Many incomes — good structure?

[ATLJeff]

Hi everybody,

I'm just beginning to combine a few very different small income streams under one LLC, and wonder how to set myself up:


Professional photographer
Image retoucher
Voice actor
Writer
Fiduciary


Each of these endeavors brings in (or will bring in) a small income each month, so I'm planning to combine them as a legal business and so stave off having to jump back into the corporate world again.

Is an LLC a good step here? Basically, I'd be RENROH ENTERPRISES and then D/B/A as photog, voice actor, writer, etc. as completely separate efforts. As a sole individual, it'll be ip to me to manage those income streams, expenses, marketing, etc. But is there a way to set it up legally so that I am (for example):

RENROH ENTERPRISES d/b/a Jeff Horner Photography
RENROH ENTERPRISES d/b/a Jeff Horner Image Production
RENROH ENTERPRISES d/b/a Jeff Horner Voice Talent
And
RENROH ENTERPRISES d/b/a Horner Fiduciary Service


I imagine it may not matter, but I'd want to open bank accounts with those different names, under the same FEIN, etc.

Hope this isn't ridiculous, confusing, or both! Thanks, all.

[Freelancier]

Where you're seeing 5 businesses, I'm seeing 3. Combine the first two (Photography and Image Processing), the second two (Creative) and then there's the last one. The last one I don't understand.

The first one needs liability protection because you're doing something where you'll likely have to travel to a location and do stuff there that could get screwed up. The second one doesn't need liability protection, but you might have a client who wants you to be insured if you have to go to their studio to do the voice work. The third... I don't understand. :)

So, I see at least one LLC, maybe as many as three, each separate businesses, run separately to keep the activities of one from affecting the others. And that's not terrible, most states make it pretty reasonable to create and maintain an LLC. We have 2 in Georgia, one in Florida, and a Georgia corporation for our different businesses. For us, it's all about limiting cross-business liability.