Starting a small business

Can I list a bunch of different business activities when I'm registering my LLC? Like, say, mobile retail, marketing, agency work, consulting, and so on and so forth...

I remember seeing some discussion about exactly what a sole proprietor is on the hook for—whether it's just the assets tied to the business or their entire personal net worth. I can't seem to track down the specific thread right now, but here’s an interesting article that touches on the subject.

...basically, small business owners are personally liable for their debts with everything they own, not just the equipment and cash they put into the company to keep things running.

Henry Edwards33 said:I remember seeing some discussion about exactly what a sole proprietor is on the hook for—whether it's just the assets tied to the business or their entire personal net worth. I can't seem to track down the specific thread right now, but here’s an interesting article that touches on the subject.

...basically, small business owners are personally liable for their debts with everything they own, not just the equipment and cash they put into the company to keep things running.

Wasn't it always this way, though? I've spent my whole life being lectured about opening a side business on top of my main job, as if everything I've built could just vanish overnight if things ever took a turn for the worse.

slyhound32 said:Can I list a bunch of different business activities when I'm registering my LLC? Like, say, mobile retail, marketing, agency work, consulting, and so on and so forth...

Sure, provided you actually meet all the requirements for those specific fields. Personally, my own small business covers everything from general sales and rentals to database management and software procurement.

casuallynx6 said:Wasn't it always this way, though? I've spent my whole life being lectured about opening a side business on top of my main job, as if everything I've built could just vanish overnight if things ever took a turn for the worse.

If it had always been this way, the Supreme Court wouldn't have sat down on March 17, 2010, to hand down case no. U-I-2771 / 2008, which effectively struck down the disputed Section 20, Paragraph 1 of the Small Business Act.
That specific part of the Small Business Act used to read:
"For obligations arising from the conduct of a trade, the proprietor shall be liable with their entire invested assets required for the operation of said trade."

The rest of the explanation is in the link I posted 😉

Hey everyone! First time posting here, so hello to all!
A buddy and I are looking to open up a cafe—more of a daytime hangout spot—in a space that’s already pretty much set up. It’s got almost everything we need, except for the sound system...
I was wondering if anyone here could help me out with a few things:
-How much startup capital should we actually be aiming for? We were thinking maybe around $3,000 or $4,000 just for the initial permits and paperwork... does that sound realistic, or are we way off? 🤷
-Is it even worth investing in a high-end ventilation system? I heard some talk that once certain regulations kick in, smoking might be banned entirely regardless of how good the airflow is.
-The spot itself is tucked away at the end of a little walkway and only opens up on one side. There’s a patio area out front, but since the new rules say patios have to be open on three sides, I'm worried. Any ideas on how to make this layout work? 😕

I'll be moving back to the States from abroad soon, and I’m effectively bringing my job with me. The IT firm I’ve been working for overseas still wants me on the team and has offered me a remote role I can perform right from my home here in the US.

The company plans to deposit roughly $2,200 into my account on the 20th of every month (they mentioned it doesn't matter where the account is located or what type it is).

Now, I’m looking for some advice.

Should I register as a sole proprietor under the Small Business Act, or should I just have them deposit the funds into my foreign account, which I could then withdraw here in the US without any tax implications? Or perhaps I could transfer the money from my foreign account to my future US business account once the company pays me—effectively "cheating" the government out of its tax base?

I should clarify: I’m only considering these ideas because I see the massive frustrations local entrepreneurs face here in America.

I don't actually intend to act this way. I would much rather delay my return to the US and continue paying taxes to a country that isn't mine than get involved in those kinds of schemes.

What kind of credentials do I need to open a small business to provide services that American lawmakers likely don't even understand yet? Since we're talking about IT work, can I qualify for a business license based on a degree in web programming or something similar?

My goal is to do everything by the book, but I have no interest in funding the inefficiency of US institutions.

I left my previous home specifically to get away from those remnants of the old socialist self-management era, and I don't want to deal with that again.

I’m married with two kids, and my wife is currently unemployed.

From what I gather, setting up a small business seems like the most practical and honest route.

Thanks in advance.

Quick question for the group—what kind of regulations are we looking at if someone wants to start a small business (one that doesn't actually require a dedicated storefront) in a different state? In this scenario, they'd end up needing to rent some space from a sublessor in that area.

Hey. Quick question. I run a small business and I'm thinking about setting up shop this summer at a private house on the coast to sell some art pieces. It's just small stuff. I'll have a physical location, but I'm not sure who I actually need to talk to—like, which local government office or department should I hit up for permits? Or am I just looking at checking in with the local tourism board? Also, do I need to register a branch location or something similar under the Small Business Act?
I'm pretty new to all this and honestly, most of it is a blur. Thanks for any help.

wiredsurfer17 said:Hey. Quick question. I run a small business and I'm thinking about setting up shop this summer at a private house on the coast to sell some art pieces. It's just small stuff. I'll have a physical location, but I'm not sure who I actually need to talk to—like, which local government office or department should I hit up for permits? Or am I just looking at checking in with the local tourism board? Also, do I need to register a branch location or something similar under the Small Business Act?
I'm pretty new to all this and honestly, most of it is a blur. Thanks for any help.

Well, first things first, you probably gotta hit up City Hall because they're the ones holding the keys to those permits, I guess. You'll likely need the deed for the house where you're setting up shop, plus some written permission from the owner saying it's cool for you to run your business there. Honestly, just track down the nearest Department of Commerce office and they'll be able to walk you through the whole mess. As for the tourism board... yeah, they don't really have anything to do with this side of things.

thanks, Megan Mitchell4

...hey there...can someone tell me if someone who still owes money to Social Security and Medicare regarding an old, now-closed small business can start a new one? thanks

Sure, you can go ahead and register a new small business, but don't think you've escaped anything. You'll still be on the hook for those payments, and I have enough leverage to freeze the new entity too.

Sandra Ruiz2 said:Quick question for the group—what kind of regulations are we looking at if someone wants to start a small business (one that doesn't actually require a dedicated storefront) in a different state? In this scenario, they'd end up needing to rent some space from a sublessor in that area.

You'd just need to file a residency notice with the local police, maybe a temporary one, and then hit up the Chamber of Commerce to either register from scratch or just update your business address if you were already running it out of your house. 😵

Kimberly Ward8 said:You'd just need to file a residency notice with the local police, maybe a temporary one, and then hit up the Chamber of Commerce to either register from scratch or just update your business address if you were already running it out of your house. 😵

I was actually wondering if there might be a simpler way to handle all this paperwork: what if you found an accountant over there and worked out a deal where they expand their business license to include the specific field you want to work in? Then, you could basically act as an outside contractor or a strategic partner for them, letting them take care of all the heavy lifting like bookkeeping, invoicing, and payroll.

Hey everyone, I have a quick question.
If I want to sell fruit from a market stall, do I need to register as a producer? Also, what kind of testing am I looking at—things like soil analysis or orchard inspections? On top of that, does an inspector actually visit the farm where the fruit is grown, or is it enough to just drop off samples at a lab myself? I think I read somewhere in the regulations that direct sales require less paperwork and you might not even need a formal business license, but I’m still curious about how these inspections and tests work.

Thanks, good people.

Quincey:

I’m just putting this out there, but I feel like we need to talk about how much easier life would be if everything was just a little more straightforward. You know that feeling when you're staring at a massive pile of paperwork or trying to navigate some overly complicated bureaucracy? It’s exhausting. Sometimes I think we spend half our lives just trying to figure out the "rules" of things that should be simple. Anyway, just a random thought bouncing around my head today while I was grabbing coffee. What do you guys think? Is it just me, or is everything getting more complicated? kaže: So, here’s how you need to handle things if you're getting set up. First off, you’ve got to head down to the local police station to file your residency paperwork—it can just be a temporary registration to start with. Once that's sorted, you'll need to deal with the Chamber of Commerce. From there, you either go through the full registration process or, if you’ve decided to run your business right out of your own house, you just file a change of address for the LLC. It’s a bit of a process, but once you get the paperwork moving, it all falls into place. 😵

I’ve been chewing on this idea for a while now, but since I don't plan on trekking too far from home just yet, I think my best bet is to start small. My plan is to set up a home-based business and then just branch out from there. To be honest, I’m still a little fuzzy on the logistics—I can't quite wrap my head around why it would be an issue to take on clients in neighboring states like Ohio, Indiana, or Michigan if my official business headquarters is registered back home in New York. It seems like such a simple thing, but I guess there's more to it than meets the eye.

Honestly, the physical address for my business isn't going to be a dealbreaker for me. I’m not exactly expecting to be sitting around waiting for clients to drop by the office, so I figured I'd just start things off this way.

Can someone walk me through how you actually decide whether to include sales tax in your pricing or leave it out? I feel like I'm constantly second-guessing myself on this one.

I’m looking to start offering my services—not selling food or drinks or anything like that, but more along the lines of software development or custom programming—for... $333So, I was thinking about this the other day while grabbing coffee, and it really comes down to how you're set up with the IRS. It’s one of those things that sounds simple until you actually start crunching the numbers. Basically, if you aren't registered to collect Sales Tax, the cost is pretty much the same for everyone—you just pay the sticker price. But once you're officially part of the Sales Tax system, the math shifts depending on whether you're operating as a formal business entity or just an individual. For a company, that tax is usually something they just pass along to the customer, so it doesn't "cost" them directly, even though it changes the total at the register. For a regular person buying stuff? Well, you're just paying the extra amount on top of whatever the item costs. It's all about whether you're the one collecting it or the one footing the bill for it.

It’s not a big deal to operate in a different state, but you specifically asked about launching a small business in a state where you'll be renting space from someone else.

Sandra Ruiz2 said:Quick question for the group—what kind of regulations are we looking at if someone wants to start a small business (one that doesn't actually require a dedicated storefront) in a different state? In this scenario, they'd end up needing to rent some space from a sublessor in that area.

Look, you need to provide more context when asking questions if you want an answer tailored to your specific situation.😉

Whether or not you should register for Sales Tax depends on two things: whether you're planning heavy upfront investments in equipment (if so, registering is usually worth it so you can claim those credits) and whether your primary clients are corporations or individuals. Sales Tax makes you significantly more expensive for everyday consumers, whereas for most companies, it’s basically a wash. Of course, that assumes the companies you're dealing with are also registered for Sales Tax.

For a service priced at $0.33, there’s an additional $77 in Sales Tax, bringing the total cost to the customer to $410. If the client is a corporation registered for Sales Tax, they get a credit for that $77, so they don't really care if you're part of the system or not.
If you aren't registered for Sales Tax, the customer just pays $333.

According to the H&M website, setting up a small business costs about $157, though all those other expenses really depend on what kind of work you're actually planning to do. What exactly determines that? The specific business I’m looking at is on this list (72100.00, ), so besides that initial $470, what kind of extra overhead should I be prepping for?

It also mentions that individuals opening a business in areas covered by the Law of the Sea or certain rural and mountain regions are exempt from certain local business fees.

Does that mean if someone lives, say, out in a remote part of Alaska or somewhere similarly rural, they can start their business for free??

Also, looking back at 2010, was it actually realistic to count on any of those government incentive programs for starting a new small business?

So, I officially opened my small business about a month ago! 🎉 But here’s the thing—I haven't received that big, beautiful professional sign you usually see hanging on the wall of a storefront yet... so I'm wondering, why is that? Does it just show up in the mail, or am I missing something?