New businesses don’t usually fail at the idea — they bleed at the setup. Skipped registrations surface as penalties; commingled accounts turn the first tax return into archaeology. Whether you’re opening on Foothill Boulevard in La Crescenta, in Montrose’s shopping park, or down the hill in Glendale, here’s the financial sequence for the first 90 days — in the order that avoids doing anything twice.
Days 1–14: structure before paperwork
Decide the entity first, because everything downstream (bank account, licenses, tax registrations) carries its name. For most owners the real choice is LLC-taxed-as-default versus LLC-or-corp-taxed-as-S — we wrote the full California comparison, including the $800 minimums and when the S election pays. Then get the EIN directly from the IRS — it’s free and takes minutes; never pay a third-party site for it.
Days 14–30: the wall between you and the business
Open the business bank account and run everything through it from day one. Commingling is the original sin of small-business finance: it weakens liability protection, hides your real margins, and guarantees a miserable first tax season. A dedicated card, a dedicated account, and a simple rule — if it’s for the business, it touches the business account.
Days 30–60: register where you actually are
- Local license — by territory, not ZIP. La Crescenta addresses can sit in unincorporated LA County or the City of Glendale street by street; each has its own licensing regime. Our local tax & license map walks the boundary issue in detail, and the interactive startup checklist adjusts every license step to your jurisdiction.
- Seller’s permit — selling tangible goods means registering with the CDTFA before the first sale, and setting the correct district rate in your POS from day one.
- Employer registration — first hire triggers EDD registration, new-hire reporting, workers’ comp, and the wage-floor question (county vs. Glendale again). Payroll has its own machine — here’s what running it well requires.
Days 60–90: books and the calendar
Set up real bookkeeping while volume is small and habits are forming — it’s ten times harder to impose on an 18-month-old mess. Then build the first-year tax calendar: California’s $800 franchise tax has first-year timing rules worth checking for your specific entity and dates, estimated taxes start the first profitable quarter, and the county’s 571-L property statement arrives the first spring you own equipment.
Every item above is cheap to do on time and expensive to do late. A 90-minute setup conversation in month one routinely saves new Crescenta Valley owners their worst first-year surprises — it’s the highest-leverage meeting we take.
The 90-day checklist
- Choose the entity (run the S corp math, don’t copy a friend’s)
- EIN from irs.gov — free, direct, same week
- Business bank account; zero commingling from day one
- License per your actual territory; seller’s permit before the first sale
- EDD registration with the first hire — with the right local wage floor
- Books live by day 90; first-year tax calendar on the wall
This article is general information, not tax advice for your specific situation. Rules change and details matter — talk to a CPA (we know one) before acting on anything here.