READ BEFORE MOVING FORWARD…

If you do not have a business plan, we highly suggest making a u-turn at the next light. Starting up your business, quickly, requires proper planning. A business plan will have already thought through all of the moving parts below. If you try to build your business one thought at a time, you may waste essential start-up capital & time. Let’s figure out who you are, what you’re going to provide, and how you’re going to deliver before we start to build. We will adjust as you move along.

“The scariest moment is always just before you start.”
— STEPHEN KING

DISCLAIMER: This is a VERY BASIC list and is set-up for someone operating a business on their own (solo-prenuer). Depending on the nature of your business, it will vary for what needs to be accomplished to get your company started. For instance, if you need to find investors, there is a separate path to raise capital. If there are multiple partners, there will be additional legal agreements you’ll want to put in place to protect all parties and the business. If you need to hire employees, you’ll need to source & appoint team members; set-up tax IDs & payroll; quote & establish workers compensation, etc. The list goes on. A business plan will be our guide to set-up business requirements.

SINGLE-PERSON EXAMPLE:

  1. Business Plan – This will ideally be 50% complete before starting to legally form the business. That way, we know we have a viable plan before we start making ourselves legally & fiscally responsible for the business.

  2. Name Reservation (Once brand strategy is developed)

  3. Form Business / Identify Statutory Agent

  4. Identify & notify Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

  5. Identify & notify Business Attorney - Start developing agreements, policies, notices, etc.

  6. Domain Registration (e-mail and website)

  7. Logo Design

  8. Start website (custom or builder)

  9. Develop internal workflows and forms

  10. Quote & establish Business Insurances

  11. Quote & establish Merchant Services

  12. Establish supplier relationships (if applicable)

  13. Quote logistics services (if applicable)

  14. Finish website

  15. Start accepting customers

  16. Set-up Customer Relations Management (CRM) software

  17. Set-up Bookkeeping software

  18. Set-up Inventory Management Software (IMS) (if applicable)

  19. Set-up Project Management (PM) software (if applicable)

  20. Start Process Improvement projects