Over the past couple of months I’ve moved forward with incorporating by business. There is some debate whether or not a sole proprietorship or an LLC is preferred when starting a psychotherapy practice. Because I am only working for myself (not a group or with partners), sole proprietorship seemed to be the way to go. This was fairly easy to do, just by going down to city hall to file the paperwork and get my business license. At the same time I decided to get a fictitious business name, as my “maiden name”, so that with my new married name, I can maintain my practice and identity that I have established over the years under my old name. It took some debate whether or not this was a good idea, wondering whether a fresh start is better than reputation, but I decided that the benefits of continuity outweighed any of the downsides.

I also decided to get an EIN from the IRS for tax purposes even though as a sole proprietor I can report taxes through my SSN. This feels like me staying one step ahead of the game, even though I don’t currently fully understand the future necessity of having an EIN except when I have employees.

When I fully legally change my name, I’ll write more on that process with regards to the Board of Psychology, health insurance providers and other institutions that will have to be involved with regards to my professional license. For now having a check mark next to FBN on my list of things to do for my business feels like another step towards being a successful entrepreneur.