Whether you're an independent contractor, freelancer, or consultant, it all adds up to the same thing: You need to be more aware of laws and taxes than the average person.
Fortunately, Working for Yourself provides all the information you need to stay on top of it all. An independent contractor himself, Stephen Fishman shows you everything you need to know to:
*meet business start-up requirements *pick a business structure *set up home or outside offices *obtain permits and licenses *price your services or products *comply with strict IRS rules *establish sound business relationships *avoid unfair contracts *draft good agreements *keep good records *get paid in full and on time *and much, much more
The 6th edition is completely revised to provide the up-to-date information you need, including the most current tax rates and changes in the law.
Whether you already work for yourself or are thinking about making the move, Working for Yourself will help make sure you do it right.
Not only do I understand my choices better, but I also now understand the different structures for businesses and their tax responsibilities. Great distillation of information! The copies of tax forms in the back are also a great reference. Highly recommended.
If you run your own business, you've probably heard about limited liability companies. Business owners who operate LLCs aren't personally liable for business debts. But is an LLC right for you?
Nolo's Quick LLC provides essential information for business owners in every state. It explains, in plain English, the advantages and drawbacks of forming an LLC - including limiting your personal liability.
the ongoing legal and tax paperwork that's required
Practical, concise and easy to read, the 4th edition of Nolo's Quick LLC provides the latest facts, figures and tax information you need to know about this valuable business option.
Download Description
"If you are wondering whether or not a limited liability company is right for you, Nolo's Quick LLC is the book to grab. Written by LLC expert Attorney Anthony Mancuso, this book shows you, in plain English, the advantages and drawbacks of forming an LLC, and how the LLC compares with running a business as a corporation, partnership or sole proprietorship. It explains: how LLCs are formed by filing Articles of Organization with the state the Operating Agreement, which details the legal rights and responsibilities of LLC members and managers how you can choose between a member-run or manager-run LLC important tax options that qualify an LLC for partnership tax treatment -- an essential benefit of forming an LLC the required ongoing legal and tax paperwork Practical, concise and easy to read, the 3rd edition of Nolo's Quick LLC provides vital - and the latest - information you need to know about this valuable business option.
Customer Reviews:
Useful and Easy to Understand.......2007-10-07
I am currently in the process of creating my own LLC at the time writing this review. The book is very helpful to understand the process and the things I will have to worry about from a legal and also tax perspective. I hired a lawyer for the company creation before I bought the book and have now the feeling that I could be doing it without paying a lawyer. However, the book made me realize that there is a lot of paperwork involved in the process and the lawyer will do all that work for me, which saves me a lot of time.
I am currently very busy preparing everything for the daily business operation to come so I do not regret my decision of using a lawyer. If time is not too much of a problem, but saving the cost for a good corporate lawyer is, this book will be able to help you to get the process done by yourself.
For people like me, who use a lawyer is the book still helpful, because there are a lot of things to consider and know about, after your LLC was created. It will serve me well in the years to come. I am sure about that.
Quick easy read, Great Information!.......2007-08-05
I read this whole book on a flight from Miami to Seattle. I had just started an LLC through a Lawyer and wanted to get an idea of how to put together the Operating Agreement. This book had a great Operating Agreement example in the back. It also had simple examples for each scenario that helped me understand the best type of LLC set-up for my business. Nolo's Quick LLC covered everything I needed to know in an easy format to read and reference. After reading, I felt I was able to discuss my ideas intelligently with my lawyer and ask him questions I would have never thought of before.
An excellent manual essential not only to business owners.......2007-07-07
Most in business have learned the term 'limited liability company' - but few know what this means, let alone how to tailor a business as a LLC and to understand if and when such a structure would apply. NOLO'S QUICK LLC, 4TH EDITION provides all the basics to operating an LLC, from choosing different structures and understanding differences between a LLC and a corporation to handling legal and tax paperwork. The result is an excellent manual essential not only to business owners, but to business libraries seeking an easy yet comprehensive reference.
Informative, Provides a Framework, A Bit Conservative.......2007-02-12
Having just established my own Limited Liability Company (LLC), I wanted a book that would define what a LLC is in the framework of other business models, including tax and legal implications. I wanted to ensure that a LLC was the best fit for me. That is exactly what this book did, and it did it well.
If you are thinking of starting your own business an a LLC, but are not sure of which business model to use (Sole Propertiorship, LLC, Parternship, S-Corp, C-Corp), this book will help inform you of the pros and cons of LLCs, and how they fit into the overall legal and tax structure.
The only reason I rated this book at 4 stars instead of 5 stars, is that it scared me a bit in regards to the legal and tax requirements, without providing enough detail to give me a grasp on why the requirements were in effect. Having also been in contact with a certified tax expert and accountant while I was reading this book, I learned that this book errs on the side of being very conservative, or even a bit scary, in regards to legal and tax requirements. So I would advise anyone who gets this book to also balance it out by reading a more aggressive book about saving money on taxes and operating an LLC legally.
After reading this book, I also read "Your Limited Liability Company, An Operating Manual" by the same author. That book provides in depth detail on the day-to-day running of an LLC. It helped me tremendously. However, this book is also conservative when it comes to saving money on taxes.
Overall, both books are great reads.
Very Helpful Book, Helped Me Decide That An LLC Is Right For ME!.......2006-12-04
This book was not a disappointment by any means. I wanted to learn if forming an LLC was right for me and by the end of reading the book, I knew it was. Nolo's book was surprisingly easy to read and understand. Although the writer is a lawyer, he writes in every day speak and makes the concepts as easy to understand as possible. The book is also more entertaining then one might think. The only thing I would have liked to see as part of this book is a step by step list of who to contact to form the LLC including any forms or at least a link to forms you would need to complete the task. Overall, if you want to learn about LLC's and decide if the business form is right for you, then this is the right book to choose.
Book Description
If you’re a business owner, incorporation can help you protect your personal assets and cut down your tax bill. But all the paperwork and legalese can make incorporation seem like more trouble than it’s worth. Incorporating Your Business For Dummies offers all the savvy tips you need to get incorporated — starting today!
Whether your business is big or small, incorporating isn’t as simple as it could be. This handy reference makes incorporation make sense, and guides you through the process step by step. From handling the mountain of paperwork to getting back to business once you’re finished, Incorporating Your Business For Dummies offers a wealth of helpful advice on these and many more topics:
- Knowing whether or not incorporation can help you
- Choosing the type of entity that will work best for your business
- Dealing with shareholders and shareholder agreements
- Transferring money and assets in or out of the corporation
- Documenting corporate actions and maintaining compliance
- Finding the right attorney, accountant, tax advisor, and other professionals
Written by the experts at The Company Corporation, who handle more than 100,000 incorporations every year, this helpful book offers the kind of advice you can only get from professionals — but in a user-friendly, lingo-free format. Whether you just want a little help with the paperwork, or don’t even know what a corporation is, you’ll find everything you need to know:
- What limited liability means
- Corporate statutes, bylaws, and articles
- Choosing directors and assigning duties
- The benefits of S corporation status
- Deciding where to incorporate
- Registering corporate names and domain names
- Balancing equity versus debt
- Understanding shareholder rights
- Getting your financial information in order
- Hiring a professional to help with corporate compliance
If you want step-by-step help on setting up your corporation, dealing with the paperwork, and getting off on the right foot, Incorporating Your Business For Dummies is the only resource you need. Packed with the kind of tips and advice you’ll find nowhere else, it’s the uncomplicated way to get incorporated.
Customer Reviews:
Incorporating your Business for Dummies.......2006-03-18
The book gave a good review of the different types of Incorporation. The type that might be best for any business desired with different requirements and tax advantages of each type. Whether one has partners makes a difference in type needed or whether one wants to sell stock in their company or not.
For a primer it is good but one needs a more in depth knowledge or a tax expert to really get more out of the type of incorporation wanted.
Good as a starter, but you will need more........2004-03-07
Inc for Dummies is not just for dummies, it is a good book on How To Incorporate, but you will need more.
Some additional books icnlude How To Incorporate: A Handbook for Entrpreneurs and Professionals by Michael R. Diamond. How To Incorporate in Any State: Everything You Need to Form a Corporation by W. Dean Brown. S- Corporations by Robert Cooke.
Form Your Own Corporation and Launch a Business in Any State and The Small Business Kit by J.W. Dicks.
Use the dummies book as a starter guide. Use the other books for the real meaty information. Be careful what you buy, the marketplace is proliferated with books by self proclaimed experts who read a lot but have no real world experience.
just the tip of the iceberg.......2004-02-27
In order to maintain the legal status of your corporation, you need to pass very specific resolutions and keep very specific records. I had hoped for a "cookbook" for the legal steps required to set up and operate my corporation, but this is not it.
The info on corporate structures is very basic and general - you could easily find this level of detail on the web. That's my primary complaint with this book... it mentions what you must do, but doesn't give you the specifics of how.
Instead of this book, I recommend you:
(1) Get the *basics* from your lawyer or accountant (or even doing some research on the web)
(2) buy The Corporate Minutes Book by Anothony Mancuso instead of this book!
Good book for those contemplating a corporation.......2004-02-23
If you are contemplating starting a business and therefore a corporation, this book is a great first start. As with all of the dummy series books, the authors feel that people reading these books are brand new and know nothing. So this gives even the most naive a good start on how to incorporate.
So much of the information is basic and since the book was written awhile ago, some of the material may be dated. Nonetheless, good first start for business people.
Other good books include How To Start a S-Corporation by Robert Cooke and Brilliant Deductions by Wade Cook. The latter shows a way to drop out of the social security system and offers a good section on Nevada Corporations.
Okay, but not enough meat.......2003-12-01
I thought that this book was an okay read but left some very important information out especially regarding S-Corporations.
The best book I have found on S-Corporations is How to Form a S-Corporation by Robert Cooke.
Book Description
TURN YOUR GREAT IDEA INTO A GREAT BIG FORTUNE...
We all have great ideas, and every day, ordinary people turn their simple, clever ideas into products or services that earn them millions in royalties. So what separates those who earn money exploiting their ideas from those who dont? The answer is in your hands; this book gives you all the information and all the motivation you need to turn your ideas into money without investment or financial risk.
In How to License Your Million Dollar Idea, Second Edition, Harvey Reese, a successful new product developer, consultant, and licensing agent, reveals his system for creating commercially profitable ideas and his secrets for turning them into lucrative licensing agreements. Not only will you find nuts-and-bolts information on the licensing process, youll also learn how to formulate an idea and find the motivation to grow that idea into a fortune.
Totally revised and updated, this Second Edition covers recent changes in patent law and how the Internet has impacted modern licensing. Reese includes his proven step-by-step process for formulating an idea that manufacturers are willing to pay for, researching its authenticity, obtaining patents, finding prospects, negotiating the deal, and beyond. Filled with examples of successful, well-known licensing ventures, How to License Your Million Dollar Idea, Second Edition also features an expanded appendix of sample patent forms, licensing agreements, disclosure statements, publications, contact information, and more.
Customer Reviews:
Most Helpful..........2007-06-08
I came up with an invention and had no idea how to protect it or what direction to go next. I had read several other books but Harvey's book rocked!! It gave me so much of the information I needed, I am considering submitting my idea to Harvey Reese to see if he can obtain a licensing agreement.
A Good Read.......2007-02-03
Straight forward tips and tactics about how to turn an idea into royalties. Worth the read if you think you have an idea that could make money.
This will get you pumped up!.......2006-08-27
This is book is an easy read, with a lot of very relevant information. I own a small product development company and the information here is accurate and maybe most importantly very motivating. Read it, and get moving on taking your product from an idea to making money.
How to License Your Million dollar Idea.......2006-08-23
This reference book is filled with lots of valueable and helpful information and is a great resource for those who wish to develop an idea.
Author seemed in conflict with other experts in one area. He insists that only a face-to-face meeting can bring results and he strongly suggests that an agent should be hired. Other experts advocate that successs can be had without following this path.
How to License Your Million Dollar Idea: Everything You Need To Know To Turn a Simple Idea into a Million Dollar Payday, 2nd Edi.......2006-02-23
Very informational. Helped me get the ball rolling on my million dollar idea! Well worth the money spent and gave me some much needed clarification regarding the invention and submission process. Look for me and my idea soon!!!
Book Description
"One of the best business books of the year!" -Library Journal
Includes the Limited Liability Company
The Bestselling Guide to Incorporating Your Business-Updated and Expanded for the New Millennium
- Should I Incorporate?
- Which Form of Corporation Is Best for My Business and Long-term Goals?
- What Additional Legal Liabilities Do I Assume When I Incorporate?
- What Are the Tax Laws Concerning Corporations and How Do I Take Full Advantage of Them?
- How Do I Form a Corporation?
Get detailed answers to these and every other question you have about incorporating your business in How to Incorporate, Fourth Edition. Attorneys Michael Diamond and Julie Williams weigh the pros and cons of incorporating and help you choose the form of corporation that's best for you. They tell you how to structure your corporation for maximum legal, tax, and business advantage. And they supply you with a gold mine of sample forms-including tax forms and preincorporation, shareholder, and voting trust agreements-along with step-by-step instructions on how to fill them out.
Covering all the latest changes in the laws regarding corporations and partnerships, and featuring a critical new chapter on the limited liability company, How to Incorporate, Fourth Edition gives you the most up-to-the-minute information, advice, and guidance on:
- When to form a standard incorporation and when to go with an alternative, such as Subchapter S, partnerships, limited liability companies, and proprietorships
- How to make statutory requirements work to your advantage
- Executive compensation and how to take tax-free benefits out of your corporation
- How to handle special agreements, securities laws, forms of incorporation, stockholders, dividends, and more
- How to complete IRS forms, take minutes, create bylaws, and post notices of meetings
- How to use incorporation forms for many different states as well as forms for general use based on the Model Business Corporation Act
. . . and much more to give you the how, why, and when of incorporating in today's fast-paced business world.
Customer Reviews:
Good book on incorporating your business.......2003-12-01
How to Incorporate is an excellent book to show the average guy how to incorporate. It is an easy read and packed with good information.
Some other books you will want to read are Form Your Own Corporation and Launch a Business In Any State by J.W. Dicks, Inc. Yourself by Judith McQuown and Incorporating Your Business for Dummies by The Company Corporation. For more information on S-Corporations, How To Form A S-Corporation by Robert Cooke is the best book that I have found and the one most recommended by successfult business people.
Technical and Well Rounded.......2001-03-16
This book is basically a textbook, as it contains a lot of the details that are common to incorporation in any state. While the authors have stayed general enough to remain in an interstate appeal, they have still covered almost every legal aspect of incorporating, WITHOUT giving advice as to what you should do. Also covered are: sole proprietorships and limited liability coporations/partnerships and more. Good buy if you want a good cursory understanding of business vehicles. I recommend it. Please vote if this did help you.
An excellent addition to any entrepreneurýs library.......2000-07-06
This book is excellent! I have a Ph.D. and an MBA and have taken a lot of courses and read lots of books, business and otherwise. This text summarizes a lot of important information into a small book. This is not for simpletons, rather it gives important information for anyone wishing to incorporate.
Covers important topics, a little confusingly written.......1999-04-15
It's really helpful in that it covers a bunch of the basic points. Ironically, I wish it focused on the tax implications of losses (to be expected in startups) as much profits :). I also found some of the writing confusing -- like in covering LLCs, it compares some facets of them to other corporate before really explaining how they work. But I liked the book, thinking it basically helps me have a more informed conversation with a lawyer, which I think is essential (since regulations change so fast, and can be state-specific).
Gave me some basic ideas on incorporating our small business.......1997-06-04
It answered a lot of questions I had about incorporating our small business. However, it would be an even better book had there been a chapter dedicated to what can be written off along with what percentage of the total cost or value of things. This always seems to be a gray area. Overall, it was a very informative book
Book Description
From opening day to tax day, this is the all-in-one book your customers need!
Small business owners are regularly confronted by a bewildering array of legal questions and problems. Ignoring them can lead to disaster -- but with lawyers typically charging $150-$250 an hour, calling one to answer routine legal questions can be a fast track to the poorhouse.
Fortunately, you have a better alternative. Legal Guide for Starting & Running a Small Business clearly explains the practical and legal information you need to:
• raise start-up money • choose between a sole proprietorship, partnership or LLC • get licenses and permits • buy or sell a business or franchise • negotiate a favorable lease • insure your business • hire independent contractors safely • understand small business tax rules • pick and protect a good name • resolve legal disputes • adopt the best customer policies • enter into strong contracts • cope with financial problems
The 9th edition provides the latest in law, business and taxes. It features all-new information on buying LLCs and franchises, plus expanded information on complying with ADA requirements and dealing with customers via the Internet.
Customer Reviews:
Informative Book !.......2006-10-28
This book guided me through the many legal concepts and procedures that affect starting a small business... easy-to-follow answers to many of my legal questions ...check out the title companion LEGAL FORMS FOR STARTING AND RUNNING A SMALL BUSINESS, has a CD-Rom with tons of forms !!
Book Description
An interior designer's best work is often measured by abstract standards. The designer's talent and skill can dazzle the eyes and win clients, but creative ability is not enough to ensure long-term success. The less glamorous side of interior design is one of negotiations, contracts, and finances. A designer ill-prepared to cope with the inevitable business and legal complications ultimately loses time and money, but now help is on the way. Attorney Tad Crawford and design business professional Eva Doman Bruck have teamed to provide interior designers with Business and Legal Forms for Interior Designers, a powerful new resource for building the the foundation for a successful design business.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book Received in a Timely Manner.......2007-03-31
I received this book in a reasonable amount of time and in the condition promised. Thanks!
EXTREMELY NECESSARY.......2007-01-09
THIS BOOK IS NECESSARY FOR ALL INTERIOR DESIGNERS, JUST ABOUT EVERY FORM NECESSARY TO START AND RUN A BUSINESS IS IN THIS BOOK. THIS BOOK SHOULD SHOULD ALSO BE USED FOR INTERIOR DESIGN BUSINESS PRACTICES COURSES
Business Forms for Interior Designers.......2007-01-05
Book was a help to understand what forms would be useful for an owner of an interior design business. the book contained information on how the form is used, an example of the form. a cd was included that contained all forms covered in the book. this was most useful. To be honest, the forms were very basic and did not take advantage of color printers or fancy fonts. I used the forms I needed as a model to create a better versions in microsoft excel. If you are looking for basic forms to provide your clients and vendors, this book contains all that you need. If you need something alittle fancier, and are good with your computer, model your own from what is provided. I would still rate this book as a good buy.
Good forms.......2005-08-29
This book is really helpful. I love the forms and that they are all on CD in variable formats. Great place to start from!
Book Description
Set up a corporation, skip the lawyer, save money!
Incorporate Your Business lays out everything you need to know about corporate laws and regulations in your state, clearly explaining:
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