Native Small Business Startup Toolkit
Starting Your Native Small Business in Sonoma County
This toolkit is designed to support Native entrepreneurs
through the process of starting and sustaining a small
business in Sonoma County, integrating cultural
practices with essential business strategies.
Essential Steps to Launch Your Business
1. Craft a Culturally Relevant Business Plan
- Develop your business plan with the U.S. Small Business
Association’s planning tool, which can be tailored to include cultural practices: SBA Business Plan Tool - Take a business plan class with your local Native Community Development Financial Institution, Westwater Financial Inc.
- Use artists specific resources to develop your plan such as:
Artwork Archives: An Artist’s Guide to Starting a Business
Artwork Archive: An Artist’s Guide to Making a Business Plan (In Just 6 Steps) Artrepreneur: A Guide to Crafting an Impressive Artist Business Plan - View other Native arts and traditional food entrepreneurs’ business plans to obtain inspiration and ideas for your own.
- Review your plan with your family, friends, and other Native entrepreneurs for constructive feedback and to test your mission, vision, assumptions, and pitch and fine-tune your plan.
2. Secure Funding with Native-Focused Resources
- Explore specific funding options for Native Americans, such as government grants through the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA Starting Business) and the Accion Opportunity Fund, which supports Native American businesses (Accion Native American Business Loans).
- Consult your local Native Community Financial Development Institution, Westwater Financial Inc.
3. Choose a Business Structure that Fits Your Vision
- Learn about different business structures and their implications at the IRS and SBA websites to make an informed decision that aligns with your cultural and business goals:
IRS Business Structures
SBA Taxes Guide
4. Register Your Business Name with Cultural Significance
- Check the availability and register your culturally significant business name through Sonoma County’s official site:
Sonoma County Business Names
5. Understand and Comply with Local Zoning Laws
- Ensure your business location complies with local zoning laws. The Sonoma County Planning Division provides resources and zoning maps: Permit Sonoma Planning
6. Obtain Necessary Licenses and Permits
- Use CalGOLD to find specific licensing requirements for your business type and location: CalGOLD Business Permit System
7. Get Federal and State Tax ID Numbers
- Obtain a Tax ID: Learn how to set up a small business in California
8. Prepare to Hire and Support Native Employees
- Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN) and familiarize yourself with hiring practices: IRS EIN Application
9. Get a Seller’s Permit and Resale Number for Native Crafts
- If selling goods, especially traditional crafts, apply for a California Seller’s Permit through the CDTFA: CDTFA Seller’s Permit
10. Ensure Compliance with Special Licenses, Permits, and Community Standards
- For businesses involving cultural artifacts or natural resources, ensure compliance with tribal and environmental standards
- For traditional food entrepreneurs preparing foods from home, understand and comply with the Cottage Food Operations in California by consulting guidance from the California Department of Health.
11. Assess Your Insurance Needs to Protect Your Heritage
- Consider insurance that covers the cultural and historical value of your assets. Engage with insurance providers who understand the unique needs of Native businesses.
12. Consider trademarks and Native-made designations to protect your business’ cultural and intellectual property and assure authenticity
- View Kickstart: Tradmarks & Copyrights with Carrie Frias to learn more about the importance of these protections from Native perspectives.
- Trademarks and service marks identify your goods or services and are used to promote customer recognition and distinguish you from your competitors. They are words, phrases, symbols, designs, or a combination of these things that identifies your goods or services.
- Participate in the Intertribal Agricultural Council’s American Indian Foods Trademark Program.
- The Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 is a truth-in-advertising law that prohibits misrepresentation in the marketing of Indian art and craft products within the United States. Its purpose is to protect against the appropriation of Native cultural arts by non-Natives.
Conclusion
By integrating traditional values with modern business practices, Native arts and traditional food entrepreneurs in Sonoma County can build successful, culturally respectful businesses. We hope this toolkit helps you achieve these aims.
For further guidance, contact us at the California Indian Museum and Cultural Center or utilize local Native business networks for additional support.