Hello As a makeup artist is it best to freelance or go under a business name an get a dba an license

If it is a casual business and you earn most of your income from another source, I see no need to go further. If this is the major portion of your income, you might want to work for your own business. There are tax advantages, but also obligations to running a business. You might want to incorporate. Businesses find it much easier to make contracts with another company. Businesses qualify for workers compensation ins, health ins etc etc. Best to discuss these options with a local business lawyer. Also the business can be a shield for you from a liability suit.
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LEGAL DISCLAIMER
Mr. Sarno is licensed to practice law in NJ and NY. His response here is not legal advice and does not create an attorney/ client relationship. The response is in the form of legal education and is intended to provide general information about the matter in question. Many times the questioner may leave out details which would make the reply unsuitable. Mr. Sarno strongly advises the questioner to confer with an attorney in their own state to acquire more information.

Doing business under a fictitious business is perfectly acceptable and does not materially impact how you are doing business. However, because the name is different than you own name, a fictitious business must be published in a local newspaper to give notice to the world that you, as an individual, are doing business under a fictitious business. The purpose of this notice is to inform the public of whom they are doing business when they do business with you. It also is important legal information that informs the public of who to name in a lawsuit.

A business license is required for either.

You should have liability insurance and make sure you have automobile insurance to help protect your assets. You may also want to consider forming a corporation or a limited liability company to provide financial protection.

This is really not a legal question, but a business one. I would think that in your business, and being operated by only one person, doing business under your own name would be preferrable - easier to remember. If you get a dba, the only legal reason for it would be to allow you to use the court system as a plaintiff using the dba name. So that if a client of yours did not pay his billed, which was billed under your dba, you could use the courts. Otherwise, if you did not register your dba, your case could not proceed to trial unless you did register it before trial.