Business & Self-Employed
Turning a trade skill into a real business is a different set of decisions than the ones I write about everywhere else on this site. It’s not about budgeting or paying down debt, it’s about structure, paperwork, and protecting what you’re building. This hub covers going independent in the order it actually comes up: setting the business up right, protecting yourself once it’s running, pricing and getting paid without getting burned, and the tax, hiring, and mindset shifts that catch people off guard once the business is actually moving.
The why-business case, LLC vs. sole prop, the Delaware/Wyoming myth for local trades, and the current federal BOI reporting status.
What you actually need for a legal business address, and the PO Box mistake that trips people up.
Why your NAICS code matters for financing, insurance, and taxes, not just paperwork.
The trade-specific and general business licensing layer, and how to tell them apart.
Your address can satisfy your state filing and still get your bank application bounced. Here’s why, and what actually works.
General liability, workers’ comp, and bonds explained, plus the misconception that your LLC alone covers you.
Penal sums, claims, and what you’re actually on the hook for if a bond gets called.
How to actually calculate what you need to charge, not just match the next guy’s number.
Why “just 1099 him” is more expensive to get wrong than it sounds.
The real math on what changes once nobody’s withholding anything for you.
What belongs in a client contract, what you can legally ask for upfront, and when a lien beats small claims court.
Why a separate account protects your LLC, and how to handle bookkeeping without overcomplicating it.
The format everyone mocks isn’t the same as the thinking behind it.
Being great at the trade and being great at running the business are different skills.
Why business credit needs to stand on its own, and how it protects your personal score.
The sequence that actually works, so you’re not applying for things you don’t qualify for yet.