Trying to make my room as my office.

**peteyflow** · 01-31-2009 05:21 AM

I'm a sophomore, in college, and I still got a lot to learn. I thought of an idea to earn small income, not whole lot, but it's a start. I was thinking of selling glow necklaces, and other novelties in front of the night club, after I get permission from the owner. I will give the owner 50% of my profit to him since he let me sell it in his space.
First of all, what kind of business license do I need to make my room as my office. I already know where I can buy all the novelties and stuff, but I just need help on legal procedures. Thank you.

**Jamie** · 01-31-2009 06:49 AM

I think you could get away with 65-70% of the profits from your Glowy Stick thing. Depends on what the owner is like!

**TylerBakerllc** · 01-31-2009 09:13 AM

When you approach him, offer him less than what you think he will take... Don't insult him with some stupid low offer, but under quote him so you are starting negotiations on your side of the fence... That is always an easier position, and you never know, he may take it.
-Tyler

**BusinessAdviser** · 01-31-2009 01:48 PM

Why give him any profit? You're not in his club, so why not keep all the profit yourself?

**Shadesz** · 01-31-2009 01:57 PM

Go to your city office and tell them you want to register a home based business (at your address, apartments are usually ok). If you are going to stay solo I would register as a sole proprietor - not much risk in your idea. Make sure you get the owner to sign a contract that includes % profit to owner (or $ "rent" per week/month), permission of specific locations you will be selling, and start/expiration dates.

Good luck and good job starting somewhere.

I used to sell glow stuff (necklaces, roses, handheld spinners, etc) at firework shows etc... $200-$250 gross per night for 1.5 hours of selling. Decent market if you go where the people are. Make sure you have the contract... you will have to chase other people away once they see you are making money. The contract gives you more authority to do so. Which reminds me, include a clause in the contract where the owner cannot allow anyone else to sell the stuff during the life of your contract (including himself / his employees). Try to eliminate loopholes.

Again, good luck and good job.

David

ps, I would try to "rent" the selling rights for $100/month... and negotiate from there.

I would also ask the city office about selling rights on public property, and how to protect your location.

**mthomas** · 01-31-2009 04:22 PM

I agree with Shadesz 100%. Try renting from the owner instead of offering profits.

You can download agreement templates from entrepreneur.com...they have a ton of different contract forms, so I am certain they would have one that works for you.

As far as licensing, again like Shadesz said, a sole prop is all you probably need. You can probably just go to your state or county website and look into getting a business license electronically.

**peteyflow** · 02-01-2009 12:41 AM

WOW YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME! THANKS A LOT! I love this forum! I'm motivated now.

**peteyflow** · 02-01-2009 12:46 AM

and shadez, that's a good idea, instead of sharing the profit-- renting it out.

**byzantium** · 02-01-2009 10:22 AM

In order to run my business out of my home, I had to go down to City Hall since I live in an incorporated area and try to describe to a bored clerk what my business was about, and that I was selling a service and had no inventory, and there would be no traffic around my home. I had to talk to her supervisor to get them to get the point, then they had me fill out a form and pay $54. I also had to get a business license, in my city it's not a license per se but a tax on profits. That was an additional $30. Then I had to get a fictitious business name statement from the county, and pay $20, and then I had to have it published which cost $125. This is in California.

**BusinessAdviser** · 02-01-2009 12:04 PM

I'm very curious why the advice is to "rent" free space?! Bad advice. Even worse to take it. But good luck anyway.

**Shadesz** · 02-01-2009 12:29 PM

Why bad advice? I find it bad advice to trot around giving ownership of your company away for the same free space.

I told him the contract will "help" him chase people away... not guarantee selling rights. I doubt he will find competition motivated enough to fight him on his "contract". Profit margin and volume just isn't there to warrant such behavior.

Yes, you might know you could still sell there (public ordinances permitting), but would you really take the time to be an %() to takel 50 bucks of his profit per night, 2 nights a week?

The contract will also buddy him up with the owner and minimize any conflict with the club.

Would you say I was stupid by relying on contracts to exclusively sell glow stuff at firework shows? You might want to tell the cops that enforced the contract that they were not doing their job correctly?