Business Liscense for online business?

I am starting an online clothing company in Atlanta, Georgia, and I was wondering if a business liscense is needed to operate. I also wanted to know if we need to copyright every single clothing design we will be selling.

http://homebizseo.com/50states/Georgia.h... Official state government links on how to start a business in Georgia

Business registration, permits and licenses.

Tax rules and regulations for businesses, including sales and use tax.


SCORE and the Small Business Development Centers.

Chamber of Commerce


You need to talk to the trademark/copyright office for the proper answer.

The need for a business license will depend on what you will be doing and where you will be doing it. Each city has its own laws, yet the safe & smart answer is yes- county gov't office can assist you there.

If you open a bank account in a business name, as opposed to your own name, they will require a BL. Or you can open it as <your name> doing business as (DBA) <the biz name> . And having a seperate account is wise for tax purposes.

Copyright is important if you have unique designs that you dont want stolen! Since that can get expensive you could take photos and keep a log of the designs from inception to finished product if the need arises to claim copyright infringment.

Best of luck! ^_^

One often overlooked fact is that your medium for sales and advertising is done online... it's not an online business. Your business is actually either out of your home or office so you need to follow the laws of your city, state and country with appropriate licenses to set up the business first and then the distribution channel(s). Some examples of licenses are name registrations, vendor license, tax ids, etc. Some industries require special permits for sales and distribution. Now the good news is that your costs are tax deductible as business expenses so don't be afraid to go legal. You'll make out ahead. Copyright laws are best answered by an attorney, again a business expense. You seriously need to protect yourself and your business so don't skimp on professional legal and financial assistance, business insurance, and get a business plan so you know where you're heading. Did you know you can get FREE entrepreneual advice??? Check out the two agencies below: