Newbie Question: Business License

Hi Everybody.

I'm a little confused with some of the research I've done about this. Do freelance writers need business licenses? Do we need them even in the beginning of our careers before we begin to market ourselves? And what if I decied to work under a "company name" instead of my own name later down the road? Will I need a license before I could begin? I know the rules vary from state to state, but if someone could break this down for me it'd be highly appreciated.

What do you think? And for those of you that have already crossed this bridge, please shed some light for the newbies!

Thanx! :grin

I can provide you a response from the state of Illinois, based on Illinois laws, although it is in no way a legal opinion.

In the state of Illinois, freelance writers can conduct business without a business license. If you decide to begin using a business name later down the road, you will need to first choose what type of business/corporation you wish to establish and register it accordingly.

I have a sole proprietorship, which basically means I'm an individual doing business under an assumed, or business, name. In my case, I just had to register it at the county recorder's and run an ad in the legal section of the newspaper for x-number of weeks. I could begin marketing myself under my business name while the ads were still running.

How and where you register is different from state-to-state. If you wish to establish something other than a sole proprietorship, you may have to register it at a higher level and conduct a name availability search to confirm no one else is using the name already.

Hi Lori,

Thanks, I appreciate your advice. I plan on establishing a sole proprietorship as well (later). From what I've read and researched so far, I believe the requirements of my state are similar to those in Illinois. Of course I'll be certain of the requirements here before jumping in. :b

Thanks again!

The requirements should be listed on your state's website.