Research & field observation / Hybrid
Genealogy research
Trace an agreed family-history question using lawful records and a documented evidence trail.
What to price before starting
Price archive access, research tools, travel if needed and secure storage.
Use your own written quotes, including recurring costs and the cash you could lose. Owning equipment does not establish customer demand.
Skills you must be able to demonstrate
Source interpretation, cautious inference and citation discipline.
Before the first payment
Agree the question, permitted records, uncertainty and billing boundaries.
Keep the deliverable, exclusions, approvals and payment responsibility in writing. Do not treat a lead, an invoice or a promised reimbursement as money received.
Where this can go wrong
Family information can be sensitive and similar names can lead to mistaken conclusions.
Requirements and refusal boundaries
Respect record-access and privacy rules and do not promise a particular ancestry finding.
Confirm the exact activity with the relevant authority and insurer. The references below explain general issues; they do not approve this individual service in your jurisdiction.
A lower-risk validation step
Research a nonprivate historical example and separate evidence from inference.
Set a stop condition before spending: what evidence would make you decline, change scope or stop? A practice sample should never expose another person's confidential material.
Primary checks
- SBA: licenses and permits
Activity and location determine permits; contact the issuing authority.
- IRS: self-employed tax center
US self-employment tax, return and recordkeeping guidance; no tax calculation is supplied here.
References reviewed for this publication in November 2026. Rules can change. This entry contains no earnings estimate and makes no assurance of demand.