OK, I guess the first question would be: is this the right place to be asking about starting my own painting business? I see that the title is home based business and I guess a painting business out of my home is home based business. Any way if this is the right section I was wondering how I would go about starting my own business. I'm trying to start a business in Maryland so I didn't know if I needed licences or not. So any info you've got for me would be apprieciated

There is not enough space here to even begin; legally, putting together a business plan (yes you need to know where you are and where you are going), planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling.

I suggest you also search on-line, there are quite a few good sites with information about this. I would also suggest that you seek out a mentor, someone that can give you advice on a personal level. There are organizations such as SCORE (retired business people that can offer very valuable advise) and I do not believe they charge for advise only.

There is much involved in having a successful business, most of all determination.

Stringer

You will normally need at the least a city business license, and some counties have a county license also. You will find that your area may require you to have a state contractors license also.
If you are going to have any workers hired, you will need EIN number, separate banking accounts for tax money and the such.

You will be wanting to have liablity insurance and if you have employees workers comp insurance.

Your truck that you use in business will have to get covered under commercial coverage of they won't pay if you have an accident.
And this is just starting I am sure I could go on for several more pages

BusinessWeek's Small Biz [[email protected]]

Try this; search for starting new business.

Stringer

If you check with the city officials where you want to be operating your business, they will be able to give you the answers to what you will need. If you were to be operating out of some kind of store front, you would undoubtable need to fulfill much more requirements than if you operate out of your own home.

One of the things that I do for a living is that I am a house painter. Where I live, I do not need a permit or license to operate. Painting the inside or outside of a home or office does not require a license or permit. Of course I have liability insurance. I also have no employees.

I do extensive advertising on the Internet as well as the Yellow pages of the phone book. Most of my business comes from people who find me online. I also advertise with small advertising shingles that I place in various places. For examples of free sites to advertise on, and ways to advertise, please see the following links.

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/music/musical-instrument-advertising-103010.html

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/home-based-business/how-start-up-band-instrument-repair-shop-rural-area-110737.html

Another great place to find out information about operations concerning your small business in the U.S. is the following site:

http://www.sba.gov/