Posts by Kyle Wilson7

Quincy

briskcrane said:It isn't a provocation. Those two songs are primarily about celebrating labor... the fact that they were sung back during the old regime doesn't change that.

p.s.

and why would communism even be considered a provocation?...

It’s not about trying to stir up trouble or bring up communism—it’s just that when you take a holiday celebrating labor, which is one of the most basic things we do, people immediately link it to political movements. Since the Internationale is basically the anthem for that whole era, and those specific songs about the dignity of work were mostly pushed back during the old socialist days, I was just saying it would've been better to pick songs focused on actual hard work rather than all the heavy politics.

I don't really get why they're using the Internationale or those communist slogans—it feels more like a provocation than anything else. Most workers don't have much to do with communism anyway, especially workers in the US, Germany, France, Japan, or Australia, and even less so in Russia, Ukraine, or any other place. They celebrate May Day because it's about labor, not some ideology or politics—especially since politicians are pretty much the last people I'd call "workers." If you just wanted to wish everyone a good day, you could've gone with something neutral about working, like:

Mixing up mortar
twisting wire
long live
the work we do.

Happy May Day to everyone—especially all the hard-working folks out there.

Total traitor, liar, and a complete fraud—just like Unknown.
Unknown is a joke because he jumped from party to party, and somehow they were all "perfect" as long as he was running the show behind the scenes. But the second he walked out, those same parties turned toxic and filled with even worse people. Plus, he used to sing those extremist songs back in the day and then tried to play it off with lame excuses like, "well, everyone was doing it."
He’s a fraud because he cherry-picked meeting transcripts and files just to leak them whenever it suited his agenda. It’s weird how none of those leaked documents ever show him backing Ronald Reagan’s plans—he definitely supported them, otherwise there’s no way he would've climbed the ranks to be a top leader in the Republican Party.
And he’s a liar because right during his first campaign, he promised he’d move out of The White House and stop acting like some big shot with all the presidential pomp and circumstance (I won't bring up other broken promises since, you know, one guy can't fix unemployment alone, but he could certainly fix this). Once he won, everything stayed exactly the same, using some BS excuse about security services needing it that way. He had to know it wouldn't change; he grew up in that world. If he actually wanted to be a "citizen president," he should've looked at Jimmy Carter—a real man of the people who'd go to the grocery store, the movies, or the theater and pay for his own tickets.
A traitor, plain and simple, because he testified against his own people at The Hague to please the West. If he actually thought the people he testified against were guilty, he should've pushed for trials right here in the States instead.

Look, being part of the VAT system isn't a win for everyone—I never said it was. I just gave an example of when it actually makes sense. Honestly, your own experience pretty much proves my point. I don't know what you think "manufacturing" actually means, though... so let me list some industries or companies that actually produce things—otherwise, you’ll probably just argue that organizing concerts is the only profitable future and everything else is doomed. So, here we go.
Oil (from crude extraction all the way down to derivatives like plastics), tobacco (growing and processing), automotive, aerospace, defense, and the food industry—everything from raw crops to Coca-Cola, burgers, or even your local deli sandwiches. When you eat, there's a massive industrial machine behind it—you really think it just appears? Then there's pharma (medicine, cosmetics, supplements), electronics (phones, TVs, etc.), IT (software and hardware), and an endless list of other manufacturing sectors. I won't bother listing specific companies in those fields just so you can tell me they're unprofitable and headed for disaster. The only ones that might rival them in profit are the big banks—and even then, those companies are their biggest clients.
And this isn't just some Western thing; look at our own giants like Pfizer, ExxonMobil, Tesla, Nestlé, Anheuser-Busch, Duke Energy, or Pacific Gas and Electric. Their non-manufacturing competitors might be JPMorgan Chase or maybe parts of Walmart's retail side—who decided manufacturing wasn't worth it and instead went out to buy Cargill and various others.
Manufacturing and creating value is basically a necessity for the survival of our species—because you're always going to need stuff from that list, usually more than you realize and often all at once.
P.S. Anyone staying in the VAT system is basically a masochist—just an unprofitable business with no future.

Kenneth Myers10, hit me up when you're ready to scale—once your business actually takes off, there’s no way you’re working for some buddy if you can make more on your own. Honestly, looking at this whole mess, I don't see much of a future for a setup like that. You might end up being the one who comes out on top, but let's be real—it's not exactly a "real" business right now.
As for what I'd tell Banderas and Chris Ruiz10—look, Pearl Jam is just a sporadic gig. From what I hear about those concert promoters (and I'm not talking about Carnegie Hall or the HNK), they often end up owing money when shows get canceled, leaving everyone chasing ghosts because nobody can find the director or the money. Usually, when cafe owners invest, they go for a vehicle first, then the equipment. But hey, whatever—the guy asked for opinions, so I gave mine, and you gave yours, so he can decide for himself. I'm just looking at this from the perspective of a multi-million dollar operation with dozens of employees and constant reinvestment in production.

Robin Rodriguez5 said:Look, please stop bringing up the Social Security Administration; they have absolutely nothing to do with this. The reality is that cultural institutions get to decide whether they want to participate in the Sales Tax system or opt out, regardless of their annual revenue. Some choose to stay outside the system, while others stay in, based purely on what makes sense for their bottom line. Here are two clear-cut examples from the field:
The Lisinski Symphony Orchestra stays out of the Sales Tax system.
The Metropolitan Opera is part of the Sales Tax system.

For an organization like the Lisinski, staying out of the Sales Tax system is a massive win. For the Met, being in the system is actually beneficial. How? It’s simple: one is a major winner and the other is a massive loser. It shouldn't be hard to guess which is which—it's likely been that way since they were founded. This just proves my point: choosing to deal with Sales Tax only pays off if you're operating at a loss. The bigger your deficit, the more you benefit from being in the system, but let's be honest—running a business solely to lose money isn't exactly a winning strategy.

Honestly, neither Medicare nor the HNK or Carnegie Hall really matter here—none of these places are driven by profit, especially not the HNK, and both get their funding from the government budget anyway. It's not that the HNK is losing money because of VAT or because they don't know how to run a business (though there might be a grain of truth there)—it's that even your own company would be in the red if you had to run non-profit programs or stuff meant for the public good that doesn't make a dime. Plus, you've got all those actors, singers, dancers, musicians, and staff needed to keep a place like that running.
The bottom line is that these two houses aren't investing out of their own revenue. VAT is great if you're actually investing and growing—you know, if you're reinvesting most of what you make.

Kenneth Myers10 said:Well, look, I'm actually not an employee at any of the companies where I hold ownership stakes. 🙂 In fact, I have ownership in two different businesses, yet I spend my working hours over at a third one.

And the owner of that third one is... man, I highly doubt you're just working for some other "boss" at a tiny local shop.
The biggest reason I jumped into the private sector back when small businesses were first really taking off was freedom—you know, having zero bosses and being able to set my own hours (as long as the work actually gets done, obviously). The money comes after that. Because if I decide on a whim to head down to Florida for a beach trip, I can—though, I guess I'll have to figure out who's picking up the tab.

So, by your logic, nobody can own more than one business—because how could they focus if they aren't working at all of them simultaneously?
I mean, how else would you be employed somewhere else--you know, besides being at your own companies--
?
What do you think is the reason the Lisinski Sales Tax System doesn't apply there?
It’s because of their contracts with the Social Security Administration or similar agencies—they just aren't part of the sales tax loop.
They get their funding straight from the federal budget, just like the Social Security Administration does, and their revenue is actually higher than $28333.
Read what I wrote first—if it doesn't make sense, just ask. If you think I'm wrong, give me a real argument, and I'll try not to run out of rebuttals like I did with Kenneth Myers10's post.
Kenneth Myers10:Based on your post, it looks like you started an LLC a long time ago and haven't checked how things work lately.
Well, the last time I actually started a company was nearly 20 years ago—since then, I've just bought two others—so I guess I should thank him for the "insight."
I used the brewery as an example because of your post, and if I recall correctly, this guy is thinking about opening a cafe anyway.
Also, it seems you missed one of the fundamental reasons for having Sales Tax in a real capitalist system beyond just uniform rates—it's about incentivizing investment. Basically, the government refunds the excess tax paid, making your investment cheaper. Plus, it encourages exports by using domestic raw materials. But hey, let's just flip everything upside down, right?

I can't quite catch what you mean by "banderas"—not sure if you're talking about flags or something else entirely—but I'm all ears if you want to clear that up! kaže:
It doesn't even have to be subject to Sales Tax—honestly, there's zero difference from running a small sole proprietorship until you actually cross that revenue threshold. $28 Annual revenue—doesn't even have to include Sales Tax.

True, but with an LLC you don't have to pay those self-employment taxes on yourself—whereas with a sole proprietorship, you're stuck paying them no matter what, even if you've got another job elsewhere. Honestly, running a small business while being employed somewhere else just doesn't make much sense that way.

I honestly don't get why people act like owning a business is just some status symbol to brag about. I don't know what your experience with running a private company is—seriously—but how are you even supposed to hold down a regular job elsewhere while keeping a business afloat? Unless you're some local government official or working for a massive state agency, it feels shady. It’s like you only need that side hustle to pull off little scams—not to mention the actual criminal stuff, like taking bribes or funneling contracts away from your employer and straight into your own pocket.

Being in the Sales Tax system isn't always a bad thing—even if you aren't pulling in huge numbers yet. $28333 Honestly, even if I was terrible at math—which, let’s face it, I am—trying to survive on $85k a year sounds brutal. Even if you have zero overhead and a killer margin, once you take that $50k pre-tax profit and split it by twelve after the IRS takes their cut... man, you're left with peanuts. If you're running a serious operation, though, being able to write off Sales Tax on your purchases is a huge plus. Just doesn't really apply to people like dentists or GPs working under Medicare & Medicaid contracts, since they aren't part of the Sales Tax system.
I still don't get how you can score cheaper beer if you aren't in the sales tax system—like, even if the wholesale price hits you the same, you just lose out on the tax credit. If you're staying out of the system, the brewery or the shop is still gonna charge you sales tax, so you end up paying more for that brew instead... $2.75 With that 22% sales tax kicking in—adding $1.76 to bring it up to $9.76—you’re basically stuck... you won't even be able to flip it for a profit. $3.25 So if you sell something for $12, you're looking at a $2.24 profit—but once you factor in being in the Sales Tax system, you’ve got an $8 input and then $1.76 in Sales Tax. If you sell it again for $12, that's $2.16 in Sales Tax, but since you already paid the $1.76, you still owe the government another $0.40... so it looks like you made less, but hey—like my massage therapist always says—business requires overhead. I don't know any coffee shop owners who don't drive a car, but they'll happily hop on a scooter that costs maybe $26,000 just to save a buck—on a $26k purchase, that's $4,400 in Sales Tax alone. Ex $7.4 =$10853 What can you actually claim as a tax deduction—go ahead and split that up with the others. $0.13 What kind of sales tax do you gotta cough up first? $0.13 You gotta pay up once you sell 81,400 cans—so basically, you either drop your prices or end up ahead of where you’d be if you stayed off the grid... assuming you bought the exact same truck.
I honestly jumped into this whole business thing just to see if I could actually save more than I would working some corporate job—which, let's be real, is why pretty much everyone thinks about going solo in the first place. But man... just thinking about how many beers you'd have to move to pay off all the bar equipment, let alone trying to scrape together enough to actually buy the building itself? It's a lot.
So, my take—just keep up with the Sales Tax and get as much done as possible. Honestly? I wouldn't even mind paying more if it meant things actually worked. $333333 Sales Tax—just so I can actually make some decent money...

Brenda Gray5 said:Look, I pay my taxes and stay current on everything, but whenever I walk into a bank and tell them I run my own small business—like a local cobbler shop—they practically laugh in my face. It’s why they give me such a hard time about my creditworthiness.

They’re probably laughing because you’re likely paying the bare minimum in taxes—maybe just a hair over—and since you're running things solo (like my late grandpa used to), you probably aren't reporting every single cent of revenue. It’s not like you're pulling in millions, so the paper trail looks thin, and that's your main issue right there. Honestly? Just go talk to your personal banker—you should have one since you're a business owner—and ask what kind of income they actually need to see for a loan that size. Then, try bumping up your reported earnings for three months and give it another shot. Though, without co-signers... I doubt you'll hit that number.
Most importantly though—think long and hard about this. $100,000 over 20 years is no joke. I can't do the math perfectly, but I've got a $75,000 loan over 15 years, and my monthly payment is around $725. I've got less than three years left and it feels like it's been forever. Every month, you're scrambling to find the cash, and if you haven't paid by the 20th, the bank starts breathing down your co-signers' necks. In places like Omaha, once you miss three payments, they come straight for your co-signers' paychecks. I had four people backing me back in the day because that was just how it worked. Seriously, don't screw over your friends or end up losing your house.

Judging by your questions, you’re pretty green when it comes to the professional world—let alone actually running a business. I'll try to keep my answers short since these vague, broad questions would take forever to fully unpack—but if you have more, just try to be more specific next time.
1. What are the minimum monthly contributions for an LLC (if there even are any)?
-I think you're asking about overhead. If you haven't launched yet, you won't have any. Once you're up and running, though, costs depend entirely on what you're doing. Some basics include: payroll (which includes you if you're working for yourself—and if you don't have employees, then you aren't really "running a business," you're just freelancing...) wages, taxes, and various payroll withholdings, plus things like holiday bonuses or benefits if you have a team.
Then there's office space—rent or a mortgage—plus phone, internet, electricity, and other utilities (see how it varies? An office job barely uses power, but a manufacturing plant? That adds up fast).
Vehicle expenses too (if you need them for work)—depreciation, gas, maintenance.
-Accounting (seriously, don't cheap out here—a bad accountant will ruin your life).
-To keep it brief, there's more, but...

2. When an LLC is formed, how is the business activity determined, how many can be listed, what does it cost, and what's the process for adding more later?


-You register the activities you want to perform right when you file your formation papers, following the official list of industries provided by the state. You pay for each one, so think ahead about what you want to do now and what might make sense down the road. You could technically register to sell weapons or pharmaceuticals, but you'd need special permits for those.
-Updating your registration isn't free—honestly, it costs almost as much as the initial setup (minus the capital contribution, obviously). Even changing your business address isn't cheap; just the notary fee is around $1000.

3. How does setting up a second venture under an existing LLC work? For example, if an LLC already has a restaurant license and decides to open a cafe, are there any advantages over opening a "pure" cafe (like a sole proprietorship)?
-I'm not quite following "second ventures under an LLC"—if you have a restaurant license and open a cafe, you still have to get all the same permits, health inspections, and meet the same technical requirements as a sole proprietor (those are all extra costs too). The main difference is whether you operate as an LLC (subject to corporate income tax) or a sole proprietorship (subject to individual income tax). One big thing to remember: as a sole proprietor, you're personally liable with all your own assets, whereas with an LLC, you aren't. There are also differences in how you handle the IRS and some other small details.

I've been through the whole entrepreneurship grind—started out doing side hustles and odd jobs as a business student, moved up to being a sole proprietor, and eventually ran an LLC. Honestly? In my book, the LLC is the way to go. With a sole proprietorship, you’re basically putting your entire life savings on the line if things go south, but with an LLC, you have that shield. Plus, it’s way less of a headache—you aren't constantly at the mercy of some local tax official. One time, a clerk told me I had to report higher profits than what was actually in my books just to hit a 30% margin... totally insane. I also think being subject to corporate tax (LLC) is better than personal income tax (sole proprietor), even though you can opt for corporate tax as a sole proprietor—but then you lose those little perks, like being able to pull cash out without keeping a strict petty cash log. Regardless, I'm leaning towards the LLC.
1. You can bring machinery into the company as an initial capital contribution, which is a bit of a pain because you have to pay for an appraisal, but you can always just buy equipment later once you've made some money using a standard purchase agreement—kind of like buying a car. Taxes are a given, but they're usually lower than the corporate tax rate. I won't get too deep into the weeds here, so definitely check with your accountant.
2. Getting an EIN is easy regardless of whether you choose a sole proprietorship or an LLC.
3. Invoicing is straightforward for both, though there is one perk to being a sole proprietor: you only deal with sales tax once the invoice is actually paid. For an LLC, the obligation hits the moment you issue the invoice, whether you've seen a dime yet or not.
4. This part is simple, and honestly, the LLC wins here. You can register for wholesale, retail, or manufacturing without needing specific massive facilities or certain degrees. Basically, for production in an LLC, you buy parts, import them as raw materials, and set a standard—say, for a workbench, you need 5 screws, 1 base, and 4 saws. You open a work order from the warehouse, pull the parts needed, assemble it, and boom—you have a piece of Tigman darkness or whatever you call it. The work order tracks the production cost: raw materials + labor + utilities + overhead. (Again, ask your accountant for the specifics, or I could give you some actual consulting—but that'll cost you). Feel free to ask if you're stuck on anything.
And a piece of advice from my own mistakes: don't take on a partner unless you absolutely have to. My former partner still owes me $50,000 after I sold him my half of the company, so now I'm sitting here with no friends and no cash.

If your boss is really that much of a nightmare—honestly, the bigger issue is how you’re even going to pay back a loan. It feels like you're just trying to dig yourself out of a hole and fund some extra stuff you probably don't even need.