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We also need to find ways of encouraging self employment and small business

I'm trying to start a small business. Actually more of a microscopic business. I don't expect it to ever be a multi-million empire, but if I'm lucky, it might grow to be a full-time income source.

Right now, I'd feel lucky if I broke even.

Here in Ohio, we have the equivalent of a franchise tax - $150 minimum. Registering with the SOS to form an LLC is $125. So already, before I sell anything or even bought any raw materials, I'm $275 in the hole. Luckily, I don't need to get any other state licenses, or it'd be worse.

Sure, if I were grossing a few $hundred thousand, $275 would be nothing. But every business has to start somewhere, and I can tell you that the profit from the first 30 products I sell (and I was hoping to sell 50 a year to start) go to pay just those fees.

So I have to ask myself, is it even worth my time? It's a big enough risk just coming up with a product, sourcing all the raw materials, designing a process, setting up a marketing plan, etc. Throw in the fact that half my first year sales, I won't even see a dime. How many great ideas are squished because starting small is made nearly impossible? Just figuring out where the hoops are that you have to jump through is difficult enough.

Even the largest corporation had to make it's first $1 in sales. If we want more successful employers, we need to concentrate on making those first sales as easy and painless as possible.

What prudent merchant will hazard his fortunes in any new branch of commerce when he knows not that his plans may be rendered unlawful before they can be executed?

-James Madison

I looked at starting a small engine repair shop with an eye toward diversifying into more of a handyman type thing but legal start up costs shut that idea down right from the get go. If I intend to have customers come to my home there's an extra insurance surcharge due to the fact that my street is unpaved. I also need to make sure that my garage, drive, sidewalk etc meet all state and federal safety regulations if I intend to have customers come to me. I live on a lake which means a whole new layer of regulations. The regulations alone would bury me before I ever got anywhere near licensing and taxation.

God forbid I ever did enough business to hire some help, that just takes it all to a whole new level.

And then you buy/lease a space. The electric company wants $500 just to connect you. The gas company wants $1000. Your utility bills are automatically higher because you have to pay “business rates”. Then you get to buy all kinds of insurance. Then you get to set up your credit card account and hyperventilate at the fees that come out of your nearly-empty pockets for someone using one of the “rewards cards”.

Hire some employees but don’t forget to purchase all of those stupid signs the government has decreed must be posted in specific locations and can ONLY be purchased through the government. If you’re really lucky, you’ll also get to be responsible for providing their health care coverage or be slapped with a fine.

Then, you get to spend around 20 hours/day trying to get your business off the ground, shunning any kind of a “normal” life. You’re going to miss out on your kids’ activities and family get-togethers and forget birthdays. There will barely be days off, let alone vacations of any kind.

If, after months or years of jumping through hoops and working your exhausted tail off, your business starts to take off, you’ll get to listen to irritated people proclaim, “Well, it must be NICE to own your own business! I sure wish I owned MY own business!”, and be labeled a greedy Republican for trying to keep a small percentage of the profits for yourself.

THE END