Setting up and running any business is hard enough on its own. It is a challenge without having to worry about official documentation. Just in case you’re wondering if you should form an LLC for a housesitting business, you may not be alone in this. many house and petistters when they are thinking of growing their business wonder about the best set up. Read on to learn more.

Should you form an LLC for a housesitting business?

In this article, we shall be looking at this subject with a view to helping any house sitting business owner make an informed decision. To this end, we shall be looking at the various aspects of this subject that we think are necessary to help you make this decision.

Our areas of focus shall cover:

• What is an LLC?
• Benefits of an LLC
• How to Register and LLC
• Tips for Choosing a Registered Agent

This will be a complete guide to help you through the entire process. It will include tips to help you find the right company to assist you. Like David Reed, Co-Founder of LLCStars.com pointed out, there are no mistakes allowed in the registration process. This is why you need the right information that will make the entire process simplified and straight forward.

So, let’s get to it…

What is an LLC?

An LLC (Limited Liability Company) is a legal business profile created by law to afford individuals the benefit of separating themselves from any debts or liabilities arising from their business. This feature was taken from the corporation structure and added to the sole proprietorship or partnership business structure. You can learn more about it here.

Benefits of an LLC

There are a number of benefits that operating your house sitting business under an LLC business structure will afford you. These include the following:

• Protection from Personal Liability:
• Qualifying for Pass-Through Taxation
• Ease of Setup and Operation
• Management Ease
• Improved Credibility

Protection from Personal Liability

This is the first benefit that your house sitting business will enjoy from an LLC structure. With this protection your personal finances and those of your partners are regarded as separate from the business’. This means that any debt or losses in the business will not affect your personal finance.

Qualifying for Pass-Through Taxation

An LLC is classified as a pass-through entity so it’s not subject to corporate tax. All taxes are calculated with the individual tax returns of the constituting members of the LLC.

Ease of Setup and Operation

Setting up an LLC is both low cost and easy, and makes an LLC a good fit for a housesitting business. Your out of pocket spending will mainly be the state fee which will range from about $50 to $500. The exact amount will depend on the state in which the registration is taking place. Setting up and running any business is hard enough on its own. It is a challenge without having to worry about official documentation. Checkout LLCBuddy for more information on LLC registration Procedure.

Management Ease

LLC are not required to have a board of directors. The owners can either choose to run the business themselves or hire someone else to do that for them. This offers ease of operation.

Improved Credibility

When choosing a house sitter, a registered LLC will certainly look more credible than an individual offering their service. Your business will therefore appear more credible if it’s registered as an LLC.

How to Register an LLC

Having seen the benefits of registering your business as an LLC, you may be wondering how to go about it. Registering an LLC is not a very difficult process. While there are services that can handle the process for you, you can choose to handle it yourself.

These are the steps to follow:

• Choose a name that is unique and meets your state’s requirements.
• Decide on a registered agent. This can be anyone of your choosing or a company that provides this service.
• Get the required documents
• Complete and file the required documents

With all of the above completed, you will only need to keep your LLC active by ensuring that you observe whatever periodic filing requirements that your state may stipulate. You can learn more about this process here: https://articles.bplans.com/the-complete-guide-to-registering-your-business-name/ 

Tips for Choosing an LLC Formation Service

If you’ve looked at the process and you don’t feel comfortable handling it yourself, you can find professionals who can help you with the entire process. All you need to do is choose the right company.

We’ll briefly share some tips to help you choose the right LLC formation service so the LLC for your house sitting business can be formed with ease.

Ask for References

Start the process by asking your friends and family for recommendations. If any of them has worked with a company they found to be very efficient, their recommendation can save you a lot of time.

Search Online

Just in case you could not get any references, go online and conduct a local search for LLC formation services near me. Since this registration is location based, it’s best you choose a company that operates in your state of registration.

From the results you get, visit their websites and try to get a feel of each one. If you can, make a short list before taking the next step.

Read Reviews and Testimonials

Reading reviews and testimonials from past clients can be a very effective way of weeding out companies that cannot deliver on their promise. Pick the companies with the best reviews and contact them.

Your final decision on who to go with should be made based on the company that is most likely to offer the best service and at the best rate.

FAQ on LLC for a housesitting business

Question: Does registering my house sitting business as an LLC have any disadvantages?

Answer: A few downsides do exist. If there’s no clear distinction between your personal finances and that of the business, you may be exposed to an action known as “piercing the corporate veil,”. This can expose your personal finance to some liability.

Another disadvantage is that in the event that one of the constituting members of the LLC passes on or becomes bankrupt, the LLC will stand dissolved. The remaining members can continue doing business only after forming a new LLC.

With all the information we’ve shared in this article, the question of whether you should form an LLC for your house sitting business should have been answered. For any serious business, forming an LLC is a great step in the right direction.

Further reading about housesitting and petsitting

At Housesitmatch.com we always try to share useful and informative blogs and practical advice with our members. Read on to find some helpful articles with useful tips for dog owners and dogsitters about dogsitting.

Dog walking business – Essential software to consider

Top dog sitting tips for new dogsitters

What is dog sitting with Housesitmatch?

Dogsitters near me – Is that what you need?

Dogsitters’ tips – Dog’s body language and how to read it