Knowing a trade, service or craft is not the same as having a legally independent business. California's worker-classification rules make that distinction important.
A 1099 is not the whole answer
California's Labor Commissioner says labels, contracts and 1099 forms do not by themselves determine whether someone is an employee or independent contractor.
A real independent business has business behavior
The state's guidance points to things such as holding yourself out to the public, having required licenses, serving multiple customers where appropriate, setting rates and maintaining an independently established trade or business.
Build the customer side too
A business needs a way for customers to find you, understand the service, contact you and pay you. Start with a simple public presence before buying complicated software.
Xolii can explain the official framework and help build a legitimate independent business, but it should never be used to relabel an employee relationship to avoid worker protections.