

Ask HN: Can you offer a subscription service as an individual? - mailarchis

I am working on a simple SAAS product as side project, hence the Q. Also, if the answer yes what payment solution are you using ?
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saluki
yes you can . . .

For SaaS . . . use Stripe.com for payments.

When you start out I wouldn't form a company until you have revenue . . . once
you grow your SaaS to a few hundred dollars of recurring revenue it's time to
form an LLC. <$500 in most states.

You could form one right away if you feel your SaaS is at risk for a lawsuit
or you have a large amount of assets . . . but typically waiting till you have
signups and regular revenue is recommended.

Listen to:
[http://StartupsForTheRestOfUs.com](http://StartupsForTheRestOfUs.com)

read/listen to everything by patio11

Good luck in 2015.

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mailarchis
I did check out stripe. Maybe this is something I should have added in Q. I
don't live in US though I am building the app for customers in US and Stripe
is not supported from where I am.

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saluki
To prove your idea you can use paypal . . . the api isn't as nice put it's a
great start to prove your idea/app.

I would recommend automating signup so that is seamless . . . but you could
have your backend email you for cancelations, etc and do those manually
through paypal.

In the beginning keep things simple and be willing to do things manually
behind the scenes to keep time/costs low till you have signups and users
getting value out of your app that will be subscribers long term.

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logn
If you go with PayPal I'd recommend only using their free services (e.g., the
"subscribe button") or going with BrainTree
([https://www.braintreepayments.com](https://www.braintreepayments.com)) which
is also free and a nicer way to integrate PayPal than their paid APIs.

Payflow Pro by PayPal ($30/mo) is ridiculously complex and it's better to buy
an additional 3rd-party service built on top to make it easier (you'd end up
paying $100+/month plus 2.9%).

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debacle
There's actually a link on the front page now from a guy who offers his
subscription service as a solopreneur:

[https://blog.pinboard.in/2014/11/new_pricing_policy/](https://blog.pinboard.in/2014/11/new_pricing_policy/)

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mailarchis
Thanks for the pointer. What I really wanted to understand was do you need to
have an incorporated company to offer a simple subscription service or you can
offer it as an individual

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debacle
You can offer it as an individual but it is quite cheap to incorporate your
company and it can save you from losing your shirt if your company ever makes
a mistake.

If you are a lone young man/woman with no kids, no house, and few assets, I
wouldn't worry about it right now. If you have $10k+ net worth, it really
wouldn't hurt to set up a company. It costs a few hundred bucks and takes a
weekend of reading or a short consultation with a lawyer and an accountant.

Also note that it will cost more to incorporate later once your business
already has traction.

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palidanx
Do you have pm information?

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mailarchis
Just added.

