Small Business Start Up

If you are looking for information on how to start a small business, then you have come to the right place.

There are a lot of steps involved in small business start up.  It can be overwhelming at times, but do not let that stop you from trying.

The first step in starting a small business is to decide what type of business you want to run.  In other words, what products or services will you offer? 

Once you have decided what you want to offer, you next need to research the competition and see what they are offering and what they are charging.  You will have to distinguish yourself in some fashion.  One example is to provide a better quality product or service.  Another example is to provide a cheaper product or service.

Another step in starting a small business is to determine how you will fund your start up period.  It is common for there to be months of no sales while you are getting the business running.  You need to have proper savings or loans in place to carry you through the cash flow hurdles.

You will also need to form an entity for your business, such as a corporation, LLC, partnership, or sole proprietorship.  Each state has slightly different laws on entity types, so it is impossible to give information that is 100% accurate for every state.  However, we have taken the time to put together a list of all secretary of state web sites to help you in this step.

Other options you should consider are whether you need to pay estimated quarterly taxes, whether you need a sales tax license, and whether you would benefit or qualify for a minority and/or woman-owned business certification.  Again, we have put together lists for you to help in this process. Just click the hyperlinks to see more info.

If you want more details on starting and operating a business, download our FREE 60 page Business 2.0 Blueprint from our free stuff page.  See more details on the right portion of this page.