Thatguy682
LawnSite Member
- Location
- NY, Long Island
I'm new to this forum as a poster anyway, I've been lurking a few months just reading through some of the information on this sight.
My question is probably much simpler than the answer. What do I need to legally run my business? I know I need a business license, I know I don't need insurance but I want it, and I don't know what I need for taxes. The business license I think I can take care of fairly easily, it's a simple form, a trip to the clerks’ office, and a $35 filling fee as far as I know. To get insurance what do I need? Just a business license or will I need more? As far as taxes go I'm lost but don't want to hire an accountant, will they give me a tax ID number with my license? From their can I use a program like QuickBooks to handle everything for me?
Irrelevant background information about myself:
I have several years of experience in lawn care and plowing working for others and would like to start my own business. I think this is the perfect time in my life to do this. I'm still in college right now so I don't have the financial responsibility of an apartment or house and my schedule would allow me to run a business and still be a full time student. In addition should my business flop I still have guaranteed work. So I figure I probably have a lot less to risk now than later in doing this. I have been doing a lot of thinking about what I need to make this happen and think I have it pretty well planned out.
I actually own most of the equipment I need besides a trailer but have set aside $1,000 for Misc. anyway when I did my numbers (which I must have went over 100 times already). I have 2 big walk behind blowers, a 36in Bobcat, a Redmax 8000, and two string trimmers SRM 2700 (something like that, can’t remember the numbers but they're two different ones). I have all this stuff for my own house because I've just stumbled into it and never got around to the getting rid of it part.
I saw the two walk behind blowers in the garbage and went to the door to ask if they were throwing them out before taking them. The guy was a landscaper and asked me if I wanted his broken Bobcat 36 which was destined for the scap heap as well. The only real reason I took this stuff at the time was because I like fixing equipment like this and figured I could do something I enjoy, sell it and make a couple bucks. I ended up rebuilding all the motors, new tires and belts all around, then I cleaned everything up and painted it. The weed eaters came from a garage sale and aren’t in the best of shape but they work and I have a backup so that's ok and the red max I bought new for my own house. I know it would be a good idea to have a backup mower but seeing as how it's freshly rebuilt I think it's pretty reliable.
I know it's too late to get into lawns this year but I would like to do residential plowing this winter (yes, been to plow site already) and already have a Jeep setup with a plow I want to use. I also think plowing would be a good way for me to find prospective lawn customers.
To anyone that can point me in the right direction or just took the time to read my thread thank you.
My question is probably much simpler than the answer. What do I need to legally run my business? I know I need a business license, I know I don't need insurance but I want it, and I don't know what I need for taxes. The business license I think I can take care of fairly easily, it's a simple form, a trip to the clerks’ office, and a $35 filling fee as far as I know. To get insurance what do I need? Just a business license or will I need more? As far as taxes go I'm lost but don't want to hire an accountant, will they give me a tax ID number with my license? From their can I use a program like QuickBooks to handle everything for me?
Irrelevant background information about myself:
I have several years of experience in lawn care and plowing working for others and would like to start my own business. I think this is the perfect time in my life to do this. I'm still in college right now so I don't have the financial responsibility of an apartment or house and my schedule would allow me to run a business and still be a full time student. In addition should my business flop I still have guaranteed work. So I figure I probably have a lot less to risk now than later in doing this. I have been doing a lot of thinking about what I need to make this happen and think I have it pretty well planned out.
I actually own most of the equipment I need besides a trailer but have set aside $1,000 for Misc. anyway when I did my numbers (which I must have went over 100 times already). I have 2 big walk behind blowers, a 36in Bobcat, a Redmax 8000, and two string trimmers SRM 2700 (something like that, can’t remember the numbers but they're two different ones). I have all this stuff for my own house because I've just stumbled into it and never got around to the getting rid of it part.
I saw the two walk behind blowers in the garbage and went to the door to ask if they were throwing them out before taking them. The guy was a landscaper and asked me if I wanted his broken Bobcat 36 which was destined for the scap heap as well. The only real reason I took this stuff at the time was because I like fixing equipment like this and figured I could do something I enjoy, sell it and make a couple bucks. I ended up rebuilding all the motors, new tires and belts all around, then I cleaned everything up and painted it. The weed eaters came from a garage sale and aren’t in the best of shape but they work and I have a backup so that's ok and the red max I bought new for my own house. I know it would be a good idea to have a backup mower but seeing as how it's freshly rebuilt I think it's pretty reliable.
I know it's too late to get into lawns this year but I would like to do residential plowing this winter (yes, been to plow site already) and already have a Jeep setup with a plow I want to use. I also think plowing would be a good way for me to find prospective lawn customers.
To anyone that can point me in the right direction or just took the time to read my thread thank you.