Finance & Admin

Setting Up as a Freelancer: Legal & Business Basics

Set up your freelance business the right way, before your first client pays you.

12 lessons4 modules9h 35m durationbeginner level

Instructor: StretchLearn Faculty

About this course

Most new freelancers either skip the legal setup entirely and hope nothing goes wrong, or they freeze and overspend on an LLC they do not yet need. This course gives you a clear decision path instead: when a sole proprietorship is genuinely fine, when an LLC or limited company earns its cost, what registrations and tax IDs you actually must file, and the four documents every freelance engagement needs. You finish with a registered business, a separate bank account, a bookkeeping system, and a contract template ready to send, so your first paid project starts on solid legal and financial ground.

Curriculum

Module 1: Choosing the Right Business Structure3 lessons

Sole Proprietor vs Company: What Actually ChangesPreview45m
When an LLC, S-Corp, or Limited Company Pays Off🔒50m
A Decision Framework You Can Actually Use🔒45m

Module 2: Registering Your Business and Name3 lessons

Naming, DBA, and Protecting Your Brand🔒45m
Registering in the US, Canada, and the UK🔒55m
Tax Registrations and Sales Tax Thresholds🔒50m

Module 3: Money Setup: Banking, Bookkeeping, and Taxes3 lessons

Separating Business and Personal Money🔒45m
Bookkeeping and Tax Savings From Day One🔒50m
Invoicing and Getting Paid Properly🔒45m

Module 4: Contracts, Protection, and Staying Compliant3 lessons

The Four Documents Every Engagement Needs🔒55m
Licenses, Permits, and Insurance You Actually Need🔒45m
Your Compliance Calendar and First-Client Checklist🔒45m