Griffin Artwork

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In my life I have done an untold amount of research and study on a large variety of things. I have investigated a ton of ideas, processes, products and services. A friend recently asked me why don’t I share this vast vault of knowledge?

That’s a great idea. So here are some of the reliable, tried and true resources that I have been lucky enough to find along the way.

Web

Hosting

Bluehost

I have used Bluehost since 2005. Rock solid, 99.99% uptime and full Cpanel access which is super important for quickly managing your server environment while avoiding 30+ minute support calls for simple tasks.

I 100% suggest you use them if you need web hosting or domain registration. Do yourself a future proofing favor and get a great web host that has options and actual support. Sorry, Godaddy – you just don’t cut it.

→ Try Bluehost!

WordPress

Studiopress + Genesis Framework

I have developed on WordPress for over a decade and though we’ve had our ups and downs (I abandoned it for years for Drupal) but I still consider it a pretty good CMS. Many years ago I fould a company called Studiopress who made a WordPress “Framework” called Genesis. It is unbelievably amazing, intuative, and feature rich – I have since built every WordPress project with it as my parent theme.

Unlimited sites, unlimited updates – a ready to go, fully responsive framework out of the box. What more could you ask for? Studiopress was recently aquired by Austins’ very own WP Engine, so we can look forward to some very stable support and rock optimized performance.

→ Try the Genesis Framework!

Codepen

Codepen is a web-based social development environment. At its heart, it allows you to write code in the browser, and see the results of it as you build. A useful and liberating tool for developers of any skill, and particularly empowering for people learning to code. We focus primarily on front-end languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and preprocessing syntaxes that turn into those things.

I have paid for Pro account for many years and have seen it come a huge way since its inception. Write HTML, CSS, and Javascript in your browser and see the results instantly. Access to CSS pre/post processors and the most popular Javascript frameworks (our your own) in seconds. Fork your, or others pens, work collaboratively and speed your overall development time. Enjoy the social community, explore pens and display your portfolio online. It is literally a front-end web design/developers dream!

→ Try Codepen!

Fine Art

I have made art for a long time. Every artist learns that you always have to consider the cost and quality of your materials – it’s essential to a balanced, sustainable artistic career. Never work for free – always value yourself, your artwork, and your time. These are my prime picks for a balance of both quality and cost-effectiveness…


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How to form an LLC or S-Corp in Texas

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I started my LLC (Limited Liability Corporation) many years ago and I wish I would have a comprehensive list of steps to help guide me – it’s a pretty tough thing to navigate alone. If you just Google, “forming an LLC”, you are sure to instantly become overwhelmed because of the number of layers and complexity of the information. So here, I’m going to break down forming an LLC or S-Corp in Texas.

As a first consideration. answer this question for yourself. “Do you really need an LLC versus just using a DBA to do business?”

The difference is this. If you establish a DBA (Doing Business As), then you are essentially doing business under your legal name. Nothing really changes as far you other than filing your taxes a little differently at the end of the year to account for any income you brought in under your DBA. Easy enough.

An LLC is different in that you are establishing a different legal entity entirely, of which, you are the CEO (or founder or whatever title you wish to give yourself.) This separation of business entity and your personal identity gives you the benefit of additional legal protection against lawsuits. This is also a benefit come tax season, as your classification is a Corporation, usually there is less need to file miscellaneous 1099 forms.

Since a DBA is just additional income from your small business under your legal identity, it is easier to maintain and requires less form filing (although not much less). An LLC requires several filings with Federal and State offices and also requires you to maintain a Registered Agent on file in case legal action is ever brought against your company. You can serve as your own Registered Agent, but if you would like to keep your home address and other contact information out of public records and searchable to anyone, you should probably opt for one.

If you want to completely separate your personal and small business finances, go with an LLC. If you don’t mind the two blending, go with a DBA.

Steps to take to form your LLC in Texas

Federal Stuff

  1. Find and hire a Registered Agent. I used LegalZoom to get started, and man, was it over-priced! And after a year they hit me with a $400 fee to remain my Registered Agent. I highly suggest Texas Registered Agent. Cheapest out there and best service in the State!
  2. File a Certificate of Formation for your LLC with the Secretary of the Treasury
  3. File an SS-4 form and sign the resulting company agreement from the IRS
  4. This will result in your Federal EIN which allows you do business (and makes you susceptible to taxation) in the US under your new Company

Texas Stuff

  1. Use your new EIN to get your Texas Tax ID from the Sectuary of State (this cost $300ish if I remember correctly)
  2. File for the Texas Sales Permit and Francise Tax Permit from the Comptroller

Think that’s it?

Maintaining your LLC

You have to keep and maintain your Registered Agent on file, so that’s an annual cost you should account for. The one I mentioned before is $38 a year (versus $400 a year for Legalzoom).

You are now responsible for paying sales and franchise tax to the Comptroller. Sales tax is paid either monthly, quarterly, or annually. Id suggest annually, you get hit with a $50 fee if you are ever late, and remembering the quarterly deadlines proves harder than it sounds.

Quarterly due dates in Texas are 1.20, 4.30, 7.20, 10.20

I still don’t fully understand franchise tax, but if your company makes below 100k, then you aren’t required to pay anything, but you do still have to file! The due date for Franchise Tax is 5.17 every year.

New FinCEN regulations (2024)

As of 2024, the Fed requires all LLCs to register with the Treasury to obtain a FinCEN ID. It takes a few steps but is straight forward. You face huge fines if you dont comply, so another additional consideration when forming a LLC.