Here's the Legal Stuff You Need Before Becoming a Freelance Writer

If you wake up one morning and decide that you want to start up your own business from home, or you fancy working on some freelance jobs on the side of your full time hustle, you'll want to make sure that everything is legal before you go out and start to make money. Here’s what US freelance writers need to start their business legally.

A Name

Although you'll want to pick a name which suits you and the type of freelance writing business you want to start, you don’t need to do this straight away. Use your own name. I’ve used my own name as a business name for 20 years. That’s perfectly legal.

If you’re dead set on starting off with a business name, you’ll need to register it with the government before you can use it legally because it will become your “doing business as” (DBA) name. The US Small Business Administration lays out all of the rules for registering your small business name here.

Employer Identification number (EIN)

An EIN is the tax number that you will use to identify your business. You'll need it to work for clients, do your taxes and much more. Think of it as your business' Social Security Number.

Here’s the government site to sign up for a free EIN.

Business License

The last thing you will need is your business license. Many cities require that you have a license to own a business before you can start making money.

It will only take you a few minutes to fill out the form, and you will need to use your EIN to identify your business. To find out what licenses you’ll need for your area, contact your local courthouse.