Starting a Business
From idea to open, in order: the legal steps to start, whether you actually need an LLC, registering your business name and filing a DBA, getting a free EIN from the IRS, opening a business bank account, the home-based-business rules people forget, buying an existing business or a franchise, and what a freelancer really needs. Formation is state law, so confirm the specifics with your Secretary of State.
All Starting a Business guides
- Home-Based Business Rules: Zoning, HOAs, and Permits
Zoning, HOA rules, lease clauses, signage limits, and licensing for home-based businesses are local — here's what to check and where to check it.
- How to Choose the Right Business Structure
A plain-English decision guide to choosing sole prop, partnership, LLC, S-corp, or C-corp — by liability, taxes, owners, and cost.
- Opening a Business Bank Account (and Why It Matters)
Why a business bank account isn't optional for LLCs and corporations, what banks ask for, and how mixing funds can cost you your liability shield.
- Buying an Existing Business: A Legal Checklist
A buyer's legal checklist for purchasing an existing business: asset vs. entity deals, due diligence, the purchase agreement, seller non-competes, and tax successor liability.
- Self-Employed or Form a Company? What Freelancers Need to Know
Freelancing already makes you a sole proprietor. Learn when an LLC or S-corp election actually makes sense, and how misclassification differs.
- How to Write a Business Plan
A plain-English guide to writing a business plan: the core sections, lean vs. traditional formats, and free help from SBA, SCORE, and SBDCs.
- Franchise Basics and the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD)
What buying a franchise really means, what the FTC's Franchise Disclosure Document must reveal, and why the 14-day wait matters.
- How to Get an EIN From the IRS (For Free)
Get an EIN free from irs.gov in minutes. Who needs one, how to apply, and why you should never pay a third-party site for it.
- Do You Need an LLC to Start a Business?
No—you can legally start as a sole proprietor. An LLC adds liability protection, not automatic tax savings. Here's how to decide.
- How to Start a Small Business: The Legal Steps
The plain-English legal checklist for starting a small business: structure, name, EIN, bank account, licenses, sales tax, insurance, and payroll.
- Registering Your Business Name and Filing a DBA
Your legal entity name, a DBA, and a trademark are three different things. Here's what each does and when you need to file one.