must-have: business license
A business license is issued by your city and gives you permission to operate in your locale. It’s essentially a city tax. Download the application from your city’s home page.

Cost: Varies by city from $25 to $200/year.

must-have: fictitious business name
Also called Doing Business As certificate (dba) or Assumed Business Name.

A fictitious business name is issued by your county clerk and grants you the sole right to use that name to offer your services within your county. Download the application from your county clerk’s website.

Cost: Typically $40 for the application, another $40 for the required notice in a local paper.

exceptions & notes
Some unincorporated areas don’t require business licenses and fictitious business names.
Some county clerk’s offices operate differently.
Some states have different rules for limited liability companies or corporations.

Check zoning requirements in your town if you plan to open a facility or see clients in your home. Each city designates certain neighborhoods for certain uses only.

Check with your Parks & Rec department and/or regional park district for any restrictions or requirements for doing business in park lands. This could include dog walking and training classes, for example.

optional: a service mark
A state service mark grants you exclusive right to use your business name in your state. Applications can be downloaded from your secretary of state’s website.

If you’ll be offering your services across state lines and want maximum protection, you can apply for a national service mark from the United States Patent & Trademark Office. State services marks are generally inexpensive and easy to get, whereas the national mark generally requires the aid of a lawyer and thus carries a hefty price tag.

Cost, state service mark: Varies by state from $50 to $500.
Cost, national service mark: $475 for the mark, plus legal fees

optional: an employer identification number
An EIN is required if you hire employees, or if you’re a limited liability company or corporation. It’s issued by the IRS and is sort of like a social security number for your business. Download an application or apply online at www.irs.gov.

Cost: 0

liability protection
There are three steps you can take to protect yourself from liability risk as a dog pro. None are yet legally required. We highly recommend taking at least steps 1 and 2, both to protect yourself and for the sake of professionalism.

	Use contracts with legal waiver language A strong contract covers important information, services to be rendered, clear expectations of all parties involved, and states that the owner is responsible for the behavior of her dog and any consequences of that behavior. Contracts help diminish the chances of conflict, act as a deterrent to lawsuits or other similar action, and help to protect you should an incident occur. Cost: $300 for a pre-made package or hire a lawyer to create a customized document.
	Carry insurance Should an incident happen, insurance is your financial backup. The good news is, you can get it easily with a phone call or email. Cost: Approximately $450 for non-facility-based businesses and $1,000 for facilities.
	Become an LLC Becoming a Limited Liability Company protects your personal assets by creating a legal barrier between you and your business. LLCs are similar to corporations but much easier to run. Download an application from your secretary of state’s homepage. Cost: Varies by state from $50 to 500 for application. Annual fees run $20 to $50. (California charges LLCs an annual $800 tax in addition to regular state taxes.) Read more about liability protection