If you’re ready to take the leap into working for yourself, you can save some hassle down the line by setting your business up the right way from the beginning. First things first: If you’re confused about whether you are/want to be an independent contractor or a gig worker, we define the difference here . If you’re sure it’s the independent contractor world you want to explore it’s a simple process if you know the steps. 

How Set Yourself Up as an Independent Contractor 

STEP ONE: 

• Choose a name and decide on the best form of business ownership (e.g. LLC, S-Corp, C-Corp, etc.) for your situation. This will impact many things including taxes and your personal liability. For more info, visit
  www.sba.gov/business-guide
  • Most states have unique license and permit requirements for business registration. This information is readily available online by searching “register a business in .”
  • No matter where you do business, you need to apply for a federal Employer Identification Number (EIN). You can do so here . 

STEP TWO: Protect yourself and your business with insurance. Talk to your agent about the following policies:

• General Liability – protects against claims for personal injury, property damage, associated legal fees, etc.
• Worker’s Comp – this insurance pays for you and your employees’ medical expenses if they’re injured while working. The amount of insurance required varies by state. Even if you don’t have employees, many companies require their vendors to carry this coverage.

STEP THREE: Banking 

• It will make your life eleventy billion times easier if you keep your business and personal finances separate. Set up your bank account and get any credit cards you need in your company name. 

STEP FOUR: Marketing 

• A great way to market your business is through a nice looking, informative website.
•  For more info, visit www.godaddy.com

STEP FIVE: Equip your business 

• Independent contractors typically don’t use their clients’ equipment. You may already own everything you need. If not, consider leasing your equipment. 

STEP SIX: Manage your business 

• Develop an Independent Contractor Agreement. Your larger clients will most likely require you to sign their own such document, but it never hurts to have your own. Either way, this is an important document. Click on the following link to order a state-specific agreement, or do an online search for “independent contractor agreement example” at www.uslegalforms.com
  • Set-up an accounting system for invoicing and receivables tracking. Many independent contractors use Quickbooks or another DIY software but you can also hire an accountant to do it for you
  • Pay yourself and pay your self-employment taxes.

STEP SEVEN: Do something great

• You did it. You’re in business. Now you can get busy contributing to the world in the ways only you can. 

Still have questions? 

Let us help you . Call PayReel at 303.526.4900 or email info@payreel.com. 

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There is nothing quite like a good summer movie. Taking the kids for an air-conditioned afternoon of superheroes saving the world or sharing popcorn on a first date watching an indie arthouse film can feel magical. Movie theaters provide a great escape and hours of entertainment on long hot summer days and sticky evenings. They add a little magic and fantasy to our serious world and bring diverse groups of people together to laugh, cry, and cheer in unison.

This summer, things are a little different. A worldwide pandemic has forced many theaters to remain closed (or close their doors permanently) for the summer months. As COVID-19 continues to change the way we go about our daily lives, it is also changing the way we view movies.

Luckily, movie fans and business owners are a resourceful and creative bunch who won’t let anything stand in their way of bringing movie magic to their community.

Here are 3 ways you can enjoy your favorite films with your loved ones and neighbors this summer

Time Travel to The Drive-In

The pandemic has forced many theaters to remain closed but has revived a classic viewing experience. The Drive-In invokes feelings of nostalgia, of wholesome America, of “simpler” times when families, rambunctious teenagers, and young couples flocked to a parking lot to enjoy a cinematic experience from the comfort of their very own vehicles. During these not-so-simple times, drive-ins across the country are reopening to provide much needed 2 – 4-hour blocks of entertainment and escape from the chaos. This is the perfect opportunity to revisit your childhood favorite films like The Goonies and Indiana Jones or introduce your children to a technology once of the verge of extinction while watching summer blockbusters like Jumanji and Sonic The Hedgehog. Plus, this is the safest way to catch a movie outside your home while practicing social distancing!

Reopening Local Theaters

While major theater chains like AMC and United have not opened all their houses across the country, many smaller or locally-owned theaters are reopening and adjusting the way they do business to keep audiences safe and employees working! Many theaters are opening at 50% capacity, reserving seats to allow for social distancing, playing old films as new films are not available, and going the extra mile to keep the house clean and sanitized for your safety. Catching a showing of the classic Casablanca is a great way to support local businesses and help to keep workers employed during an economic crisis. Plus, it’s the best way to get your fingers on that extra buttery theater style popcorn!

The Power of Projection

And finally… on to my favorite idea: projecting movies! I know, I know, it sounds like a hassle to set-up. You may need to purchase some equipment and spend a half-hour quietly cursing at the instructions, but nothing can bring families, neighbors or couples together like projecting your fan favorite films! It is an easy way to invite others to join you or have a small block party while enforcing safe social distancing.

I first heard about this awesome idea when I read an article about a Denver couple who met on a dating App who watched a movie he projected outside his home. What a creative date! Then I noticed my neighbors started inviting a small group of people over every week to have a mini movie party in their backyard! Pretty soon subdivisions and apartment communities got on board with this new trend having residents RSVP to screenings set up in the common areas. This is such a fun and simple way to allow people to come together safely during such difficult times.

The world may be massively different in 2020 than it was last summer, but movies continue to bring people together in unique and creative ways. Despite restraints, despite Safer-At-Home restrictions, despite a deadly pandemic, people who felt isolated, alone and afraid now have more ways to gather safely and experience their favorite films with their friends. This is the magic of movies.

Contact PayReel for Your Company Payroll Needs

PayReel has the experience and know-how to handle payroll for your independent contractors and freelancers. Contact us today for more information!

By Dani Lyman

The post 3 WAYS YOU CAN (SAFELY) EXPERIENCE THE MAGIC OF SUMMER MOVIES appeared first on PayReel .

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We thought it was time to define two terms that often get thrown around interchangeably but shouldn’t be: independent contractor and gig worker.  Let’s clear up the confusion!  

Gig worker

Merriam Webster defines the gig economy as “economic activity that involves the use of temporary or freelance workers to perform jobs typically in the service sector.”

The service sector piece is one of the main hints that someone is a gig worker. Ride-sharing drivers and grocery deliverers are good examples. Their “gigs” are on-demand. A customer requests a one-time service such as a ride or a grocery cart full of food delivered to their doorstep. The companies, such as Uber and Instacart, facilitate the transaction through an app. 

The gig worker, then, is the person who does the driving or shopping/delivering. They might also be an independent contractor, but it’s not the same thing. 

Independent contractor

Independent contractors are business owners who are hired to do a specific job. They receive payment only for the work they perform. Unlike a regular employee, they pick their jobs and regularly move from client to client.

Here are some of the key indicators that someone is an independent contractor

• They have a specific skill set and an established business 
• They report payments as business income and pay self-employment taxes 
• Their work that is not central to their client’s main line of business
• Their work is project-oriented and is typically completed in a short amount of time.

Resources for employers and workers (coming up)

Next week, we’ll talk about how to set yourself up as an independent contractor. For the employers trying to walk the line, we’ll talk about best practices for staying compliant while working with independent contractors.

Still have questions? 

Let us help you . It’s our business to keep clients remain compliant.

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Florence, Tuscany

Amelia is a member of Dotsub’s recruitment team. She is a traveler, although, technically, she is a citizen of Argentina. She along with her partner can spend months at a time on the road renting flats and occasionally staying in hostels. As Amelia works at Dotsub full time, the requirements are a quiet place to work and a robust internet connection.

Leaving Argentina in mid-November 2019, the plan was to be away indefinitely. Visas in place: first Spain for 2 ½ months, then France for three weeks. Italy would follow with 3 weeks in Florence, on to Rome and then a visit with relatives in Northern Italy. From there, they would go to Croatia.

As February turned into March, Amelia was settling into an Airbnb in Florence, Italy. Because their travel had been by land, they had not experienced any of the chaos of air travel at the time.

Within a week, things had turned for the worse. Most harrowing was an evening stroll in lovely Florence that abruptly ended with police cars patrolling the streets with loud speakers blasting messages in Italian that our travelers didn’t understand. Although they could get information from the web and from their relatives, not understanding the local messages was very unsettling. Italy shut down on March 9^th. Suddenly, all the careful planning was off the table.

Living out of a suitcase for years at a time is a deep commitment. Amelia states, “We’ve made the choice to experience the journey knowing that we are sacrificing the comforts of home.” At this writing, she is still stranded thousands of miles from Argentina. In spite of the recent pandemic, I don’t think that her travel adventures are over.

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Clara and Elina are two members of the Dotsub family from the production and finance teams respectively. They are both new mothers. Born only a month apart, Elina’s Emma is 11 months old and Clara’s Alejo is 10 months. They live in Rosario, Argentina and work from their homes along with their spouses.

Argentina is under one of the strictest lock-down orders in the world with people facing fines and house arrest for violations. People need permission to go to doctor appointments and to get groceries and supplies. (There’s an app for that). You can take your pets for a walk but not your baby out in a stroller.

The lock down is stressful on all involved as there is no outside support. Relatives who would love to entertain the little ones cannot help now. Both households employ nannies that make it possible for both parents to work. Without them, there has to be considerable logistical juggling.  A positive thing is that there hasn’t been a disruption in baby supplies – there is plenty of disinfectant and the diaper service continues.

One sadness is that the babies are in their first year and all of their many milestones cannot be shared with family in person.  Clara says, “They are turning one over Zoom! It is definitely not the same.” Neither baby seems interested in the people on the screen anyway. “My brother came by to deliver something, and we met him in the lobby,” Elina relates, “He had his mask on and stayed a safe distance away. I could tell Emma didn’t recognize him. It is sad.”

The other side of that same coin is that both sets of parents are around to witness baby’s first steps and joyfully relish baby’s first words. Of course, Emma and Alejo are blissfully unaware that things are not normal. They continue to learn to walk and talk and to delight their parents every day.

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For the last two months, cities all over the world have implemented stay-at-home orders and lockdowns to help minimize the spread of coronavirus COVID-19, thus shutting down location video production […]

The post Shooting Corporate Video as COVID-19 Restrictions Ease appeared first on Crews Control .

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