of business is based.
- An applicant may have more than one FBN and there may be more than one registrant per Fictitious Business Name.
- Registration of a Fictitious Business Name Statement DOES NOT guarantee exclusive use of that name; applicants are responsible for ensuring that the chosen Fictitious Business Name does not duplicate a current registration or violate any trademark protocols.
- After filing, the Fictitious Business Name must be published in a newspaper of general circulation within 30 days of the filing date.
The basic fee for filing a Fictitious Business Name is $37.35 for one business name with one or two registrants. Each additional business name or registrant on the same statement costs an additional $7.00.
Fictitious Business Name Statements are considered public record. To aid in researching Fictitious Business Names, the Clerk-Recorder's Office Business Division maintains indexes on computers and microfiche for public research. Indexes may be searched by business name or owner's name. There is no cost to search the records by yourself. There is a $30.00 fee if you have the Clerk-Recorder's Office perform the search. If you wish to purchase a copy of a particular statement, there is a fee for of $7.00 for a certified copy or $1.00 for an uncertified copy.
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Whom do I talk with about Hiring Credit Vouchers?
To be considered an official California State Hiring Voucher
(TCA EZ1), the voucher needs to be approved and issued by
the Enterprise Zone Coordinator. Please contact the Office
of Economic Development at 408.277.3249 and ask to speak with
the Enterprise Zone Coordinator.
More information regarding the Enterprise Zone and its benefits can be found throughout our web site as well as by contacting the Office of Economic Development.
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Where can I get information about regulations that would relate to the business I am starting in San Jose?
The City of San Jose welcomes your business to our City. We will provide you with information regarding certain Federal, State, County, and City requirements. However, this is provided as an information and referral service and does not constitute final or complete interpretation of legal requirements which must be obtained from the appropriate administering agency. In addition, you may wish to consult with an attorney to insure that your business meets all legal requirements.
The City of San Jose's Finance Department can provide a comprehensive list of agencies you should contact before starting your business.
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How can I find employees?
The work2future has training
programs to benefit companies by educating employees in the
latest skills, and employees benefit from being able to offer
a wider range of valued skills to their employers. Additionally,
by using work2future's employment service network, employers
can take advantage of:
- Online job postings
- Recruitment for specific employment needs
- Pre-screened applicants
- Workforce reduction assistance
- Job fairs
- Tax credits
- Wage subsidies
- Job training, retraining and up training
- Labor market and wage survey information
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Why should I choose San Jose as a location for my business?
Located in Northern California, San Jose is the largest City in the San Francisco
Bay Area, third largest city in California, and the 10th largest city in the
United States.
San Jose is the world's center of innovation, a global crossroads of talent. The City is committed to remaining a top ranked place to do business, to work, and to live. The community offers what innovative people and companies need today in order to succeed:
The City of San Jose has the nation's best public safety record of any metropolitan area, is rich in ethnic diversity and enjoys a beautiful climate. With temperatures varying from an average of 50 degrees in January to an average of 70 degrees in July, the City of San Jose boasts an average of more than 300 sunny days per year.
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How large is San Jose?
Incorporated Area: 178.1 square miles.
Population: Over 974,000. San Jose is the third largest
city in California, following Los Angeles and San Diego. It
is the 10th largest city in the U.S.
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What's the difference between the Enterprise Zone and the Foreign Trade Zone?
The Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) is a space designation that is considered outside United States Customs territory. Merchandise stored, manufactured, or assembled in the FTZ is considered to be international commerce.
Some of the benefits of the FTZ:
- Avoid paying duty or excise tax by exporting through the FTZ
- Delay paying Customs duty by holding inventory in the FTZ
- Pay the lowest import duty on parts or the finished product
- Pay no duty on labor, overhead or profit for FTZ-produced products
- Duties are reduced or eliminated upon U.S. Customs approval for products in the FTZ that are defective, damaged or defined as waste scrap
The Enterprise Zone is an 10-square mile, state-designated area which provides significant tax credits and deductions to primarily small and medium sized companies located within its boundaries
Some of the benefits of the Enterprise Zone:
- Sales and Use Tax Credit
- Manufacturers Investment Credit
- Business Expense Deduction
- Net Interest Deduction for Lenders
- Hiring Credit.
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