Exactly, that's what I was thinking. She's paid her dues and approached it with her ducks in a row and realistic expectations. I love to encourage people in this business. I've been in it over two decades, most of which as an owner. In that length of time, however, I have seen nearly a dozen local green businesses sprout up and collapse. Usually in a two year time frame. There are no short cuts, and as "fun" as it might sound, it isn't very much fun to lay out all of your capital and then some and watch it go down a rat hole. It really, really helps to see it from the inside out before you ever make the decision to invest in it. My first job in the industry I took a 75% pay cut, and considered it tuition. There is no substitute for experience in a real life setting. I kept my mouth shut, and my ears open and when it got to the point I knew I could do it better than it was being done, that was the clue to get out on my own and do it.

Firstly, I'd just like to re-iterate what's already been said here. A refund means that you've paid too much taxes - a genius accountant wouldn't let that happen. The bigger the refund you get from the IRS the worse you're accountaning practices are. Giving a bonus to to an accountant based upon the size of a refund shows a fundamental misunderstanding of what a refund is and what an accountant does. I would be leary of taking any financial advise from your GM dealer friend or his accountant. A tax preparer will go through your box or receipts once a year looking for deductions, an accountant should do much much more than that. There are many ways to receive renumeration from your business; pension plan, salary, dividends (if you own a schedule C corporation), etc. An accountant should be able to show you how to extract the maximum ammount of money from your business while paying the minimum in taxes. I've had a small business for about three years now. I haven't had a single refund and I doubt that I ever will. However, my accountant has saved me tens of thousands of dollars in taxes as well as giving my invaluable advice on the financial aspects of running a business. Speak to an accountant, or better yet a CPA about your business and your wont regret it.

Hey we have a caterer called A Moveable Feast, too. I'm not good at this stuff. When we had a sandwich business many years ago, we called it JPB Enterprises -- the first initials of my son's name, my name and my then-husband's name. How about "Delicious" or "Delicious Dishes". Simple, easy to remember and tells the story. We have a nail salon here called "Polish." Same thing if you don't pronounce it like the name of people from Poland.

I didn't think of it, but securelurker may be onto something; don't know about other states, but Texas is a community property state. Assets acquired after the marriage, with a few exceptions like inheritances, belong to both partners. Money that hubs had in the bank prior to the marriage would likely be his separate property, but if hubs buys out ex-wife, then new wife might own half of ex-wife's half. at least. I once sold a house for a guy who had the saddest story. Paul's grandmother had owned her house free & clear. She told her only son, Paul's father, who was her executor, that she wanted Paul to have the house. The other 2 grandchildren had more money & fewer children than Paul, & Paul always had been her pet. However, she didn't dictate that in her will; she just told her son what she wanted. When she died, Paul's father decided that that wasn't fair to the other grandchildren, so he came up with a complicated formula by which Paul "owed" about $18,000 to make each grandchild's portion roughly equal. Paul, a normal blue-collar payday-to-payday working father, had to take out a mortgage to pay the $18000. Several years later, when Paul's wife filed for divorce, the judge decreed that the house was community property because it had been *bought* after the marriage. Had he *inherited* it, it would have been his separate property. so Paul had to sell the house that his grandmother had wanted him to have, & half the proceeds went to his ex-wife. OP might do well to consult an attorney. I wish you the best.