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Thread: Web design Companies

  1. #1
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    I was interested in starting a Web design Company. I know how to use flash and dreamweaver etc. but i know nothing about buisness. What do you have to do to get up and running. All help is appreaciated.

  2. #2
    Moderator enpstudios's Avatar
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    Moved to the Boardroom !!

  3. #3
    Ryan Kallok: Kallok Studios kallok's Avatar
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    I learned in business class that in order to have a sucessful business you need to provide a service people want. Also be trendy, unique, and professional.Spend time preparing a site, contracts, business plans, all that good stuff.Heck I been working months on just planning my upcomming web site, hopefully I will launch it in a couple weeks.

  4. #4
    My best suggestion would be to check out your local community college to see if they offer any business night classes. A business will only be successful if you know how to properly run it. Taking some business nightclasses will definately help you prepare. Some, like my local college, have business start-up classes where you take the class, develop a business plan (which is one of the most important things in the world if you plan on getting a bank loan) and at the end they guarantee you a certain amount loan from the bank upon passing.

  5. #5
    general rule bender Gloomycus's Avatar
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    You can't just pull a business out of your ass - you have to research everything so that you avoid as many screw ups as possible.

  6. #6
    Originally posted by Gloomycus
    You can't just pull a business out of your ass - you have to research everything so that you avoid as many screw ups as possible.
    Well that sure provided for some interesting visuals, but I won't go there, haha.

    You're exactly right though. Any kind of business requires a lot of research and planning. Why do you think so many internet businesses bombed out in the past couple years? It's because all these young adults who incredible amounts of knowledge of the internet were thrown money by investors to start businesses but they had NO idea how to run a business. It's not just a matter of getting a business name and saying you're the manager...

  7. #7
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    yes I see. However, i am not considering a career yet, I understand i'll need contracts and such but im just doing this more of a way to earn money on the side because i have learned to use these technologies. I was wondering mostly leagl issues like what to put on my taxes, do i have to register the buisness or something etc.?

  8. #8
    general rule bender Gloomycus's Avatar
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    Why start a business if its not going to be your career? That makes no sense whatsoever.

  9. #9
    tell me, is this sellable..... OddDog's Avatar
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    get a client. thats the start

  10. #10
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    I did this for a while - here is what you need:

    Register with the IRS and your city... forms can be found on their websites for starting a company....

    I formed an LLC - the fees are something like $300 total to start or so if you live in colorado (for IRS, city license, etc).

    Then once you get your tax ID from IRS you can open a bank account in your company's name.

    LLCs are supposed to be reported as personal finances seperate from business finances... and I used Quickbooks 2002 to do it... basically you file a 1040 with an attached schedule C for your personal/business... its not too hard using the software, but I would not suggest doing it manualy.

    Then people can write checks to your company and all that good stuff... SAVE ALL YOUR RECEIPTS FOR EVERYTHING!!! including gas/lunch meetings/office equip/furniture/etc...

    start a file that is well organized - the better organized and complete, the easier to file come april.

  11. #11
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    Hey kind, I got sensationdesigns.com, obviously the company is Sensation Designs. If it isn't registered with the IRS and all that, I can still receive cheques addresses to "Sensation Designs" rather than "Kevin McLachlan", no?

  12. #12
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    Eyenovation's Avatar
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    Originally posted by kandieman101
    Hey kind, I got sensationdesigns.com, obviously the company is Sensation Designs. If it isn't registered with the IRS and all that, I can still receive cheques addresses to "Sensation Designs" rather than "Kevin McLachlan", no?
    No.. you need to have a DBA (Doing Business As), complete with a fictitious business name, in order to receive checks to your company. Plus, you will need to set up your taxes, in order to pay the government their share of your work. Nice, eh?

  13. #13
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    yes kandieman, that's more of an issue of how your bank account is set up...

    however if you start receiving a certain amount of income under the assumed name of your design company, you will have to file taxes as that entity... register with the state, etc....

    i believe this is accurate... however there are many work arounds and different ways to legally set yourself up... as far as im concerned a sole proprietorship is so easy to set up and operate under, i see no reason to not do it... it gives you an element of professionalism anyways...

  14. #14
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    yea the DBA is what i meant with the bank account

  15. #15
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    I have got to be honest, I am now quite confused! :0

    I live in Ontario, Canada... If I receive a cheque to "Sensation Designs" can I not sign it under my name? I am the president...

  16. #16
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    Wellllllll.........

    Originally posted by kandieman101
    I have got to be honest, I am now quite confused! :0
    I live in Ontario, Canada... If I receive a cheque to "Sensation Designs" can I not sign it under my name? I am the president...
    Well a DBA account is basically something your bank uses to know when you get a check to your company, to deposit it in to an account you specify.

    So, assuming you want to have an account for your design co. You will need to go to the bank, set up an account, and specify where you want the money stored.

    Perhaps you want the money to go in your savings, your checking, or perhaps even your company's own account for expenses.

    The reason you have to have this is because it protects you. For example, what if I found a check made out to your design company. If there was no documenation stating otherwise - I could theoretically cash it while saying I was the president.

    You need something that specifys who and what, etc.
    Make sense now?

  17. #17
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    Ahh... I see... how much does something like this cost?

  18. #18
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    you can set it up as more or less a normal checking acount...

    this also allows you to have your business name printed on your business' checks

  19. #19
    One day older, one day wiser rafiki55's Avatar
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    Here's what I suggest you do...the easiest thing is to sign up for a "sole proprietorship". This lets you work under the name of your company, while letting all the money go to your normal income tax. I live in BC, so things may differ a bit from Ontario, but they should be basically the same. To become a sole proprietor is free; just a form at the gov. office. This allows you to put all your income on your income tax form. As for GST, I think you don't have to charge it inless you're making more than $30 000, but you might want to check on that. As for the checks in your company name, that gets a lot more complicated. I suggest you get clients to make then in your name (maybe with the company name on the second line). Don't make things more complicated in the beginning. Is it really that important that the company name goes on the check?

    http://www.ccra-adrc.gc.ca/E/pub/tg/...4070eq-01.html

    That link from Gov. Canada should answer A LOT of your questions.

  20. #20
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    No, i've decided that, at first at least, that I will just get them to write it in my name. I am sure they will have no problem with this, and if they ask, I simply tell them "I am the leader of the project" lol

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