bluespresence Posted December 20, 2003 Report Share Posted December 20, 2003 I fianlly did it this week.....Sent in my forms for the resale certificate and business license. There's too much going in and out to avoid it any longer. It's going to create a lot more paperwork and hassle (collecting sales tax, etc) but I'll be legit! Starting Jan 1st I'll be Presence Guitars The wife is an accountant and has agreed to keep my books and do all of my tax forms and reporting for me too. All I have to do is buy stuff, make stuff, save receipts and most of all sell stuff!! I also have made agreements with some local suppliers to get much better pricing on supplies!! Quote Link to comment
Scott Rosenberger Posted December 20, 2003 Report Share Posted December 20, 2003 Congrats Man!!!! That takes alot of courage and commitment. Quote Link to comment
PaulNeeds Posted December 20, 2003 Report Share Posted December 20, 2003 The best of luck!!! Quote Link to comment
Lex Luthier Posted December 20, 2003 Report Share Posted December 20, 2003 ...Sent in my forms for the resale certificate and business license. Does that cost anything? My dad owns a restaurant (so he has a business licence) and he said it cost about $100CDN when he was telling me that I should look into getting a business licence for my guitar building. Quote Link to comment
krazyderek Posted December 20, 2003 Report Share Posted December 20, 2003 i looked into it here in canada, it's a 100$ to register a buiness name and get yoru tax account or what ever for the year, but you don't need one if you only do like online sales for example, then you just need a customs account which is free Quote Link to comment
Lex Luthier Posted December 20, 2003 Report Share Posted December 20, 2003 krazyderek - Thanks bluespresence - Do you work out of your house? I have been thinking about getting a business licence, but my shop is currently in my bedroom, guitar room/den and a small storage room. I was wondering, doesn't WCB and the firemarshall or workplace safety people come through businesses? What would they say to some 19/20 year old workingout of his bedroom?!? Quote Link to comment
Scott Rosenberger Posted December 21, 2003 Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 I can't run a business from my home. There's a clause in my mortgage that prohibits running home businesses Quote Link to comment
Brian Posted December 21, 2003 Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 Good deal! Quote Link to comment
bluespresence Posted December 21, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 Thanks for the encouragement guys! No inspections or any of that here. I live in a township (read very small and out in the country) that doesn't have business zoning for home based stuff. It cost me $20US to file the application. I'm doing it as a "sole proprietorship" for one year to see how it goes then I'll hand over the $130 for incorporation registration. I do most of my sales on eBay for the repaired and seconds I sell, but I'm getting a ton of local sales now and I need to get serious before the tax man cometh. Besides, the wife is an accountant and fears the tax man more than most!! I do most of my repairs and custom building in the garage or basement with hand tools (I find it very relaxing) and when I have some serious work to do I have a friend that has a complete woodworking shop I use. He builds custom furniture and cabinets, etc. as a second job and I work with him in our "real" day job. My customers understand they are not going to get a guitar in a week or two and they don't mind the wait. Thanks Again! Quote Link to comment
ryeisnotcool2 Posted December 21, 2003 Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 good job! im lookin into doing the same! Quote Link to comment
Lex Luthier Posted December 21, 2003 Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 Looking into it ymself. Found a website with info regarding where I live, here's some quotes from it that I think would apply to me: "Home Occupation Restrictions A home occupation shall satisfy all the following conditions: a. It shall be carried on only by a person or persons resident on the subject lot and no more than one person not resident thereon shall be employed in it. b. It shall meet all Provincial and Federal health and safety requirements and shall produce no public offence or nuisance, whether by noise, vibration, smoke, odour, dust, heat, glare, electrical interference or by any other means. c. Except as provided for in the City Sign Bylaw, no external indication other than a small name plate not exceeding 0.20m2 (2.15 square feet), of the existence of the occupation shall be given, whether by materials, floodlighting, storage of materials, alteration of the appearance of buildings or by any other means." I definatly meet a. I have NO plans to EVER hire anybody to work for me. I'm not sure I meet b. I guess they would go around and ask the neighbours about me. I think my only problem would be "odours" generated by my spray equiptment. Also, I don't know how safe my shop is, maybe I'd want to get a real dust collector, instead of just my shop vacs, before I apply, and organize my setup a bit more, like not have it spreadout over my bedroom and storage room, JUST the storage room. C. is neat. I would legally be able to put a 12" X 24" sign on the outside door of our storage room displaying my company name, which I'm thinking of changing again. I'm thinking of changing it from "Madeira Custom Guitars" to "Matthew Welsh Custom Guitars", or "MWCGuitars" for short. Quote Link to comment
Lex Luthier Posted December 21, 2003 Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 NEVERMIND. My townhouse bylaws prohibit me from running a home business. Quote Link to comment
bluespresence Posted December 21, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 "Madeira"? I don't know how company names work in Canada, but I believe the Madeira name is owned by Fender (via the purchase of Guild Instruments in 1995). I think the Madeira shop was turned into Fender Custom Shop (in Nashville???). Anyhooo, Lex, I'm only mentioning it because companies here in the US are very protective of their names and like to send lawyers and threatening letters to you until you change your sign and throw out all your business cards and start with a new name, etc. Just crossed my mind................ Quote Link to comment
Lex Luthier Posted December 21, 2003 Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 "Madeira"? I don't know how company names work in Canada, but I believe the Madeira name is owned by Fender (via the purchase of Guild Instruments in 1995). I think the Madeira shop was turned into Fender Custom Shop (in Nashville???). Anyhooo, Lex, I'm only mentioning it because companies here in the US are very protective of their names and like to send lawyers and threatening letters to you until you change your sign and throw out all your business cards and start with a new name, etc. Just crossed my mind................ I am aware of that, but Guild stopped manufacturing the Japanese import Madeira line in the 70's, I believe. I actually thought about contacting Fender regarding the name thing, but figured because I called it Madeira CUSTOM Guitars, it was cool. Anyway, I'm changing the name because I don't like it anymore. Quote Link to comment
ryeisnotcool2 Posted December 22, 2003 Report Share Posted December 22, 2003 i like the sound of "Welsh Custom Guitars" Quote Link to comment
Jehle Posted December 28, 2003 Report Share Posted December 28, 2003 i looked into it here in canada, it's a 100$ to register a buiness name and get yoru tax account or what ever for the year, but you don't need one if you only do like online sales for example, then you just need a customs account which is free No way! It cost me $1.63 to get my business started. I have no use for a tax number and all that so it keeps the cost and the hassle down. This reminds me that I need to pay my taxes by Jan 20th though. Quote Link to comment
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