Here is a question...

[Gregg M]

Not sure if this is the place but I guess it can fall under ethics....

How many of these breeder "businesses" are real registered businesses??? I mean I literally see hundreds of these "breeders" with company names without company lettering after the name like Inc or LLC or whatever...
I mean seriously, I know through experience that it cost a lot to be a real registered business but it can cost a lot more down the road if uncle sam catches up with you...

I think if the people in the reptile hobby want to be taken seriously or if the people in "business" want to be taken seriously, maybe we should be more serious about making things like this legit... Everyone talks about how much money people will lose if these proposed bans against reptile trade are made into law... Meanwhile, there is no way to prove how much money will be lost because of all the under the table deals and people in the business that are not registered...

Just figured I would throw this out there and see what we get...

 

[Roaming Reptiles]

I agree with you 100%. I think if you are planning on breeding to sell and start a business then you should register and do it the right way.

 

[OhioGecko]

We registered a couple weeks ago, just waiting for the state to send our info and tax ID .

 

[THE WHISPERER]

Do to complications on getting started up Properly, I am sitting on pretty much all of last years babies and still haven't started my season off this year. I'm getting ready to put everything together so i can get the website up and running. But I believe in doing it legally, even if it takes longer.

 

[OhioGecko]

Do to complications on getting started up Properly, I am sitting on pretty much all of last years babies and still haven't started my season off this year. I'm getting ready to put everything together so i can get the website up and running. But I believe in doing it legally, even if it takes longer.

When you file they will ask how long you have been doing business. You can report all your dealings even if you did not have a registered name when you initially start. What makes it illegal is not reporting at all.

 

[THE WHISPERER]

When you file they will ask how long you have been doing business. You can report all your dealings even if you did not have a registered name when you initially start. What makes it illegal is not reporting at all.

cool thanks

 

[Nigel4less]

We are registered with the State of California and San Diego County

 

[Mel&Keith]

I don't think most breeders have business partners or incorporate their business so there aren't many that would have any letters after the company name. I know Kingsnake requires proof of some type of business registration or license to make ads using a company name. Judging by those ads alone it appears that about half may be registered businesses and half might just be hobbyists. Legally, you're supposed to report any type of income to the IRS so I suppose that's where ethics comes in.

 

[BalloonzForU]

Thanks for bringing this up Gregg, some people don't realize how important it is to do these things. Yet as someone said even a breeder/hobbyist that doesn't have a business as long as they report it to IRS, city/state tax dept. there should be no issue, other than maybe a city having ordinances about working a business out of a home. (FYI a prostitute can even report to IRS her/his actual job and IRS doesn't care at all as long as they report their income. LOL)

I'm registered as a sole proprietor, and the business names I use under that are DBAs (Doing Business As) or some states call them fictitious names. This is good enough in many of the states to run a business and allows me to have a premier business PayPal account.

That is the reason you see many people on Kingsnake only using their names, because they are a sole proprietors and in that case your name is your business name, which is why you won't see those letterings after the name.

Three ways to file a company are sole proprietor, Limited Liability Company (LLC, Ltd, Limited) or Corporation (Inc. Corp).

 

[Gregg M]

I just think it is important to do these things the proper way... Squamata Concepts is an LLC... It does not matter if you have a partner or not... When you do these things properly, you are protected as well as your customers... If you are a legal, registered buisiness, your customers can feel safe in doing business with you and you can feel safe doing business period...

If you think about it, it is a bit harder to run and hide when you are a legit business if there is ever an issue... Most people know this and would rather spend their money where they know they are safe from being ripped off for the most part... I understand the breeders rep has alot to do with it too but you never know... Even some of the best people in the hobby have turned bad almost over night...

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

For me, althought I an a legitimate sole proprietorship business, it does not make a lot of sense for me to incorporate or be an LCC. Since my husband is a VP of Bank of the West's Business Link Division specializing in business and corporate businesses, we explored different channels for Golden Gate Geckos. The benefits of forming an LCC or Corporation did not outweight the risks.

 

[EchoPet]

When I start breeding with plans to sell babies, I plan on registering as a business and all of that. Still have to do all the research about what exactly I'll have to do since I'm sort of clueless when it comes to that sort of stuff. Luckily my boyfriend has a better head for business than I do, so hopefully between the both of us and information found here on the forums maybe, we can figure it all out.

Besides getting an LLC and seeing what sort of licensing I'd have to get to be "legal" in my state, I also want to look into what it takes to be a USDA certified breeder. My manager at work mentioned that we only buy our animals from USDA certified breeders and since I might consider selling my geckos to the store one day, I'd want to meet all the requirements.

Does anyone know some good places to start looking for information about how to do all this as it applies to reptile breeders? I'm guessing that it'll be different than what we had to do to register our entertainment business since live animals are involved.

 

[tangerineman]

yes, there are many benefits to operating a legitimate business, rather than a hobby, including the right to use trade names, and sell in certain locations.
as well as certain protections.

I think the only reason NOT to do it would be if you really thought it
would fail, or if it was just a hobby (believe there are financial guidelines for this)...and even so your business can fail (or so i've heard with minimum penalty....isn't that nice of them?)

Like previous poster stated, you don't have to be an LLC, or CORP, it depends on your level of responsibility and numerous other legal aspects/issues.

Someone posted a poll on whether people would buy geckos from a teenager,
this also brings up another point, can a teenager even register a business?
It doesn't seem to me that they even can.
I wouldn't care or really expect them to anyway...just saying being a business isn't always the top priority or best idea for anyone/everyone...

Duane

 

[Kristi23]

I plan on filing everything on my taxes. Do I still need a business license then? There is no way I'm going to make much if any money. At least not for a few years while I'm still buying so much. It seems silly for me to pay for a license when I'm not making money or doing shows. I hope that makes sense. I want to do what is best. I already have to file as a independent contractor for a company next year. I don't plan on charging people a state tax or anything like that. Could anyone offer some advice? Thanks!

 

[KelliH]

HISS is a dba, so we don't have any letters after our business name.