As an IBO, my first responsibility is to account for all monies that are received and all monies that are expenses.  For instance, I am involved in a number of business (as an IBO) and I have a separate bank account for income and expenses for them (ie: one bank account, several streams of income and expenses, but the IRS would like to see personal monies and business monies separated. I was lucky in that one bank in my area gave me $300 just for opening a business account.  Of course, I ahd to have an EIN, rather than a SSAN, but that can be done with the IRS on line and takes just a few minutes of your time.  Just be sure to keep accurate records of income and expenses for your schedule C at tax time. If you use your car during the operation of the business, go to your local office supply store and get a little mileage booklet for a couple of bucks (tax deductable) for recording your mileage.\ngood luck in your endeavor.\nbob