starting my own photography business from home, what do I need to do to be legal?
I am starting my own business from home doing photography. I told two different things: I was told I needed to get an attorney and I was told by a photographer that I did not need to do that. I know there will be certain things that I will have to do as far as taxes go, but what do I need to do to make this legal?
Part of the question will depend on whether you are using your house as an office/developing lab or whether you will also have a customers coming there for sittings. Start by checking with your local zoning board as to the local restrictions on operating a home-based business. Most localities allow you to operate your offices, etc. out of your home without any run around, but once you start having customers come to the door, then they want a zoning variance (extra traffic, etc.).
Next you need a business license, which is usually issued by the state. You might want to look into being bonded (I assume you will be taking deposits up front), and also insured against accidents (falling on an ice cube during a wedding reception and breaking your head). Also, you might want to get extra insurance on your house to cover your photo equipment (in case of theft – most house policies will cover theft out of your car, etc., but you should talk to your agent about this).
Check the IRS page about getting a tax ID and also look into getting incorporated (S-Corp or similar).
Definitely register the name of your business so no one else can take it, and also, look into copyright laws (the pictures are your creation and as such, you own the copyright – you want to be able to protect your work).
At some point, you will want an attorney to look over everything you have done and suggest other necessities and you will want an accountant for your books, but these can probably wait.
Check with the SBA (website www.sba.gov) where there is great info on starting a small business and also check with SCORE (www.score.org) who can also provide assistance.
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Tags:Business From Home,Business License,Copyright Laws,Extra Insurance,home-based-business,Irs,Localities,Necessities,Photo Equipment,photography-business,S Corp,Sba Website,Sittings,Starting A Small Business,Starting My Own Business,Tax Id,Two Different Things,Variance,Wedding Reception,Zoning BoardRelated posts
Tags: Business From Home, Business License, Copyright Laws, Extra Insurance, home-based-business, Irs, Localities, Necessities, Photo Equipment, photography-business, S Corp, Sba Website, Sittings, Starting A Small Business, Starting My Own Business, Tax Id, Two Different Things, Variance, Wedding Reception, Zoning Board
Print This Post
Posted in
Loading ...
Worrying about every complexity may hinder you from getting started. Can’t you just see if you can do a few simple jobs lined up and get some clients? However, it might be advisable to get a business license. Hopefully the bureaucracy isn’t too complex in your area.
References :
Part of the question will depend on whether you are using your house as an office/developing lab or whether you will also have a customers coming there for sittings. Start by checking with your local zoning board as to the local restrictions on operating a home-based business. Most localities allow you to operate your offices, etc. out of your home without any run around, but once you start having customers come to the door, then they want a zoning variance (extra traffic, etc.).
Next you need a business license, which is usually issued by the state. You might want to look into being bonded (I assume you will be taking deposits up front), and also insured against accidents (falling on an ice cube during a wedding reception and breaking your head). Also, you might want to get extra insurance on your house to cover your photo equipment (in case of theft – most house policies will cover theft out of your car, etc., but you should talk to your agent about this).
Check the IRS page about getting a tax ID and also look into getting incorporated (S-Corp or similar).
Definitely register the name of your business so no one else can take it, and also, look into copyright laws (the pictures are your creation and as such, you own the copyright – you want to be able to protect your work).
At some point, you will want an attorney to look over everything you have done and suggest other necessities and you will want an accountant for your books, but these can probably wait.
Check with the SBA (website http://www.sba.gov) where there is great info on starting a small business and also check with SCORE (www.score.org) who can also provide assistance.
References :