Starting an LLC: Where to begin?

Easygoing said:Secretary Mars was guest starring on Ace's show "Sunday in the 2nd" today. I didn't catch the whole thing, but word is he announced they’ll be scrapping the $6.75 minimum capital requirement for new corporations very soon—all just to make it easier for small business owners to get off the ground.

I missed the broadcast, but I highly doubt they're actually lowering the capital requirements. My guess? They're looking at cutting incorporation fees instead. Let's be real: capital isn't an expense. An actual expense is paying the notary, filing fees, and all those other administrative hurdles that come with starting a business—which, frankly, are quite

Can anyone recommend some solid retail software for a small inventory, maybe around 300-500 SKUs? Also, is there a local dev in San Diego who specializes in this kind of thing?
Second thing on my mind: I need a GREAT accountant... because honestly, having someone competent running the books is half the battle when you're trying to run a real business.

P.S. This is for the San Diego area.

THANKS

Raymond Martinez10 said:I missed the broadcast, but I highly doubt they're actually lowering the capital requirements. My guess? They're looking at cutting incorporation fees instead. Let's be real: capital isn't an expense. An actual expense is paying the notary, filing fees, and all those other administrative hurdles that come with starting a business—which, frankly, are quite

That's exactly what I heard as well. 🙂

Taylor Fox5 said:Can anyone recommend some solid retail software for a small inventory, maybe around 300-500 SKUs? Also, is there a local dev in San Diego who specializes in this kind of thing?
Second thing on my mind: I need a GREAT accountant... because honestly, having someone competent running the books is half the battle when you're trying to run a real business.

P.S. This is for the San Diego area.

THANKS

I’d actually flip those priorities. Find a great accountant first, and then they’ll likely suggest or already use a specific software. That way, you have someone who can actually help streamline your workflow and handle data syncing once, God willing, the business really takes off.

My English isn't perfect, so I'm sticking to it to avoid getting my words twisted. If you want to reply in any way, go for it—I get it, I just struggle to express myself when stuff gets complicated. 🙄

How and where Can i Check All The laws and legal regulations i have to follow for an existing company? I’m talking about everything—even the small stuff like fire extinguisher rules, signage, first aid kits, OSHA compliance, software licensing, and all that junk.

I can't find a thing on Google, and the U.S. Department of Commerce website hasn't helped much either. Where am I supposed to find a master list of EVERY single law I need to follow? How do I stay in the loop when a new regulation drops? Where do I look? 🤷

Thanks!

http://www.cornell.edu/

Wait, seriously?? 🙂

Taylor Fox5 said:Can anyone recommend some solid retail software for a small inventory, maybe around 300-500 SKUs? Also, is there a local dev in San Diego who specializes in this kind of thing?
Second thing on my mind: I need a GREAT accountant... because honestly, having someone competent running the books is half the battle when you're trying to run a real business.

P.S. This is for the San Diego area.

THANKS

When you eventually go to hire an accountant, my advice is to steer clear of the bargain basement options; instead, look for someone who isn't exactly cheap, possesses deep expertise, and can actually guarantee up-to-date data along with rapid turnaround on your analytics—things like accounts receivable, payables, and inventory levels.

From what I've seen, the premium you pay for that level of bookkeeping service pays for itself almost immediately, and often exceeds its own cost through the sheer efficiency it brings to your business operations.

Hey everyone,

So, I stumbled onto this subforum quite by accident—and honestly, I’m still not entirely sure if I’ve landed in the right corner of the internet—so please bear with me if I'm out of place here. My apologies for the intrusion.

So, I’ve been thinking about finally pulling the trigger on starting a side hustle—specifically providing light show services for events. It’s one of those things that seems simple enough on paper, but once you start looking at the logistics, you realize how much work goes into it. I’m still weighing my options on whether to go all-in or just keep it as a weekend thing, but the idea of building something from the ground up is definitely there.
You know, I’ve spent enough time at these high-end events—weddings, corporate galas, those over-the-top parties in places like Vegas or Miami—to realize how much we rely on lighting and special effects to carry the mood. It’s funny, really. You walk into a room that feels completely dead, just a bunch of people standing around under those harsh, unflattering fluorescent lights, and then—boom—the production kicks in. Suddenly, you've got moving heads, strobe effects, maybe some fog machines or laser displays cutting through the air. It changes everything. It’s almost psychological—how a well-timed light show can mask a mediocre DJ or a lackluster crowd. I remember being at this massive wedding out in Napa a few years back; the atmosphere was pretty stale until they dialed up the colored uplighting and started playing with the shadows. Suddenly, everyone felt like they were actually *somewhere* important. Without that visual layer, most of these big celebrations would just feel like awkward gatherings in a brightly lit community center. Light does all the heavy lifting.
If we’re talking about the full scale of these demonstrations—I mean, if you look at what it would actually take to fund everything required—we're looking at an investment somewhere in the neighborhood of...
$33333 And we’re talking strictly about basic PPE—nothing else.

I’ve never owned an open business or run my own LLC—and honestly, I don't see that changing anytime soon—so I'm mostly just looking at this from the outside.
I’m curious about what the next steps actually look like—the full rundown of the procedure for getting everything issued.
I'm looking into getting a loan with a somewhat reasonable repayment term—nothing that’s going to suffocate me for the next decade—but I wanted to see if there are any actual small business incentives or grants out there worth chasing. Does anyone know where to start, or who specifically I should be reaching out to? I'd rather not waste my time knocking on doors if the support just doesn't exist.

I hope this isn't too much of a rambling mess—and honestly, I’m just hoping someone actually has the bandwidth to take a look at it.
I'll get back to you on that.

Hey there.

Those grants always kick in at the start of the year—plus there's stuff available for loans too. I’ve actually never applied for any incentives myself (I'm finally looking into it now), so I have no clue how long the approval process takes. But you can't just sit around waiting; you have to start earning immediately or those overhead costs will eat you alive.

To be honest, I’m at a complete standstill until I can get my hands on all the gear I need. It looks like my first move has to be scoring some kind of loan, but I’m honestly feeling pretty lost—I have no clue where to start or which bank actually makes sense to deal with.

Check with your local city hall or county office to see if they offer active microloan programs for startups—and get the specific requirements upfront.
Either way, you’re going to have to officially register an LLC or a sole proprietorship before anything moves forward; someone has to be the legal applicant.
Also, don't expect a major bank like Chase or Bank of America to foot the entire bill for your investment. It varies depending on the lender and your business plan, but you should realistically budget for at least a 20% down payment from your own pocket.
Good luck out there—it's a tough climate right now.

That sounds fine in theory, but here’s the actual catch—if I need $6667 just to get an LLC up and running, and I still want to hold onto a 20% stake, the math just isn't adding up. Given the total amount—I actually got a quote today for about $26667—it looks like I’d be footing half the bill upfront and financing the rest through a loan.

Anyway, I’m heading downtown tomorrow to see if I can get some straight answers on how this whole thing might actually work in practice.

So, I’ve been thinking about finally pulling the trigger and starting my own bakery business... maybe like a boutique cookie shop or something? But man, I am totally lost on how to actually get the ball rolling. Since I don't have a specific trade license or anything, I know I'll need to set up an LLC, but then what? Everything I read online talks about needing these massive business plans and formal projects, and honestly, my brain just freezes up. Like, who even writes these things? Who do I even talk to about getting one done? And ugh, the money part... does anyone have a clue what the startup costs look like? Also, what kind of gear would I actually need to get moving? Just the basics, you know? And here's a big one—can I hunt down some decent used equipment from a liquidating restaurant or something, or is everything strictly required to be brand new? Help a girl out!

Hey, does anyone know if a foreigner can just open a sole proprietorship here in the US, or does it have to be a full corporation? Thinking about renting out tiny houses at a campground and wondering what the requirements are.
Cheers!

Robin Cook4 said:Hey, does anyone know if a foreigner can just open a sole proprietorship here in the US, or does it have to be a full corporation? Thinking about renting out tiny houses at a campground and wondering what the requirements are.
Cheers!

AFAIK: Of course they can, but they'll need a work permit and a local address.
But even with an LLC, you can't just act as the director without authorization; the person actually performing the work needs a work permit (or US citizenship). You can own an LLC and serve as the director without paying local payroll taxes—assuming you're already covered under a different tax system elsewhere—but you still can't physically work, like sitting at a campground managing rentals, unless you have legal work authorization...

Thomas Ortiz3 said:AFAIK: Of course they can, but they'll need a work permit and a local address.
But even with an LLC, you can't just act as the director without authorization; the person actually performing the work needs a work permit (or US citizenship). You can own an LLC and serve as the director without paying local payroll taxes—assuming you're already covered under a different tax system elsewhere—but you still can't physically work, like sitting at a campground managing rentals, unless you have legal work authorization...

THANKS SO MUCH!

Wondering what an LLC actually needs to track—like, which books are mandatory and can they just be done by hand? He’s just renting out mobile homes at a campground during the summer months. Also, does he have to run payroll, and if so, is it just taxes or a full salary?
hey.

Robin Cook4 said:Wondering what an LLC actually needs to track—like, which books are mandatory and can they just be done by hand? He’s just renting out mobile homes at a campground during the summer months. Also, does he have to run payroll, and if so, is it just taxes or a full salary?
hey.

By the way, what kind of revenue are you projecting? Are you expecting high input costs with sales tax (buying the campers, etc.)? I ask because you need to decide if staying in the sales tax system actually makes sense for you. If your revenue stays under $50,000, you might not be required to collect it, but being registered means you'd charge 7% less on your invoices while getting that tax back on your own purchases... which matters more than people think.
You could probably handle the books yourself, provided you actually know how to navigate annual reports and everything else. Not sure if it's worth the headache...

Based on what you wrote, it's a bit unclear. An LLC doesn't pay "salaries" or "taxes" to itself; those go to the individual employee. Since an LLC is a separate legal entity, you're clearly talking about a staff member (who would obviously need valid work authorization). You aren't strictly required to pay a traditional salary, but you definitely have to cover payroll taxes unless they are being handled under some other arrangement...

Thomas Ortiz3 said:By the way, what kind of revenue are you projecting? Are you expecting high input costs with sales tax (buying the campers, etc.)? I ask because you need to decide if staying in the sales tax system actually makes sense for you. If your revenue stays under $50,000, you might not be required to collect it, but being registered means you'd charge 7% less on your invoices while getting that tax back on your own purchases... which matters more than people think.
You could probably handle the books yourself, provided you actually know how to navigate annual reports and everything else. Not sure if it's worth the headache...

Based on what you wrote, it's a bit unclear. An LLC doesn't pay "salaries" or "taxes" to itself; those go to the individual employee. Since an LLC is a separate legal entity, you're clearly talking about a staff member (who would obviously need valid work authorization). You aren't strictly required to pay a traditional salary, but you definitely have to cover payroll taxes unless they are being handled under some other arrangement...

I'll definitely be registering for sales tax because next year I'm looking to pick up four more houses. So, where do the exact reports go? And will the payroll tax info show up on my notice from the IRS? Also, what are all the annual tax obligations? One more thing—does an LLC have to operate year-round, or can it just be seasonal? Help me out!
Cheers!