LOL I hope you don't use that attitude when you're at work in CS or else this job will become your full time. Get a grip. People are offering advice *on topic*, even if not addressing the original question. Defensive much?Screw most of you. except stargazr and maybe one other.
I understand the pain in the ass of what you people think I am planning with a small business... but I am in customer service right now so I actually know how to work with people. Second, this is a SIDE job and I'm not planning to depend on the income from this to support my family. I mainly want to extend my services outside the circle of friends and family and get paid for it, and I just wanted to make sure I was following the rules when I did that. Also I can be selective with my services so to avoid the "paranoid, cheap-ass" type.
LOL I hope you don't use that attitude when you're at work in CS or else this job will become your full time. Get a grip. People are offering advice *on topic*, even if not addressing the original question. Defensive much?
all I want to know is how to make my self a legal business entity in the eyes of the government.
if you cannot even use google to find the answer to this question, since it may vary by state, then i submit that you do not even have the ability to run a business.
You would spend most of your time removing malware or reinstalling windows. They the client will immediately click a link in an email or visit a porn site. Then at midnight they will call you up demanding you to come over immediately when their computer chokes because you messed it up. If you fix it one time for a fee, you are responsible to keep it running for the rest of the owner's natural life for free.
Screw most of you. except stargazr and maybe one other.
I understand the pain in the ass of what you people think I am planning with a small business... but I am in customer service right now so I actually know how to work with people. Second, this is a SIDE job and I'm not planning to depend on the income from this to support my family. I mainly want to extend my services outside the circle of friends and family and get paid for it, and I just wanted to make sure I was following the rules when I did that. Also I can be selective with my services so to avoid the "paranoid, cheap-ass" type.
Well-well look. I already told you: I deal with the god damn customers so the engineers don't have to. I have people skills; I am good at dealing with people. Can't you understand that? What the hell is wrong with you people?
Screw most of you. except stargazr and maybe one other.
I understand the pain in the ass of what you people think I am planning with a small business... but I am in customer service right now so I actually know how to work with people. Second, this is a SIDE job and I'm not planning to depend on the income from this to support my family. I mainly want to extend my services outside the circle of friends and family and get paid for it, and I just wanted to make sure I was following the rules when I did that. Also I can be selective with my services so to avoid the "paranoid, cheap-ass" type.
LOL I hope you don't use that attitude when you're at work in CS or else this job will become your full time. Get a grip. People are offering advice *on topic*, even if not addressing the original question. Defensive much?
if you cannot even use google to find the answer to this question, since it may vary by state, then i submit that you do not even have the ability to run a business.
Go to the local library and get a book on starting a small business. The first chapter or two will discuss the information necessary to select a legal structure. Small businesses are started all the time, libraries have much information on this subject. Read a few of the books available. When you find that all the books are saying basically the same thing is when you will know enough to move forward.
A business structure has two purposes; defining an entity for taxation and liability purposes. You need to look at Sole Proprietorships and Limited Liability Companies.
Contrary to what was mentioned earlier, a business plan is perfunctory for a small business.
Much of the discussion so far has been very helpful, it is just the OP does not yet recognize its use.
1) Start charging people for the work done at 50%-75% the rates of the Best Buy Geek Squad or 10-15% above costs or more to make the time worthwhile.
2) Develop practices to minimize your work; such as making an image of a system after you fix it. Charge for this image upfront with the explanation it will cost them less money and you less time in a year when they return with viruses on their system.
3) Become comfortable with charging money. Things change when money is involved. Specifically, you become liable for your work.
4) If things are going strong, you are earning a significant amount of money or you are incurring significant expenses; this is the time you consider making your work legal with a business entity.
5) Consider stepping up to serve the needs of small businesses. Defining these needs is a whole separate topic.
6) Profit.
The first thing you'll need: A better idea.
This is the Musician's argument about P2P.The problem is all the work he does now he does because he does it for free. If people had to pay it would dry right up because they are taking advantage of him.
I never @*#(ing understood why people think that just because we can build a computer we actually want to spend our time doing it. None of us who know those in other professions expect free services; if I had a friend who does landscaping I wouldn't expect him to spend two hours of his Thursday evening digging trenches in my yard.
OP should stop doing this for free, he's being taken advantage of. Just always push things back, say you're too busy, or tell people to buy a Dell instead because it has a warranty or go to BestBuy and get its extended warranty. I more or less told people to piss off years back and it's been great. I hated spending sometimes multiple hours out of the blue sitting staring at somebody's computer as it was reinstalling windows, fvck that.
You will find that for a sole proprietor-ship business with unknown revenues, your social security number will suffice. When you actually start making money and needing more shelter, just incorporate, especially if you are a homeowner. Don't need to lose the house in a business sell off.Basically I have a full time job not even related to my computer degree... I fix systems for people all the time for free but I am thinking that I should start charging and have a small side business running out of my home, then see if it grows into anything more.
Does anyone know the most basic way I go about legally declaring myself a business? I'm guessing I just need to go to the secretary of state and get a tax id number or something like that but I'm not sure.
Any input is welcome. Thanks AT
EDIT: guys, you're missing what I'm asking. all I want to know is how to make my self a legal business entity in the eyes of the government.
This. It will soak up an increasingly amount of your time, with little to no return. That's if you're successful at getting Customers. Some problems will stump you and will be some hard to find Hardware issue, you'll spend hours and hours tracking it down, and the Customer will decide to just trash the thing rather than get it fixed. Other work will fall behind, jobs that are quick fixes will take days because of a backlog, people will be calling you for the most inane things, your Wife/Dog/Kids will start complaining. Once you sell someone a piece of Software/Hardware, you're going to be the guy that gets the first call about it for the next 5 years(duration of use), Free of Charge, taking up more time, creating more backlog. All the while, you won't make any Money or so little that all you'll have to show for it is your obsolete PC, the desk it's on, and the comfy chair you're sitting in. All things you would have had anyway.
Becoming a Meth Addict would be a better choice.
Thanks but I pretty much already know all this. I was only asking how I can be recognized by my community and to the IRS as an official business as apposed to being just a person doing things for money "under the table".