11 Important Dates to Put on Your Business Calendar for 2023
By Heather Harteis
As we look ahead to 2023, some of us are beginning to prepare our calendars and get our documents in order. It feels like we start on the right foot when we take the time to identify the important tasks and pieces. When business and your personal life are hectic, these reminders you pre-set for yourself are essential.
#1
Business Entity Renewal for 2023
No matter which state you are registered in, annual renewal for your business is typical. This applies to both for-profit and non-profit organizations of all kinds: LLCs, corporations, etc.
A pro tip is to make this a recurring annual reminder, year after year.
Oregon Annual Business Renewal
In Oregon, this annual renewal of your business license is also called the annual report. It is very simple to complete and costs $100. You can do this online yourself before your deadline. Don’t be fooled by mailings by third parties who are trying to trick you into spending more money on this renewal.
How do I look up my business entity registration date in Oregon?
Please visit this website and type in your business name.
Business Registry Database from the Oregon Secretary of State Corporation Division:
https://egov.sos.state.or.us/br/pkg_web_name_srch_inq.login
If you cannot locate yours or are unsure if you have filed a business, get in contact with us and we can help.
Washington Annual Business Renewal
One of the joys for Washington state businesses is it costs you more to register the first year, but less for each renewal. The cost to renew a business in Washington state is $60 annually.
Washington State Corporation
Scroll down to the section that says Corporation Search
https://ccfs.sos.wa.gov/#/
California Business Renewal
In California, this happens every two years for LLCs.
It is called a Statement of Information and you should file this every two years. If your information changes (such as business address), please file it ASAP.
https://bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov/
If you have a corporation in California, an out-of-state business license, or some other category, you may be required to file a Statement of Information every year.
#2
Renewal for any DBAs, ABNs, or other aliases your business uses
The renewal process varies by state, too. In Oregon, ABNs must be renewed every two years. I would strongly recommend checking on this every year just in case you need to update your mailing or physical address or other contact information.
Not sure if you have a DBA? Not sure what these acronyms mean, really? Read our blog on the topic.
In Washington State, ABNs are called trade names which are very different from federally registered trademarks. Washington state trade names do not need to be renewed, but you can cancel them if no longer being used.
California Business Names vary by county. Check more information here by clicking on your county: https://www.counties.org/county-websites-profile-information
#3
Website Domain Renewals + Website Hosting Renewals
There are lots of choices for website domain ownership, hosting, building, maintenance, etc. You may have multiple renewal dates to mark on your calendar depending on what you own and which accounts you hold.
It is fairly common for a business owner to purchase domains before building a website, so that is one reason for dates that differ.
Even if you have automatic payments enabled, I recommend you keep an eye on these dates because credit cards change periodically, and you would never want to lose your website to a missed notification.
#4
Tax Dates for 2023
Do you use quarterly tax payments for your business? Here are the 2023 tax dates:
Monday April 17, 2023
Thursday June 15, 2023
Friday September 15, 2023
Monday January 15, 2024
Still focused on wrapping up 2022? A quarterly due date leftover from 2022 is January 17, 2023: this is when taxes are due on earnings from September 1 2022 through December 31 2022, or for the full year ahead.
As always: consult your bookkeeper or CPA for which deadlines you need to follow. Taxes you need to keep an eye on may include:
Federal
State
Local - City, Township, other jurisdictions
Taxes which are unique to your city
Are you doing business in multiple states? You may owe in multiple states.
Read a little more about estimated quarterly taxes on the IRS website here, or any of their related pages and links.
If you would like to speak to someone who specializes in taxes, take a look on our referrals page. Also, here is another blog of ours on the topic of S Corps, a tax designation and not a legal entity.
#5
Licenses and Certifications essential to your Industry
There are so many possibilities for certificates and licenses. Reflect on what permits you hold — both as a person, and as a business entity. Some examples:
Certification for a Profession or Industry
Benefit Corporation for Good Certification
Certifications that make your business unique
Liquor license
Food Cart Permit
Health Inspection
ServSafe certification (for you and/or multiple employees)
Memberships
Department of Health permit
Vehicle registration for a company car
Continuing education requirements
#6
Business Insurance Renewal
For most of us, this happens once a year. Great insurance agents will reach out to you when it is time to renew. Some industries require more paperwork to renew an insurance policy than others.
If you would like to speak to someone who specializes in business insurance, take a look on our referrals page.
#7
Renewal Dates or Deadlines for Trademark
Did you choose to protect your brand name and/or logo through a Trademark? The USPTO approval process is lengthy but important if you would like to prevent anyone else from using your business name.
What should I expect during the trademark application process?
During 2022, USPTO applications were extremely slow to be processed. Sometimes it has taken 8 to 9 months in order for the application to be assigned to an examiner. After an examiner issues a letter, often called an Office Action, you have either 3 or 6 months to respond. This is an important deadline to watch for with your attorney.
What dates should I bookmark for my registered trademark?
After your trademark has been officially registered, there is a renewal process that begins 5 years after the date of the registry. If you are one of our clients, we have an info sheet about this 5 year renewal process and the Declaration of Use. Get in touch with us to ask for it.
Want to read a bit more about why your business may want to consider a federal trademark? Read our blog about protecting your brand.
Ready to discuss if trademarking is a good idea for your business? Get a no-cost service consultation with us.
#8
Days of Celebration for your Business, Employees, and Work Culture
Here at Rational Unicorn, we aim to celebrate everyone’s birthday, in addition to important work anniversaries. We also celebrate the date the firm was started.
There might be other fun days you want to mark. For example, coffee shops and roasters often celebrate Coffee Day. We celebrate Unicorn Day on April 9. Sometimes we have to make our own fun.
#9
Holidays and Days of Rest
For the most part, calendars come preloaded with federal holidays. But, you may have other cultural, religious, personal days of celebration to add. Keep the conversation open with your employees about holidays that may be missing from the work calendar.
When are you planning to take vacation as a business owner?
It is essential to rest.
You are not a machine.
#10
Commit to review and reflection time.
Decide when you want to do this during your year. Maybe your industry has a slow season. Maybe you personally can identify a month that has fewer personal commitments. Or maybe you want to do this in connection with your LLC renewal.
Take a look at:
Governance documents
Website and data policies
Corporate policies
Business plans
Standard Operating Procedures and internal manuals
HR documents such as hiring process, collecting feedback from employees, exit interviews
What can you improve to continue to stay organized in the following year?
#11
Conferences, Continuing Education
Before the end of year 2022, look for any conferences you either attended or wish you had attended during the year and block the published 2023 dates (if any) and take advantage of early bird registration if available by purchasing them now (if possible).
For me personally, I may add the “purchase by” dates to my calendar to lock in early bird pricing. And: don’t forget to book travel and lodging related to any trips before prices go up or options are scarce.