Business Start-Up Checklist
by
Janet Attard
The
business start-up checklist below is meant to remind you of the tasks you may have to perform
when
starting your business.
Not
every small business will have to complete each step. For instance, you may
decide not to register your trademark with state or federal officials. Or,
you may not be required to publish a notice of intent to do business.
Since
laws vary by state and by type of business, be sure to check with local
authorities to determine if there are any additional legal steps you need
to take.
- Choose
a business based on your skills and interests
- Research
the business idea
-
What will you sell
- Is it legal
- Who will buy it and how often
- Are you willing to do what it takes to sell the product
- What will it cost to produce, advertise, sell & deliver
- With what laws will you have to comply
- Can you make a profit
- How long will it take to make a profit
- Write
a
business plan and
marketing plan
- Choose
a business name
- Verify
right to use the name
- See
if the business name is available as a domain name (check at Register.com
 )
- Register
the business name and get a business certificate
- Register your domain name
 even if you aren't ready to use it yet
- Choose
a location for the business or make space in the house for it
- Check
zoning laws
- File
partnership or corporate papers
- Get
any required business licenses or permits
- Reserve
your
corporate name if you will be incorporating
- Register
or reserve state or federal trademark
- Register
copyrights
- Apply
for patent if you will be marketing an invention
- Order
any required notices (advertisements you have to place) of your intent
to do business in the community
- Have
business phone or extra residential phone lines installed
- Check
into business insurance needs
- Find
out about health insurance if you will not have coverage under a
spouse
- Get
adequate business insurance or a business rider to a homeowner's
policy Send out publicity releases
- Apply
for sales tax number if needed
- Get
tax information such as record keeping requirements, information on
withholding taxes if you will have employees, information on hiring
independent contractors, facts about estimating taxes, forms of
organization, etc.
- Call
Department of Labor to determine labor laws if you have employees.
- Apply
for employee identification number if you will have employees
- Find
out about workers' compensation if you will have employees
- Open
a bank account for the business
- Have
business cards and stationery printed (Get FREE business cards for your business
 )
- Purchase equipment or supplies
- Order
inventory
- Order
signage
- Order
fixtures
- Get
an email address
- Find
a web hosting company
- Get
your web site set up
- Have
sales literature prepared
- Call
for information about Yellow Pages advertising.
- Place
advertising in newspapers or other media if yours is the type of business that will benefit from
paid advertising
- Call
everyone you know and let them know you are in business
- Other
_______________________
Need more help starting your
business? Get the information you need to be successful in Janet
Attard's
Home Office
and Small Business Answer Book.
Copyright 1996-2000, Attard Communications, Inc.
About the author
Janet Attard is the founder of
the award-winning Business
Know-How small business web site and information resource. Janet is
also the author of The
Home Office And Small Business Answer Book and of Business
Know-How: An Operational Guide For Home-Based and Micro-Sized Businesses with
Limited Budgets. Follow Janet on Twitter at
http://www.twitter.com/JanetAttard.
|
|
|
