I take this seriously, ya'll...

So last night, there were TWO envelopes in my mailbox from the Illinois Dept. of Revenue. Uh-oh. Did I send my form twice or something?

I opened up the first envelope. It was my certificate from filling out the ST-1! With clip marks around it and everything so I can cut it out and frame it! (Is it completely nerdy of me that I'm psyched about that, or only a little? I think I'll frame it and stick it right above my sewing machine...)

So, then I opened the second envelope. It was basically a "Congratulations on getting your sole proprietorship in order! Now you can file for the ST-1!" note.

Funny they arrived on the same day! I'm not messin around here, kids. I'm off and running with this thing!!!! Glad they send reminders, though. It's nice that they're on top of it and make sure I'm getting everything in order!

I can't wait to open my Etsy store. I'm hoping to officially open in January. I have a few things ready, but I want a nice supply of stuff to offer right off the bat! And right now, I'm a little sidetracked with some special handmade Christmas goodies. :)

Can't believe Christmas is only 15 days away! Then it'll be 2010, and then I'm opening shop! Whoa!

Got it!

GREAT surprise! Over the Thanksgiving week/weekend, my Doing Business As (DBA) self proprietorship certificate came in the mail!

I had called Vital Statistics earlier last week before taking off for the holiday. Turns out I was basically pestering them. The thing is, after you're published in a paper, you have to go back to Vital Statistics and show them that you were printed. Then the certificate is on the way. In Chicago, when you register your DBA name, you have 15 days to publish it in a weekly Cook County newspaper, and 50 days (from when you registered at Vital Stats) to prove the publication of your DBA.

I chose the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin to publish my notice. It was only $50 and they were awesome to work with. Within a few days, they sent me a copy of my clipping from the paper! There was my announcement -- a business had started! It was so exciting to see!

The people at the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin told me that they would turn in the proof of publication. Let me tell you now... I'm a worrier. So after a couple of weeks passed, I started to wonder if they would really turn it in. Or maybe my clipping would blow away or get lost in the stack... whatever my fear, it always ended the same -- I was SO scared Vital Stats wouldn't get it, and I'd have to start all over again.

So I called them, and was told that they couldn't check to see if my proof of publication had been turned in -- "We can't check them all..." They told me to wait a couple more weeks. So I was ready to wait. Thank goodness I didn't have to wait too long!

I know since I'm a business owner (!) I should put a little more faith in people to come through. But I'm a follow-up type of lady, which is one reason why I think I might actually be okay as a business owner.

So last night, I hopped online and filled out the REG-1, the Illinois Business Registration Application for the Illinois Department of Revenue. I'm so glad they had clear directions! It really helped me! You need to check on the status within 24 hours, so I looked this morning, and I have my number for my ST-1, my Sales and Use Tax Return. Easy!

Next, I'll fill out the SS-4 form (the Application for Employer Identification Number). As far as I know, that's the last step, and I should be ready to run my business and take care of all my taxes and whatnots!

But like I said, AS FAR AS I KNOW... I'll keep you updated.

Woo hoo!

Hello, all!

I am starting a business with my handmade goods, and want to share the process and my thoughts/randomness along the way. :)

I just registered my business as a sole proprietorship yesterday, and I'm psyched! When you register a Doing Business As name in Chicago -- in which mine is EmyJJ -- you need to have a notice published in a local weekly newspaper once a week for three weeks. (Which is a little freaky, since I do my work out of a spare room in my apartment. Nothing like broadcasting who I am and where I live! Oh well. I brazenly carry pepper spray.) Anyway, then I have to prove that it was published to the Cook County Clerk. THEN my certificate is on the way! (I will later register with the state and IRS.)

Along with researching how to start a small business, there's a bit of paperwork to do. But filling out forms has never been so fun! Having my own business has always been my dream, and I'm finally doing it! Woo hoo!