Starting your own business. Could use some EXPERIENCED advise.
11-15-2007, 12:55 PM
#1
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Starting your own business. Could use some EXPERIENCED advise. I am soooooo confused!
I have spent the past week online trying to filter through all the unapplicable, suggested, and personal, advise that is on the internet in an attempt to determine the truly NECESSARY steps in order to start one's own business.
I just need to know what I legally have to have in order to start.
Here is what I can tell you:
It will be a fencing business.
The business will be my last name(----------- Custom Fence).
It will be in a small county(Hill County).
It will be self owned and operated.
I know I need a DBA. I can get that at the county clerks. But beyond that, what licenses/certs are really necessary to get this thing off the ground, and furthermore, WHERE DO I GET THEM? It will start pretty small, is being insured/bonded REALLY that necessary at the begining? I figure I will only have a job or two a week for a few months. I wont have alot of start-up cash.
Any advise would be GREATLY appreciated!
Mav.
I have spent the past week online trying to filter through all the unapplicable, suggested, and personal, advise that is on the internet in an attempt to determine the truly NECESSARY steps in order to start one's own business.I just need to know what I legally have to have in order to start.
Here is what I can tell you:
It will be a fencing business.
The business will be my last name(----------- Custom Fence).
It will be in a small county(Hill County).
It will be self owned and operated.
I know I need a DBA. I can get that at the county clerks. But beyond that, what licenses/certs are really necessary to get this thing off the ground, and furthermore, WHERE DO I GET THEM? It will start pretty small, is being insured/bonded REALLY that necessary at the begining? I figure I will only have a job or two a week for a few months. I wont have alot of start-up cash.
Any advise would be GREATLY appreciated!
Mav.
11-15-2007, 01:03 PM
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If your last name is in the business name, then technically you don't need a DBA/Assumed Name Certificate, but I could be mistaken. The point of that is to direct the public to the owner of a company. If someone wants to find out who owns ABC Company, they go to the county, look up the DBA/ANC and find out Billy Bob is the owner.
11-15-2007, 01:16 PM
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Talk to an accountant. I believe all you have to do is mail off 1 or 2 forms to Austin to get your own Tax ID and Business name. You could start without it by just doing business under your own name.
11-15-2007, 04:47 PM
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I have an S Corporation. Filed articles of Incorporation with the state (along with $300), and got a Federal Tax ID to go along with it. That allowed me to open a business bank account. Got the form for the articles online somewhere. That was easy stuff.
Once I got past that, it wasn't bad until tax time. I have an accountant. I'd pay her double what she charges. Triple even. Tax forms are evil. Give me a "Sign Here" sticky and I'm happy.
Definitely find an accountant. Seriously. Otherwise the state and feds will kill your brain with their paperwork. Wait till you have to deal with the county tax collector, the Texas workfarce commission, the IRS, etc.
And yeah, I'm a 1 man company, but have to send paperwork all over the place.
That's the worst part about your own business.
As for insurance, that's a good point, you might need to investigate that.
The state of TX web site has a lot of small business Q&A type stuff.
http://www.governor.state.tx.us/ecodev/sba/guide
Once I got past that, it wasn't bad until tax time. I have an accountant. I'd pay her double what she charges. Triple even. Tax forms are evil. Give me a "Sign Here" sticky and I'm happy.
Definitely find an accountant. Seriously. Otherwise the state and feds will kill your brain with their paperwork. Wait till you have to deal with the county tax collector, the Texas workfarce commission, the IRS, etc.
And yeah, I'm a 1 man company, but have to send paperwork all over the place.
That's the worst part about your own business.As for insurance, that's a good point, you might need to investigate that.
The state of TX web site has a lot of small business Q&A type stuff.
http://www.governor.state.tx.us/ecodev/sba/guide
11-15-2007, 10:01 PM
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I am soooooo confused! I have spent the past week online trying to filter through all the unapplicable, suggested, and personal, advise that is on the internet in an attempt to determine the truly NECESSARY steps in order to start one's own business.
I just need to know what I legally have to have in order to start.
Here is what I can tell you:
It will be a fencing business.
The business will be my last name(----------- Custom Fence).
It will be in a small county(Hill County).
It will be self owned and operated.
I know I need a DBA. I can get that at the county clerks. But beyond that, what licenses/certs are really necessary to get this thing off the ground, and furthermore, WHERE DO I GET THEM? It will start pretty small, is being insured/bonded REALLY that necessary at the begining? I figure I will only have a job or two a week for a few months. I wont have alot of start-up cash.
Any advise would be GREATLY appreciated!
Mav.
I have spent the past week online trying to filter through all the unapplicable, suggested, and personal, advise that is on the internet in an attempt to determine the truly NECESSARY steps in order to start one's own business.I just need to know what I legally have to have in order to start.
Here is what I can tell you:
It will be a fencing business.
The business will be my last name(----------- Custom Fence).
It will be in a small county(Hill County).
It will be self owned and operated.
I know I need a DBA. I can get that at the county clerks. But beyond that, what licenses/certs are really necessary to get this thing off the ground, and furthermore, WHERE DO I GET THEM? It will start pretty small, is being insured/bonded REALLY that necessary at the begining? I figure I will only have a job or two a week for a few months. I wont have alot of start-up cash.
Any advise would be GREATLY appreciated!
Mav.
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11-16-2007, 09:46 AM
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Guys, thanks alot! It really helps to hear from people who have done this(including the co-worker sex-scandle advise! LOL). I am going to check out Legalzoom.com and the Tx Gvt site.
NOTE::::Wow! Nineball, I just went and ran a practice application and that is incredibly simple! And affordable! Thanks man!
NOTE::::Wow! Nineball, I just went and ran a practice application and that is incredibly simple! And affordable! Thanks man!
Last edited by MavrikTA; 11-16-2007 at 10:12 AM.
11-16-2007, 11:23 AM
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11-16-2007, 11:30 AM
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we used www.legalzoom.com to do the legwork for our LLC. Excellent service.
Same here, check out their website.
Steven Fereday
Late Model Racecraft
713-466-9900
Latemodelracecraft.com
