I’ve decided it’s finally time to separate the ol’ cartooning side of things from my personal finances and do the whole DBA and LLC thing, but I’m unsure where to begin.
Anyone out there know in what order I should be doing this stuff? Or if it matters? Should I be getting a lawyer? Should I do it all myself?
Any help would be appreciated…
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I used MyCorporation.com ( http://www.mycorporation.com ). It's from the folks at Quicken, so it's on the up and up. Like Quicken or MacInTax, it asks questions and guides you through the process without the need for a lawyer.
That was my experience, FWIW.
Bubu
Oh thanks! I saw them earlier and now I'm a little more confident!
Hi Mark,
You may not remember me, but I'm a fellow cartoonist, (who also grew up in Illinois–but now live in Colorado), with the same very nicely chosen first name.
I haven't been here in a while, but I read through some of your latest (and as usual, well-written posts), and saw this. I think the above idea is great.
Another very simple first step is to open a business account at your bank under a DBA name. (If you use your name within the DBA name — say, "Mark Anderson Cartoons" — you don't need to incorporate.) Of course, the full protection of a LLC or corporation is always a good idea.
Good luck and take care.
Mark Hill
Talked with an accountant today and we're gonna go ahead with an S Corporation to separate things a bit.
Looks like a bit of paperwork, and I was THIS close to doing it myself, but I dunno… I think I want someone else to blame. 🙂