Starting a Business - Everything You Need to Know

Starting a business means making real decisions — about your legal structure, your business name, your taxes, and your funding. This hub brings together the guides, tools, and resources that cover each of those decisions, so you can move from idea to registered business without missing a step.

The first decisions you make — your business structure, your name, and your registration — shape everything that comes after. Most entrepreneurs start by choosing between an LLC, a corporation, or a sole proprietorship. Each has different tax treatment, liability protection, and filing requirements.

If you're not sure which structure fits your situation, start with the entity comparison guide. If you already know you want an LLC, go straight to the LLC formation guide. If you're still in the idea stage, the business planning resources below will help you get clear before you file anything.

Not sure where you fit? If you need to compare structures before deciding, start with the entity guide. If you're ready to file, go to formation. If you need a name first, start with the business name tools.

Registering your business is a specific legal action — it's not the same as deciding to start working for yourself. Registration means filing with your state, getting a federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS, and meeting any license or permit requirements that apply to your industry.

The IRS issues EINs free of charge at irs.gov. Registration requirements vary by state and are typically handled through the Secretary of State's office. The SBA's business registration guide covers the federal side of what's required.

Most people underestimate how many moving parts there are in the first 30 days after formation — EIN, registered agent, operating agreement, and sometimes a business license all need to happen in sequence.

A business plan isn't just a document for investors — it's how you figure out whether your idea holds up before you spend money on it. Market research tells you who your customers are, what they'll pay, and who you're competing against.

The SBA offers free market research tools, including SizeUp for analyzing local competitors and customer data. The U.S. Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics both publish industry data that's useful for sizing a market before you commit.

Skipping the planning stage is one of the mistakes that comes up most often — not because planning guarantees success, but because it surfaces the questions you need to answer before you're in too deep.

Most new businesses are self-funded at the start. But if you need outside capital, there are real options — SBA loans, microloans, grants, and private investors — each with different requirements and trade-offs.

The SBA's 7(a) loan program offers up to $5 million for a range of business purposes, including startup costs. SBA microloans go up to $50,000 and are designed for early-stage businesses that may not qualify for traditional bank financing. Federal grants through the SBA are competitive and typically targeted at specific industries or research areas — they're not a general-purpose funding source.

Grants don't have to be repaid, but they're harder to get than loans and usually come with restrictions on how the money can be used.

You don't have to figure this out alone. The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) network — funded by the SBA — offers free, one-on-one business advising at over 900 locations across the country. Advisors cover business planning, financing, marketing, and operations.

SCORE, also an SBA resource partner, connects entrepreneurs with volunteer mentors who have real business experience. Both programs are free and available to businesses at any stage, including pre-launch.

Most people don't know these resources exist until someone tells them. An SBDC advisor can save you hours of research and help you avoid the registration mistakes that are expensive to fix later.

These are the guides entrepreneurs come back to most when they're getting started. Each one covers a decision point that affects how your business is structured, taxed, and protected from day one.