Starting a small business

I’m also processing mine through the stock exchange. They'll be paying me out in installments, so hopefully, the funds actually hit my account by next week.
The bigger headache is that I’m still waiting on the paperwork from the IRS detailing my contribution amounts and payment instructions.
I’ve already swung by their office twice, and every time they just tell me it’ll be mailed to my home address. Still nothing.
The IRS is notoriously slow at this sort of thing; I finally received the decision regarding my flat tax and the chamber contribution amount.

It’s just an overwhelming amount of red tape. And this is for someone who only manages ten employees.🙂

My accountant printed out some initial payment slips for me, but then the IRS sent over a formal notice along with a few more bills after the fact. After that, they stopped sending simple slips altogether—just official notices whenever anything changed.

Thanks, guys.

No worries, we're here to help.

But this whole situation with the IRS is just unbelievable. When us taxpayers actually need something, we're left waiting for days on end. Meanwhile, Linić is out there announcing that starting August 1st, they’re ramping up inspections for small and mid-sized businesses to catch anyone not meeting their obligations.

How am I even supposed to pay if I haven't received a single official document stating the amount due or the payment instructions?

Take today, for example—I went to pay my Chamber of Commerce dues. They sent me a bill covering three months, which was fine. I paid it, and that was that.

But as far as the actual contribution goes, there's absolutely nothing to show for it.

When I follow up with the IRS, they just tell me to wait. And if an inspector shows up at my door, they basically told me to just send the inspectors over to the IRS instead. That’s literally what they said at the IRS office.

But hey, that's just how the cookie crumbles.

Anyway, look, no inspector can actually slap you with a fine for that. They can lecture you all they want about knowing the rules, but they don't have the legal authority to penalize you for it.

Honestly, I’m leaning toward thinking you aren't even liable until you actually receive the official paperwork—you know, that formal notice stating exactly how much you owe and how to pay the fees. (I don't think that happened to me, but man, it was a long time ago...)

Still, it feels totally rigged. When you suddenly get hit with a bill for four months' worth of back payments out of nowhere... that's rough. A business owner really ought to be fully briefed on every single obligation before they even dive into the deep end. But then again, there's that old saying: ignorance isn't an excuse. Fair or not, that's the reality.😁

mellowmarlin15, get in touch with the accountant.

p.s. any word on that new solution for small business owners regarding the June 1st contribution hike? maybe they’re just waiting to drop the new update all at once. 😁

So, since I'm feeling extra chipper today: is it actually "better" to start a small business here in the States or somewhere else in the EU? Like, I'm wondering if doing it before or after the 1.7 changes... maybe there'll be some extra EU-impuls kicking in? Does anyone actually have the scoop on this?

I'll just have to wait and see what happens on June 1st. They’re changing the Chamber of Commerce fees too, so the amount should actually go down soon. I already went ahead and paid for three months $103.
In my municipality, the fee is about $1.50, but looking at lists online, I noticed some coastal cities have much lower rates than we do
. Honestly, though, I don't mind paying it. The Chamber of Commerce was incredibly helpful with advice when I was first setting up my business, and whenever I run into a snag, I just give them a call and they help me sort it out
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I'm also wondering if it would have been better to incorporate in the EU or just stay here in the States; I really don't know
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The real struggle is finding enough clients, especially since people tend to tighten their belts during an economic downturn
. But if things keep going the way they did during my first month, I'll be pretty happy. It's not a massive windfall, but my overhead isn't high, which is the most important thing
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I already got paid for six months—you’re probably seeing less since you opened yours later.

I can't shake this nagging feeling that all these government grants are just being wrapped up in pretty packaging when, in reality, they’re a total nightmare... kind of like dropping $0.33 on an iPhone. I've been scrolling through comments and reading about people who actually tried to go through the whole process, and man, they are so bitter about it. They got absolutely burned. What a wild west we live in... my godmother even runs her own small business over in Düsseldorf, and honestly, I still find myself doubting her whenever she tries to explain how organized things are supposed to be over there.

cosmicsailor63 said:I can't shake this nagging feeling that all these government grants are just being wrapped up in pretty packaging when, in reality, they’re a total nightmare... kind of like dropping $0.33 on an iPhone. I've been scrolling through comments and reading about people who actually tried to go through the whole process, and man, they are so bitter about it. They got absolutely burned. What a wild west we live in... my godmother even runs her own small business over in Düsseldorf, and honestly, I still find myself doubting her whenever she tries to explain how organized things are supposed to be over there.

Then quit stalling and give us the details on how it actually works.

Zlocka, I opened my account back in late April, yet my billing statement covers April, May, and June.

So, I’ve got a bit of a situation here. My old man just launched his own small business, and now we’re hitting that stage where we actually have to figure out how to get the word out. We're looking into advertising options, but I'm feeling a little lost. Has anyone here dealt with this before? Any specific platforms or strategies you’d swear by? For instance, has anyone tried running ads on Craigslist or maybe Facebook Marketplace? I'd love to hear about your actual experiences—what worked, what was a total waste of money, all of it. Any advice at all would be a huge help. Thanks!

Facebook...

It really depends on what you're actually doing for a living. If you’ve got physical products, you need high-quality shots—don't just DIY it with a phone. Find a pro studio or even a solid freelancer who’ll do the job for a reasonable rate, and make sure they handle the editing too. A Facebook business page is a free way to get eyes on you, provided you aren't just posting once a month. And honestly, having a website isn't a bad idea either.
If you're in the service industry, though, things get a little trickier—you don't exactly have a product to snap a photo of, I suppose.

Anyone here recently started their own small business—maybe a boutique, a hair salon, or something along those lines? I could really use some advice from someone who’s actually been through the grind. Shoot me a DM in the Democratic Party, THANKS 🙂

Hey there.

So, I’m currently in the middle of some negotiations to rent a small 12-square-meter space. We're looking at a monthly rent of about $367.

My plan is to set up a little retail shop—basically a walk-up kiosk, kind of like a local newsstand or a convenience booth where customers can't actually step inside. I was wondering, what are the bare minimum technical requirements just to get something like this off the ground?

Second thing on my mind—is a kiosk considered part of those specific regulated business categories? I actually graduated from a high school focused on hospitality and tourism, specifically with a track. Because of that, I'm not sure if I'll still need to take some sort of certification exam to be a licensed vendor.

Basically, it would be my dad and me running both shifts. My old man has 31 years of work experience under his belt and recently registered with the Department of Labor. We were hoping to snag some government startup grants to get this whole thing moving, though from what I hear, it's not exactly easy to pull off.

Also, does anyone know what the registration fees look like? If we register the business under my father's name—since he's over 45—do we get a break on certain business registration fees?

And what are we talking about for monthly overhead? Like, social security, health insurance based on minimum wage, plus whatever dues we owe the American Chamber of Commerce... do those payments go to the Chamber or the government on a monthly basis, or can you just pay them as a lump sum?

Can anyone help me clear up some of this confusion? ...

The location is in a really busy area, so I'm thinking we could move a ton of drinks daily. I know the margins on tobacco are tiny, but sodas, ice cream, snacks—that stuff should fly off the shelves. I just need to wrap my head around all this paperwork first...

You should probably reach out to the American Chamber of Commerce to figure out exactly which documents you'll need. Since the local government office handles business licenses, you might want to check with them to see if you qualify for any tax exemptions.
The Department of Labor offers self-employment incentives, and they even have programs for people over 55 who are starting their own ventures. However, regarding grants for those under 30, Minister Mrsić mentioned on Fox News the other night that the funds for this year have already been exhausted. It will likely reset on the first of the month, though. Your best bet is to check directly with the Department of Labor.

There probably aren't any tax incentives for retail. Setting up a small business involves some kind of registration fee—I can't recall the exact amount—but it isn't breaking the bank.
You can't go the simplified tax route here, since retailers and restaurant owners don't qualify for that specific status. You could set up a sole proprietorship instead; as someone mentioned on the forum once, you just need a high school diploma to open a shop as a small business owner. No master craftsman certification required.

That's right. Retail businesses don't qualify for the simplified tax flat rate. You're stuck in the VAT system and required to use digital fiscalization from day one. A small business license is $67, something like that. Plus you'll need those specific tax stamps.
However, if you're renting commercial space, you'll need an electrical safety certificate and a fire extinguisher on hand. You’ll probably also need a first aid kit mounted somewhere. There are definitely more documents to gather, and the Office of Management and Budget is the authority that can clarify the specific requirements for any given small business. Unfortunately, most of these government offices operate in a way where you end up visiting four or five times just because they tell you some random paper is missing.
I wasted a massive amount of my own time dealing with that exact office when I was first setting up my business.