YOU’RE BASIC.
Basically, you have a talent, went to school, didn’t go to school, etc. but you are off on your merry way to pursue your dreams. Firstly, I say you start a business and register it as a DBA. (Doing Business As). Why do you need a DBA?? HERE’S WHY and HOW:
Filing a DBA gives the sole proprietor the freedom to use a business name what helps market their products or services, as well as create a separate professional business identity. SmallBIztrends.com/May 2, 2018
TO REGISTER AS A DBA IS TO OWN YOURSELF
You actually don’t need to register yourself as a DBA – particularly if you are operating your business as yourself but I feel it is more important in other ways. Generally, my thought of you filing yourself as a DBA is that is gives you a sense of ownership over what you are doing. This creates ownership over yourself as an artist and a money maker. Firstly, you will take what you are doing more seriously and start to set up what’s to come. Secondly, you will speak and treat your art as a working entity and as a company that is generating work and income.
You will begin to act like a professional and will therefore be treated like a professional.
Heck yeah!
Even if you’re not required to register a DBA, you might want to anyway. A DBA lets you conduct business under a different identity from your own personal name or your formal business entity name. As an added bonus, getting a DBA and federal tax ID number (EIN) allows you to open a business bank account. Now any gigs or payments you get can be deposited into a bank account. Most of your expenses living and doing the thing you are doing can be deducted.
EASY PEASY
And it’s super easy to get a DBA and usually very low cost- like under $50. The rules, requirements, forms and fees associated with filing a DBA are different in each state and county. The U.S. Small Business Association (SBA) provides a chart which details DBA filings state-by-state. By using a legal document filing service, you can make sure that you’re following your county and state requirements perfectly and won’t be accidentally operating outside of the law.
Register as a DBA-
So how do you do it??
- Choose your Name- You can do a DBA as a stage name. You can make up a name or use your name, a combination of names or you can just use your regular name. Any checks can still be made out in your name or the name of the DBA. If you aren’t using your own name then do some research to make sure the name being isn’t being used somewhere else.
- Register your Name at the County Clerk’s Office for the County you live in. Easy process of filling out some paperwork. File the forms and your off! Some states may not require any forms for a DBA and some may require that you you to publish notice of your new DBA in a newspaper for a period of time. Check up on this and see what your County requires. For most, it is just some paperwork and a fee. Done.
Don’t Be Scared
Never let the thought of paperwork scare you or exhaust you from doing something! (Like filing for a DBA). I was so daunted when we began talking about starting a business. I was like, we need a lawyer to get us going and lawyers are expensive and we have no money, blah, blah, blah. But thanks to the internet and our smarts we found the forms and registered ourselves as an LLC. And it was inexpensive because we didn’t pay a lawyer. Easy Peasy.
So sometimes, the things we have to do intimidate us before we even start them and so maybe we don’t start them because they intimidate us. Horrible silly cycle.
Just do it. (Thanks Nike!) No really. You are smart enough to read some sentences (even if it takes a few times). Surely, you can understand what you are doing and fill out the damn paperwork to get going. I know you can do it. Because If I can do it, you can do it. There are also a million resources on how to fill out the forms and free help available at your local SBA (small business association.) Or message me if you have any questions!
Surely, filing for a DBA will get you ahead of the game. You want to be a successful person, right? Part of success is money and business and handling it all. In that case, if you have a DBA and a business bank account it gets you going in the right direction. Towards being a successful artistic entrepreneur who is taken seriously by yourself and others!
So do it!