It’s not as hard as you might think to establish a business with these easy steps. It is assumed in this conversation that you are aware of the kind of business you wish to launch. Start by deciding what kind of business you want to launch: retail, wholesale, goods, or services. Or perhaps you’d like to launch an online company.
After you have your business idea, you will need a business name, because everything else depends on your name. Then decide on a location – home, leased space, purchased building – and go on to the legal and financial tasks.
Select and Register Your Business Name
Most business owners start out with a business name, but before you solidify that name by putting it in a logo, on business cards, and on your website. You also want to be sure the name is not being used by someone else.
Selecting a name, registering that name, and possibly trademarking the name mean that you have made a commitment to that name. Read this section before you select that business name.
The most important thing to remember when you select a business name is to choose something that will work for you for many years. After all, who knew Amazon was going to be selling everything in the world?!
Select and Register Your Business Name
Unless you are working out of your home, you will need a location for your business.
- Start by going through this list of 12 issues to consider when selecting a business location.
- If you decide you want to lease, here are some leads for places to find commercial space to lease.
Or Start a Home-based Business
If you want to start a business in your home, there are some special issues you will need to deal with.
Depending on your business type and the location of your home, you may need to get a zoning variance to run your home business.
And it’s not too soon to consider how your home business will file taxes, so you can begin collecting the records you need for your tax return.