Starting a Business: Guides and Resources
Step-by-step guides to starting a business: choosing a structure, naming it, getting an EIN, licenses and banking.
100 articles
First-Year Business Compliance Checklist
Learn the first-year business compliance checklist, including EIN setup, annual reports, sales tax, employer registrations, and license renewals.
How Long Does It Take to Start a Business?
Find out how long it takes to start a business, from state filing processing times to getting an EIN, opening a bank account, and getting licensed.
How Much Does It Cost to Start a Business?
See what it costs to start a business, including state filing fees, licenses, equipment, insurance, and ongoing compliance costs.
How to Apply for a Small Business Loan
Learn how to apply for a small business loan, including SBA 7(a) loans, microloans, lender requirements, and the documents you need to apply.
How to Build a Website for a New Business
Learn how to build a website for a new business, including registering a domain, following advertising and privacy rules, and ADA accessibility.
How to Build Business Credit From Scratch
Learn how to build business credit from scratch, including forming a separate entity, getting an EIN, opening trade lines, and monitoring your reports.
How to Calculate Startup Costs
Learn how to calculate startup costs using the SBA's one-time and monthly expense categories, plus its recommended buffer for unplanned expenses.
How to Check Business Name Availability
Learn how to check business name availability through your state's entity search, trademark database, and local DBA filing rules.
How to Choose a Business Idea
Learn how to choose a business idea, including market research methods, testing demand, sizing up competition, and checking the numbers before you commit.
How to Choose a Business Name
Learn how to choose a business name, including checking entity name availability, trademark conflicts, DBA rules, and domain name availability.
How to Choose a Business Structure
Learn how to choose a business structure, comparing liability, taxes, and setup steps for sole proprietorships, LLCs, and corporations.
How to Choose a Registered Agent
Learn how to choose a registered agent when starting a business, including who can serve, the address requirement, and when a service makes sense.
How to Choose Accounting Software for a New Business
Learn how to choose accounting software for a new business, including recordkeeping needs, tax reporting, and bank integration.
How to Choose Business Insurance
Learn how to choose business insurance, including which coverage is required, which types fit your industry, and how to get an accurate quote.
How to Create a Brand Identity
Learn how to create a brand identity, including defining your audience, naming and designing consistently, and protecting your name, logo, and domain.
How to Create a Business Budget
Learn how to create a business budget by listing startup and monthly costs, projecting revenue, and tracking actual spending against your plan.
How to Create a Business Social Media Strategy
Learn how to create a business social media strategy, including choosing platforms, setting goals, content planning, and FTC disclosure rules.
How to Create a Google Business Profile
Learn how to prepare a business for a Google Business Profile, including matching your official registration, name, address, and review rules to follow.
How to Finance a Startup
Learn how to finance a startup, comparing SBA-backed loans, equity investment through SBICs, non-dilutive SBIR grants, and personal funding sources.
How to Find Investors for a Startup
Learn how to find investors for a startup, from angel investors and venture capital to SEC-regulated crowdfunding, and the securities rules that apply.
How to Find Required Business Permits
Learn how to find required business permits, from federal licenses by industry to state, county, and city permits you need before opening.
How to Find Startup Grants
Learn how to find startup grants, including where real federal grant opportunities are posted, SBIR and STTR funding, and how to avoid grant scams.
How to Fund a Business With Personal Savings
Learn how to fund a business with personal savings, including the SBA's self-funding guidance, retirement account withdrawal penalties, and risk limits.
How to Get a Business Address
Learn how to get a business address, including a home address, a virtual mailbox, a registered agent address, and USPS rules for private mailboxes.
How to Get a Business Credit Card
Learn how to get a business credit card, including EIN requirements, personal guarantees, and how it builds credit separate from your own.
How to Get a Business Email Address
Learn how to get a business email address on your own domain, set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication, and follow CAN-SPAM rules for marketing email.
How to Get a Business License
Learn how to get a business license, including which federal agencies regulate certain industries and how to find state and local requirements.
How to Get a Business Phone Number
Learn how to get a business phone number, from VoIP and toll-free lines to the FTC rules that apply once you call customers to make a sale.
How to Get an EIN for a New Business
Learn how to get an EIN for a new business, including who needs one, the free IRS application, and what to do without an SSN.
How to Get General Liability Insurance
Learn how to get general liability insurance, including what it covers, what information an agent needs to quote it, and when you'll need proof of it.
How to Hire an Independent Contractor
Learn how to hire an independent contractor, including worker classification rules, Form W-9, 1099-NEC reporting, and avoiding misclassification.
How to Hire Your First Employee
Learn how to hire your first employee, including the EIN, Form I-9, Form W-4, new-hire reporting, and FLSA rules every new employer must follow.
How to Identify Your Target Customer
Learn how to identify your target customer using demographic data, the SBA's market research steps, and direct customer research methods.
How to Launch a New Business Successfully
Learn how to launch a new business successfully, including finishing compliance steps, building a marketing plan, and setting goals you can measure.
How to Open a Business Bank Account
Learn how to open a business bank account, including required documents by business structure, EIN rules, and why separating finances matters.
How to Pitch Investors
Learn how to pitch investors, including what a pitch deck should cover, what due diligence to expect, and the SEC rules on soliciting investors.
How to Register a Domain Name for a Business
Learn how to register a domain name for a business, including ICANN's registration rules, required contact data, and renewal requirements.
How to Register a New Business
Learn how to register a new business, including choosing a structure, filing with the state, getting an EIN, and licensing and tax requirements.
How to Register for Sales Tax
Learn how to register for sales tax as a new business, including whether you need to, which agency issues the permit, and when to apply.
How to Register for State Taxes
Learn how to register for state taxes, including sales tax permits, state income tax withholding, and which agency handles each registration.
How to Research a Business Market
Learn how to research a business market using the SBA's framework, Census Bureau data, NAICS industry codes, and direct customer research.
How to Research Your Competitors
Learn how to research your competitors, including finding direct and indirect rivals, free federal data sources, and what to evaluate about each one.
How to Separate Personal and Business Finances
Learn how to separate personal and business finances, including a dedicated bank account, business credit card, owner pay, and clean recordkeeping.
How to Set Up Business Accounting
Learn how to set up business accounting, including a separate bank account, a bookkeeping method, and the records the IRS requires you to keep.
How to Set Up Payroll
Learn how to set up payroll, including EIN and I-9/W-4 requirements, tax deposits, new hire reporting, and FLSA wage rules.
How to Set Up Small Business Bookkeeping
Learn how to set up small business bookkeeping, including choosing cash or accrual accounting, what records to keep, and how long to keep them.
How to Start a Bookkeeping Business
Learn how to start a bookkeeping business, including entity formation, an EIN, professional liability insurance, and when a PTIN is required.
How to Start a Business as a Non-U.S. Resident
Learn how to start a business as a non-U.S. resident, including getting an EIN without a Social Security number, a registered agent, and IRS filings.
How to Start a Business in Arizona
Learn how to start a business in Arizona, including choosing a structure, state filing fees, licenses, and state tax registration.
How to Start a Business in California
Learn how to start a business in California, including registering a name, filing with the Secretary of State, state taxes, and employer registration.
How to Start a Business in Delaware
Learn how to start a business in Delaware, including entity options, the $75 business license, gross receipts tax, and EIN and registered agent rules.
How to Start a Business in Florida
Learn how to start a business in Florida, including the Sunbiz filing fee, registered agent rules, the annual report deadline, and state tax registration.
How to Start a Business in Georgia
Learn how to start a business in Georgia, including choosing a structure, state filing fees, annual registration, and tax accounts.
How to Start a Business in New York
Learn how to start a business in New York, including registering an assumed name, forming an LLC, sales tax registration, and employer requirements.
How to Start a Business in North Carolina
Learn how to start a business in North Carolina, including entity options, the $125 LLC filing fee, EIN, sales tax registration, and local licensing.
How to Start a Business in Texas
Learn how to start a business in Texas, including the Certificate of Formation fee, registered agent rules, and the franchise tax report deadline.
How to Start a Business in the United States
Learn how to start a business in the United States, including federal steps that apply nationwide and how state rules fit in.
How to Start a Business in Wyoming
Learn how to start a business in Wyoming, including registering a trade name, forming an LLC, sales tax licensing, and employer registration.
How to Start a Business With No Money
Learn how to start a business with no money, including free SBA counseling, low-cost state filing fees, a free EIN, and low-risk crowdfunding options.
How to Start a Business: Step-by-Step Guide
Learn how to start a business step by step, from validating your idea and choosing a structure through licenses, an EIN, and your first sale.
How to Start a C Corporation
Learn how to start a C corporation, including filing Articles of Incorporation, bylaws, stock issuance, and the 21% federal tax rate.
How to Start a Cleaning Business
Learn how to start a cleaning business, including registering it, getting licensed and bonded, OSHA chemical safety rules, and insurance to carry.
How to Start a Coaching Business
Learn how to start a coaching business, including entity formation, an EIN, professional liability insurance, and FTC rules on client testimonials.
How to Start a Construction Business
Learn how to start a construction business, including choosing a structure, getting a contractor license, business insurance, and OSHA requirements.
How to Start a Consulting Business
Learn how to start a consulting business, including choosing a structure, licensing, contracts, insurance, and estimated taxes.
How to Start a Corporation
Learn how to start a corporation, including filing Articles of Incorporation, adopting bylaws, issuing stock, and choosing C or S corporation tax status.
How to Start a Digital Marketing Agency
Learn how to start a digital marketing agency, including entity formation, an EIN, client contracts, and CAN-SPAM and FTC endorsement compliance.
How to Start a Dropshipping Business
Learn how to start a dropshipping business, including choosing suppliers, sales tax resale certificates, and the FTC shipping rule that still applies.
How to Start a Food Truck Business
Learn how to start a food truck business, including health permits, a commissary kitchen, fire code rules, and vehicle registration.
How to Start a Franchise Business
Learn how to start a franchise business, including the FTC's required disclosure document, the 14-day waiting period, and registering the new business.
How to Start a Freelance Business
Learn how to start a freelance business, including choosing a structure, self-employment tax, quarterly estimated payments, and client contracts.
How to Start a Home-Based Business
Learn how to start a home-based business, including zoning rules, the IRS home office deduction, licensing, and using a separate business address.
How to Start a Nonprofit Organization
Learn how to start a nonprofit organization, from state incorporation and bylaws through the EIN and 501(c)(3) application.
How to Start a Partnership
Learn how to start a partnership, including choosing a general, limited, or LLP structure, drafting an agreement, and filing Form 1065 each year.
How to Start a Photography Business
Learn how to start a photography business, including entity formation, sales tax on prints, insurance, and who owns copyright in client photos.
How to Start a Podcast Business
Learn how to start a podcast business, including choosing a structure, monetizing with sponsorships, and the FTC's rules on disclosing paid promotion.
How to Start a Real Estate Business
Learn how to start a real estate business, including licensing rules, choosing a structure, financing, and insurance basics.
How to Start a Restaurant Business
Learn how to start a restaurant business, including registering it, local health department permits, the FDA Food Code, and insurance to carry.
How to Start a Retail Business
Learn how to start a retail business, including entity formation, zoning checks, a seller's permit for sales tax, and inventory recordkeeping.
How to Start a Service Business
Learn how to start a service business, including choosing a structure, getting licensed, pricing your services, and setting up client contracts.
How to Start a Sole Proprietorship
Learn how to start a sole proprietorship, including DBA filing, licenses, self-employment tax, and when to upgrade to an LLC.
How to Start a YouTube Business
Learn how to start a YouTube business, including IRS hobby vs. business rules, self-employment tax, FTC sponsorship disclosure, and COPPA rules.
How to Start an Amazon Seller Business
Learn how to start an Amazon seller business, including entity formation, an EIN, sales tax nexus from stored inventory, and 1099-K reporting.
How to Start an E-Commerce Business
Learn how to start an e-commerce business, including sales tax registration, the FTC's shipping rule, and setting up payments and an online store.
How to Start an LLC
Learn how to start an LLC, including the core formation steps, state filing fees, and how it compares to other structures.
How to Start an Online Business
Learn how to start an online business, including registering it, the FTC's shipping and refund rule, sales tax nexus, and rules for marketing email.
How to Start an S Corporation
Learn how to start an S corporation, including forming the entity, filing Form 2553 on time, eligibility rules, and the reasonable salary requirement.
How to Trademark a Business Name
Learn how to trademark a business name with the USPTO, including the search, application, fees, and the difference from state business registration.
How to Trademark a Logo
Learn how to trademark a logo, including design mark vs. word mark registration, USPTO fees, specimens, and search steps.
How to Use a Virtual Mailbox for a New Business
Learn how to use a virtual mailbox for a new business, including completing USPS Form 1583, the required ID, and the PMB addressing rule.
How to Validate a Business Idea
Learn how to validate a business idea, including SBA-recommended market research, competitive analysis, and testing real demand before you spend money.
How to Write a Business Plan
Learn how to write a business plan using the SBA's traditional and lean formats, including the key sections lenders and investors expect to see.
How to Write a One-Page Business Plan
Learn how to write a one-page business plan using the SBA's lean format, covering nine sections from value proposition to revenue.
New Business Startup Checklist
Learn the full startup checklist for a new business, including choosing a structure, registering it, getting tax IDs, licenses, and a bank account.
Sole Proprietorship vs. LLC vs. Corporation
Compare a sole proprietorship, LLC, and corporation on liability, taxes, ownership limits, and formation cost to help choose the right structure.
Top 10 Financial Steps to Start a Business
Learn the top 10 financial steps to start a business, including estimating costs, funding, separate banking, accounting, and state tax registration.
Top 10 Legal Steps to Start a Business
Learn the top 10 legal steps to start a business, from choosing a structure and registered agent to contracts and insurance.
Top 10 Marketing Steps to Launch a Business
Learn the top 10 marketing steps to launch a business, from defining your target market to tracking spend against revenue and updating the plan.
Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Starting a Business
Learn the top 10 mistakes to avoid when starting a business, including skipping validation, misclassifying workers, and missing tax deadlines.
Top 10 Things to Do Before Starting a Business
Learn the top 10 things to do before starting a business, including market research, a business plan, startup costs, licenses, and a legal structure.