If you've got a side business or other entrepreneurial endeavor in mind but haven't made a business plan for it yet, don't worry. You can create a simple, concise business plan by answering just ten questions on one page.

Part of the free resources from Chris Guillebeau's The $100 Startup, the One-Page Business Plan (PDF) proves you don't need a 65-page business plan to get your business started.

The form asks for just a sentence or two to address essentials including: what you're selling, your customers, and how much you'll charge.

Check out the $100 Startup site for additional resources like the "Instant Consulting Business," "The One-Page Promotion Plan," and "Become Your Own Publisher."

Also check out our guide to creating a business plan for more advice and apps that will generate a plan for you.

The One-Page Business Plan (PDF) | The $100 Startup

This quotation comes from business magnate Richard Branson, who has certainly seen his share of business opportunities. When we want something, we can sometimes end up with a laser-like focus on that thing. Opportunities definitely fall into that category. It's important to remember that if one thing doesn't work out, we can get started on the next. If things aren't quite working out the way you'd hoped in one instance, just get ready for the next bus to come.

Business Opportunities | Swissmiss

Photo by Gene Hunt

Customer service calls can be incredibly tedious and boring. You'll often waste a lot of time on the phone to reach a simple conclusion, and sometimes no conclusion at all. Here are some customer service shortcuts you can employ to save you time and the headache often associated with those annoying support calls.

Skip the Queue and Talk to a Human

These days there are plenty of ways to avoid waiting on the phone and get to a human without a bunch of waiting around. LucyPhone is one of our favorite options for completely skipping the queue altogether. Basically, you dial a customer service line, go through the message tree (which can sometimes be skipped for you as well), and hang up. When a human is available LucyPhone will call you right back. Skipping that service tree is also pretty simple with services like GetHuman and ContactHelp. Both will provide you with numbers and the fastest route to the person you want to talk to. You may also want to do a quick web search for special customer hotlines. For example, Sprint has set up a customer call number with the Consumerist to get you to a human—and a resolution—faster.

Get Your Issue Escalated Faster

Some issues are more complex and need to be escalated for anything to get done, so there's no sense in wasting your time explaining the issue to a lower-level agent when you're just going to have to explain it again to one or more people up the chain. The easiest way to hop up the customer service ranks is to know who to ask for. Generally those people are the ones you end up with when the company is worried you're going to cancel your service. They may be called Executive Care, Retention Specialists, or something else, but a quick web search for the company you're calling and bad customer experiences is likely to turn up department you want to reach.

If it comes down to it, remember that threatening to cancel your service can net you some serious discounts. It's not a trick you necessarily want to employ often, but if you're getting screwed over then it may be the quickest way to get what you want.

Get Online

UPS, Charter Communications, Comcast, Southwest Airlines, Verizon Wireless, Delta Airlines, and many other companies have Twitter accounts created specifically to respond to customer complaints. Sometimes they'll track you down when they find a public message targeted at their company, but you can also contact them directly for help. Charter is my internet service provider and, although their phone support is always very kind and helpful, using Twitter is a lot faster and more convenient. Contacting support via Twitter makes getting a problem solved an afterthought. All you need is a short message, and any required responses are not only also brief but you can respond on your own time. Also, because Twitter is public, it's a good reason for everyone to be kind and not turn a simple complaint into a shouting match.

Another option is to use ComplainApp, which provides you with a forum to voice a specific complaint and rally support around it. Chances are that you are not the only person having a certain type of problem. ComplainApp helps common complaints rise up and get seen more easily so you don't have to waste time trying to be heard.

For more tips on getting better customer support, read our step-by-step guide.

Photo by Sideways Design (Shutterstock).

Dear Lifehacker,
I did a couple of small side projects for friends and now it looks like I might get some steady freelance work and actually make some real money part-time. I'm not ready to quit my day job, but do I need to do anything official like actually start a business or register somewhere now that I'm actually making money freelancing?

Thanks,
Moonlighter

Dear Moonlighter,
Congratulations and welcome to the wild, wonderful, and challenging life of a freelancer. We've touched on the topic of freelancing a few times before, from psychological and financial preparations you should do to how to decide how much to charge for your freelance services. It sounds like you want to know what you're legally required to set up, though. Thankfully, the answer is—depending on where you live and what your line of work is as a freelancer—not much. Let's take a look.

Your One-Person Business

You don't need to start a business, because actually once you start making money as a freelancer or independent contractor—surprise—you already do have a business, at least in the eyes of the law. You are now the owner of a one-person business (technically a sole proprietorship)!

Local Business Licenses and Permits

With that power and responsibility, however, may come licenses, their associated fees, and possibly permits—depending, again, on where you live and how your work is set up. Most business licenses and permits are required by local governments—your specific city or possibly county you live in.

DBA (Doing Business As): If you want to do business under a name other than your own (e.g., "Joe Smith Widget Building"), you'll need to file a fictitious name statement or DBA ("doing business as") from your county before getting the local city license. (The DBA will also be needed to open a business bank account if you want one. You don't need a business bank account as a freelancer, though.)

City or county licenses: To keep things simple, however, you could just use your own name for your freelance work, in which case you wouldn't need to file for that DBA, and your locality also might not require you to get a local business license. The local business license is really just a tax-revenue collecting permit to allow you to do business in the area. You'll have to check with your city and county business licensing office to be sure, of course. If you are required to get a license regardless of whether you use a DBA or your own name, it's usually a painless process. You just have to go to the office, fill out a form (possibly get it notarized) and pay the annual fee. The fee can range from $25 to a couple of hundred dollars, depending on the type and amount of work you expect to do.

Local home business permits: Aside from the city or county license, while you're talking to the local business licensing department, you might want to ask them about any permits required to work from home (assuming that's the kind of freelancing you're doing. If not, move along). Some communities do have zoning regulations against home-based businesses, to restrict things like parking problems, commercial signs, and things they consider nuisances like lots of people coming and going. You can also check with your local chamber of commerce to find out how your area is zoned. If you find out a home business is prohibited, you could a) ignore the restriction, as some freelancers do, but keep in mind the risk of fines, b) try using an alternate mailing service for your business, c) apply for an exception or variance, or d) move (as a last resort).

State and federal licenses: More licenses, you're thinking? Don't worry, unless you work in a specific type of profession like architecture or real estate, you probably don't have to worry about business licensing from your state; chances are you'd know if you'd need a license already, but if not, go to your state's website at www.state.[your state's two letter abbreviation].us to check. The federal government doesn't really license small businesses either.

Collecting Taxes

Only one more topic to discuss about freelancing requirements—taxes. Yup, our favorite. There are two issues:

Sales tax collection and permits: Depending on the freelance work you do, you might need to collect sales tax for your state and possibly local government and turn it over to them on whatever schedule (annual, quarterly, or monthly) they designate. If this is the case, you'll probably need to apply for a permit to collect sales tax (Yay! Isn't this fun?). Generally this applies if you sell or resell products that are subject to sales tax, but it can also apply, in rare cases, to some services in some states. As an example, finished graphic design work transferred on DVDs or in print to clients is a tangible product subject to sales tax, at least in NY, but writing, being a service, is not subject to sales tax. But, again, your mileage will vary depending on your work and where you live, so refer to your state's website.

Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN): Last but not least, as a freelancer, your identification number on your tax forms and licenses will be your Social Security number or a Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN). You're only required to get an EIN for certain circumstances, such as if you want to hire employees or if your insurance company or a vendor requires you to have one. In that case, you can get an EIN from the IRS for free by filing Form SS-4. While not necessary, it might be a good idea to get an EIN to protect from identity theft. Finance Diva suggests that since the EIN is free and easy to get, you should use it instead of your Social Security number when you have to provide your information to companies and individuals you work with, including subcontractors. This is optional, though, but still something to consider.

In short, you only really need to look into getting: a local business license if your city or county requires it, possibly a home permit, and a sales tax permit, depending on your work.

Good luck!

Love,
Lifehacker

Photo by Veronika Mannova

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