Re: Incorporated Independent Contractors

[Lori Lathrop <76620 -dot- 456 -at- COMPUSERVE -dot- COM>]

In response to Sue Ellen Adkins (sea -at- netcom -dot- com) ...

Richard Mateosian (srm -at- c2 -dot- org) gave you excellent advice.  My own
experience verifies it.

I consulted an attorney after several large corporate clients had
difficulty making arrangements for my indexing services or for my indexing
workshops because, although my company name is registered with the
Secretary of State here in Colorado and I have business licenses (required
by the city and county), I am not incorporated.  Each client had a legal
department that required me and the company's documentation manager to
jump through a gazillion hoops to get the necessary approvals.  Also, each
client assured me that the arrangements would have been *much* easier if I
were incorporated.  So I gave it some serious thought and, fortunately, I
found a good attorney who advised me that getting incorporated would be
much more trouble than it's worth unless I plan to expand my business and
hire employees.

The best advice anyone can give you is to thoroughly examine your own
situation and the various requirements in your state.  And, if you're
seriously interested in the advantages and disadvantages of incorporating,
consult a good local attorney.

BTW, although I have had to jump through some hoops to satisfy clients'
legal departments, I have never lost a client because I am not
incorporated.

Lori
*******************************************************************
Lori Lathrop ----------> INTERNET:76620 -dot- 456 -at- compuserve -dot- com
Lathrop Media Services, P.O. Box 3065, Idaho Springs, CO  80452
Office: 303-567-4011 / HomeL 303-567-9533
*******************************************************************