Can I operate a massage therapy business out of my home, do I have to worry about zoning laws and getting a business license

Every city has specific requirements on what can and can't be done out of your house, particularly regarding running a business out of your home. The requirements can range from what office hours you keep, to the number of cars that come to visit you, to the number of actual business visitors you may have inside.

At a minimum, you will need to take a look at the appropriate zoning laws for your city.

In addition, you need to properly comply with receiving a business license from your city, even if you are operating out of your house. Some cities have fairly stringent requirements for massage therapists and this may make it tougher for you to properly operate a business out of your house.

To protect yourself, you should consider getting additional liability insurance for your home and/or creating a separate legal entity like an LLC or corporation to protect yourself and your home.

Good luck with your new business!

First, resolve the zoning issue. You cannot operate your massage service if it will violate either zoning laws or any covenants in the deed to your home.

It is not imperative that you use an LLC, but it is not a bad idea. The LLC insulates you from liability, at least liability not related to the actual massage. For example, if a client falls off the massage bed and is injured, you are probably personally insulated. If you err in the massage, you may not be able to escape liability, depending on the circumstances.

You definitely should have insurance.

You likely will have to find a local attorney who knows the law of the city where your house is to ask if you can operate a home business. The chance of any attorney here who would know your city's laws is rather small.

Alternatively, your city likely has a person or office who handles business license issues. You can call up that person or office and ask.

You likely will also need licenses or permits from the state.

You likely should also look into tax issues. If you have enough profits, you likely must make estimate tax payments to avoid being penalized.

As a seasoned Licensed Massage Therapist in both Vancouver and neighboring Portland, OR I can tell you what you need.

1) Business License - Regardless of location, you will need a business license for the state in which the office is located. If you are going to be making more than $28,000 you need to be prepared to pay taxes. Washington has a special State Income License. The income reported on this number will not be conveyed to the IRS so I recommend going to <http://www.irs.gov> to obtain a Federal Income License its free. You would use it when you file your taxes.

2) Facility - Washington State Department of Health has specific regulations pertaining to the facility in which LMP's can operate. As Health Practitioners we are bound by Health Department/ Sanitary standards and must abide by them regardless. Zoning codes rarely apply.

I believe that will answer your question... I can't think of anything more. Good luck in your business!

I WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO OBTAIN A BUSINESS LICENSE AS A INDEPENDANT, SMALL BUSINESS IN THE FIELD OF MASSAGE THERAPY IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA . WHAT ARE THE REQUIRMENT, LAWS AND REGULATION TO OPERATE AS A SMALL BUSINESS.

I WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO OBTAIN A BUSINESS LICENSE AS A INDEPENDANT, SMALL BUSINESS IN THE FIELD OF MASSAGE THERAPY IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA . WHAT ARE THE REQUIRMENT, LAWS AND REGULATION TO OPERATE AS A SMALL BUSINESS.