Legal Question in Business Law in West Virginia

Re: Starting a business

Nothing is really required to start up a business. There are some formal means generally required to establish certain forms of businesses, e.g., a partnership or a corporation, but yours would be called a "Schedule C" business, which is to say that your income from the business would be reported on your personal income tax (or on the return of your parents, potentially) on a Schedule C attachment.

You can create a name, too. If it's basically your own name, you don't even have to check with local authorities, but if you call yourself "Midnight Lamp Websites", in most states you are required to register the name at your town or city hall just to prevent someone else from using it or see if someone else IS using it.

Your name may not contain any of these phrases: "Inc." "Incorporated" "Limited" "Ltd" "Corp." "Corporation" (or the like), "Partnersip" nor may in in any other way be misleading. If your name isn't Kennedy, don't use that name, either, as it could be considered to be deceptive. Don't use the name General Electric or DOW, either. (Frankly, I like General Eclectic, don't you?)

I hesitate to say that there are certain advantages to making a more formal business, i.e., incorporating. First, you probably don't need those advantages, and second, you probably can't do any of them until you reach the age of majority in your state. But you could have your parents cover for you and you could make more money next year.

Have your parents check local law: kids in school (or even on vacation) are not allowed to work certain shifts or to be allowed to work more than a certain number of hours per week or per day.

Good luck with your venture. Let me know if I can assist you some other way.