Over the next several weeks the Business Portal will officially transition to SF.GOV, and you will be redirected to our new webpages. The Business Portal will be permanently shut down by the end of August, 2022.
Improved “Step by step guide to starting a business in San Francisco”
Most of the information about small business ownership is already on SF.GOV, ready for you to access and use. For example, the Portal’s interactive guide to starting a business is now a “Step by step guide.”
Permit locator
If you previously used the Business Portal’s “Permit Locator,” we now have small business permit specialists available to guide you through your specific permitting needs. They can also answer questions about permitting if you have an idea, and before you sign a lease.
For permitting help, call 628-652-4949, email sfosb@sfgov.org, or visit us at 49 South Van Ness Ave.
Watch a video about the Office of Small Business at the San Francisco Permit Center Small Business
Starter guides
The Business Portal had downloadable PDFs with “Starter Kits” for opening a business in a variety of sectors, from a food truck to a cleaning service. These PDFs were popular, but difficult to keep up-to-date, and not up to modern standards for online accessibility or translation.
Find new, interactive “Starter guides” on SF.GOV. You can find guides for starting a restaurant, retail store, catering business, and food truck. More will be added over the next few weeks.