How to Pay for Your Garage Business: Savings, Microloans and Other Options
Most garage businesses need modest startup money, not investors. Here’s how savings, family loans, SBA microloans, Kiva, bank loans and crowdfunding compare.
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Can You Run a Business From Your Garage in Los Angeles? Home Occupation Rules Explained
Los Angeles allows home occupations, but its code requires the work to happen inside the house and limits garage use to storage. Here are the city’s rules, prohibited uses and the registrations you’ll need.
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A 30-Day Launch Plan for Your Garage Business, Week by Week
A compact four-week plan to take your garage business from idea to first customers, with links to the official steps and our detailed guides.
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How to Choose the Right Garage Business Idea: Skills, Space, Budget and Demand
Compare garage business ideas by your skills, space, budget, local demand and how heavily regulated they are, then test the best one before you spend.
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Do You Need a DBA for Your Garage Business? Registering a Business Name
If your garage business uses a name other than your own, you may need to register a DBA. Here’s what a DBA does, what it doesn’t do, and how to check a name first.
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Do You Need a Business License to Sell From Your Garage? City, County and State Licenses Explained
A garage business may need licenses or registrations from your state, county and city, and only rarely from the federal government. Here’s how each level works, with real examples from Washington, Texas, Florida and Los Angeles.
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Hiring Your First Helper: Independent Contractor or Employee?
Before a helper joins your garage business, learn how the IRS and DOL tell contractors from employees, and the forms each one needs.
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Getting an EIN and Opening a Business Bank Account for Your Garage Business
An EIN is free from the IRS and a separate bank account keeps your books clean. Here’s who needs one, how to apply and what banks usually ask for.
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Sales Tax Basics for a Garage Business: Seller’s Permits, Marketplaces and Craft Fairs
Sales tax is set state by state. Here’s a plain-language overview of seller’s permits, marketplace collection and selling across state lines.
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How to Budget Startup Costs for a Garage Business
Split one-time and monthly costs, add a cushion and find your break-even point. A simple way to budget a garage business before you buy a single tool.
