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September 5, 2008

WARNING: This is going to be a boring post

By ayr

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… but if I don’t write it down I’ll forget everything. And I know this will be useful to others someday. I was always skeptical when people said things like “you’re going to have to deal with licensing” as though it was a huge hurdle. I was wrong.

Here’s a summary of the city and state licensing processes to date:

STATE-LEVEL:

  • Register Chapter Two Restaurants LLC in Delaware $500 (lawyer did this)
  • Register “doing business as” for Clover in Delaware $ (lawyer did this)
  • Register as a foreign LLC in Mass, requires custom form $500 annually (I did this, 2 week wait after application in)
    • Must have certificate of good standing from Delaware first $76 (I did this with help from a courier firm, 2 week wait unless using courier firm)
  • Register for a hawkers/ peddlers license with Massachusetts pending (I’m doing this)
    • Requires signature from Chief of Police indicating that you are a citizen of good standing $ (I’m doing this now, 1 week)
      • Requires a CORI criminal record search $25 and self-addressed envelope (I did this, 2 weeks)
        • Requires a notarized application
  • Register vehicle with the RMV $135 fee + $700 taxes (I did this, 3 days and a LOT of aggravation)
    • Requires insurance (I did this, 2 days)
      • Requires copy of Employee Identification (EIN) forms from the IRS (I did this, immediate)
  • Vehicle safety inspection $35 (I did this, 1 week)
    • In my case required king pin replacement $1,200

CITY-LEVEL:

  • Cambridge vendor license $135 (I did this, in process)
    • Approval from health inspector
    • Approval from fire prevention
    • Truck registration
    • Proof from of private site
      • Insurance
      • Lease
    • Approved and inspected commissary
    • Company registration
    • ServSafe certificate
      • Complete ServSafe Class
      • Pass ServSafe exam
    • Cambridge criminal background check (different from the CORI for the state)
    • State vendor license (see above)
    • Zoning approval
    • Abutters notice
      • Send certified mail notifying abutters
  • Register “doing business as” for Clover in Cambridge, MA $35 to the clerk (I did this, immediate)
    • Required notarized application

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