Workers'' Comp for Contractors: Class Codes, Ghost Policies, Audits
How one wrong class code turns a $4,100 premium into a $17,000 audit bill, why uninsured subs get charged to you, and what a ghost policy really covers.
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Start a Business
Licensing, insurance, pricing, business structure, and landing your first customers.
Quarterly Taxes and S-Corp Election: When It Actually Saves Money
Self-employment tax math at $80k, $150k and $250k net profit, plus the QBI wrinkle that decides whether an S-corp election beats a plain LLC.
What a Contractor License Bond Actually Covers (Hint: Not You)
A license bond protects your customer and the state, not your business. Here is who gets paid, what a claim costs you, and how it differs from insurance.
What to Charge Per Hour: The Overhead Math Most Contractors Skip
Work your truck, insurance, tools, and unbilled hours into a real billable-hour rate, with a full worked example and a sensitivity table.
LLC vs Sole Proprietor for Contractors: What It Protects
Where an LLC actually shields your personal assets, where it fails, and the S-corp tax math at $80K, $150K, and $250K of profit.
The 5 Mistakes That Kill New Contracting Businesses in Year One
Each year-one killer priced in real dollars, plus the one habit or document that prevents it. Scope creep, tax money, deposits, drive time, and gut pricing.
How to Get Your First 10 Customers (Without Spending on Ads)
The zero-budget playbook for a new contractor's first customers: your network, your neighborhood, fast response, and the review flywheel.
How to Price Contracting Jobs So You Actually Make Money
The markup-and-margin math most contractors get wrong, how to calculate your real hourly cost, and a worked example you can copy.
Contractor Insurance 101: What You Actually Need (and What You Don't)
General liability, workers comp, bonds, commercial auto, and tools coverage — what each one does, what it costs, and the order to buy them in.
Do You Need a Contractor License? How Licensing Actually Works
How contractor licensing works in the US, what happens if you work without one, and the exact process to find your state and local requirements.
How to Start a Contracting Business in 2026: The Complete 8-Step Guide
The step-by-step playbook for going from skilled tradesperson to licensed, insured, profitable business owner — in the order things actually need to happen.
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