Creating an LLC is easy enough. Knowing IF you should create an LLC is the harder part.

What is your cost? What quantity do you order or create in? How does that scale? This is a fairly easy business question but there is a lot of information missing.

At my last job when we went to WFH they replaced our catered Friday lunches with $50 UberEats gift cards every week.

One free nonalcoholic beverage? For people in the market for original art/photography that’s not going to move the needle.

We have 6 clients and we just spent $2500 on holiday gifts for them…to think I could’ve just bought them an iced tea.

I usually Uber but when we are traveling with clients I have the drivers we use for work saved under Car Service - City.

You might be better but I’ve used them, they haven’t fucked up, and it’s easier than googling a new company every time.

I like the idea above of getting referrals from bartenders and would also extend that to hotels as well.

I don’t think it would work for my small business/side hustle (all our clients are extremely competitive and some hate each other openly and loudly) BUT I do like the idea. Best of luck!

the business is not official or documented on paper anyone of both of us can kick the other but we trust each other so much no one will do that ever because we went through a lot

Here’s a hard lesson. Always get it in writing. We have our corporate structure, growth plan, etc. all written down and it took about 2 hours.

At my “real” job I am grandfathered in as a remote employee in my state due to it being a smaller state that requires employers to pay out banked PTO and a couple of other legal odds and ends.

They decided to to restrict remote positions to certain states for reasons like these. (More are allowed than aren’t; I’m thinking 45-5.)

What is your monthly revenue? Expenses? We started in June and just hit 10K this month. We have very low expenses (travel and marketing mostly) and low overhead.

Loopnet.

Where I am they also have a building broken up into suites for different “beauty” services and they share a lobby and two receptionists. My wife’s stylist left her salon and opened up under her own name in one of these.

Not illegal but a pawn shop also doesn’t have to buy everything that comes in the door including crappy replica swords.

Your best bet would probably be to learn to engrave whatever metal and invest in the tools. Then go to flea markets/craft shows/First Fridays and sell swords engraved with the person’s name, the name of the enemy they are seeking vengeance against, etc.

With the discretionary spend hire an office/operations manager or a foreman/project manager. It sounds like you aren’t really skilled in the field so maybe bring in someone who is and focus on the backend and growth.

Bonus: You’d be able to do a lot of that from home.

Find your “break even” would be my first move.

Compliance and QA for a very specific industry.

Our biggest issue has been creating/conveying need. Half of our clients were contacted by us, got dinged, and THEN remembered us which ultimately led to them signing.

Our business checking at the same bank has instant transfer from our deposit account. You never know when some random is going to ask for an actual paper check.

This is a vote with your wallet situation. We had one in our first month in business and really our only recourse is not paying to get burned again.

Sounds like he’s good at sales and has let that go to his head. This is great for the business and he is bring in customers but eventually someone has to wash the windows.

This dude is not your friend. You need a lawyer (your own, not one you share) to help draft a partnership agreement. Possibly Head of Sales and Head of Operations even partners with commissions for the Head of Sales and performance bonuses for Operations based on KPIs like CSAT and NPS?

Our website is very basic. It’s one page about what we do and a contact us form. We’ll probably expand on it over time as we expand.

We did it because we already had the domain. We had the domain for our email addresses.

Nothing sketches me out more than a business that uses @gmail, @hotmail, etc. It just feels like you don’t take your business seriously enough to spend $50 and 2 hours on it, so why should I?