setup and maintenance business

Heed these words carefully. In this day of email, PDF's, tablet computers, etc we still use a preprinted Carbon-Copy of all services. They get one and you get one. Hopefully you'll be able to talk with them and show them what you did before leaving. However, a lot of your clients will become dentists offices, nursing homes, and the like and this won't be possible. If that's the case, ask that they assign one assistant to look at the tank with you.

Trust me, I've had the question before. How do I know that you changed the carbon and Phosban? It looks the same to me. ANSWER: I showed XYZ the spent media when giving them their list of services performed.

DBA doesn't give you limited liability. LLC's do. You might have both. The name of your LLC might be Bob Johnson, LLC. However, you might want to Do Business As Professional Aquatics Services or some other name.

BTW, if you choose a single person LLC, you don't have to pay for a second tax return or payroll returns.....you just add a Schedule C to your normal tax return.

 

Very very good advice. Also get licensed and bonded. Many business won't let you do work at there business without it. Protects them from you and you from them! Businesses are the best customers. They want all the maintenance done by someone else and don't typically micromanage the tank.

Even though I'm a hobbyist, I pay for maintenance at my businesses and don't pay near the attention to those tanks like I do mine at home. At work, I work... at home I tank.

 

+1 agree

 

Also as others have said states are different and don't forget cities are their own beasts as well. Where I live each town around me requires its own business licence to do business within the city limits. Contractors hate it but it is law. You have to get them or risk being shut down in the middle of a project until you get your license or get fined. Just a heads up that if you are covered to work in one city you may not be in the next. Since you are going on site to do work this could be a concern I didn't see mentioned before.

 

in B-lo myself... Good luck and take the advice of the LLC. I "was" a custom airbrush artist and just had my DBA, protect yourself and your personal assests.

 

Write and ironclad contract and have a lawyer review it.
Get a hefty liability insurance policy, things are going to happen that are beyond your control and you need to be protected or shielded.

 

Google richard keyt. He is a lawyer, but has a ton of free great info on his web site. U will pay more in taxes with an llc over s corp.