Bare,Bones,Guide,Starting,Busi DIY Bare Bones Guide To Starting A Business

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in When starting a new work at home business it is very easy to become consumed by it. We spend so much time trying to get the business up and running that we may end up becoming burned out and lose our motivation. There is so much to learn and

Always contact a Lawyer for advice as to how to set up a business if you are unsure. There is always free legal advice available through SCORE (Service Corps of RetiredExecutives). If your business starts to get really lucrative in the future, you can even considermoving up from a Business to a Corporation, or an LLC. You can incorporate online atwww.incorporatenow.com. SCORE will tell you how and not charge you a fortune to do it! You can also check the Yellow Pages under "Free Legal Aid". There are numerous agenciesready to assist you in starting a business. Call the SBA (Small Business Administration) or visittheir Web-Site at http://www.sba.gov. Here are the following steps, posted in order of operation:1. Establish A Post Office Box.: This can either be done directly at the US Post office,or through a private company such as Mail Boxes etc. To get your Business License and other paperwork processed quickly , they will need a PO Box or some type of business address. That's why you should get your PO Box first.2. Fictitious Business Get A Name: Find out from City Hall where to go to get a "Fictitious Business Name". This is just a fancy way of saying the name for your business. Before you go, you should think of a good name. Here's an example. If your last name was Ramirez, you might want to call it "Ramirez Security" or something similar. The cost for this is about $10.00.3. Give Public Notice of Your New Business: After you get your Fictitious Business Name, you will get a receipt for this. You can bring this receipt to your local newspaper, and they will know what to do. They will charge you a modest fee, but make sure that they offer full services, including filing it with the County Clerk and giving you a confirmationletter after this is complete. You need to give "Public Notice" of your DBA (Doing business As) name. This means that you will have to get it published in a paper for 4 weeks, once a week. 4. Apply For a Business License : Go to City Hall in the City you live in and apply for a Business License. Different cities might have different procedures and fees. They should give you an application to fill out. This is always done after the Fictitious Business Name statement, because they need to know the name of your business on the application. This only makes sense. It takes a few weeks to receive your license in the mail once your application has been processed.5. Open up a Business Checking Account: Go to your local bank and set up a Business Checking Account. This usually requires a deposit of $100.00 or so. Also, if you plan on accepting credit card orders, inquire about a merchant account. They will be very happy to discuss all options with you. Also, have the bank make you an Endorsement stamp according to their specifications. Your first couple of hundred business checks will be mailed to you within a few weeks of ordering. The bank will explain to you how an Endorsement stamp works. 6. Rubber Stamp Purchases: Go to a business like Office Depot, Staples, Office Max or a local print shop in your area which can be contacted in the Yellow Pages. Have them make you a Stamp with your Complete Company Contact Information. This should be under $15.00. 7. Have Business Cards Made: This can be accomplished at your local print shop or at a place like Kinkos, Office Depot, Staples or Office Max.8. Find an ISP (Internet Service Provider) : Find an Internet Service provider. This isyour "Pipeline" to the Internet. You can go with an established company like MSN (MicrosoftNetwork), Earthlink, AOL, Compuserve or you can check your Yellow Pages under Internet Access or Internet Service Provider or something similar. Pose the same questions for locating an ISP as you would for securing a hosting service, which are listed below. They will all give you an E-Mail address. You should check out http://ld.net/?81648 9. Securing a Domain Name: If you wish to make a presence for your business on the Internet and are not satisfied with the free hosting services out there, then you will have to Secure a Domain Name. To do that, it will cost just over $8.95 per year. Apply here: http://www.techcompassociates.com . Think of some good names and check them out for availability. Try to have a keyword in your Domain Name, it will help with the Search Engines.The reason this comes in handy is because no matter how many times I change Hosting Services,I'll always have the same name and same E-Mail address, [email protected]. This means,if you ever get angry at your ISP or hosting service, you can just change it and everyone will still be able to find you. You won't have to change your business cards, letterheads or anythingelse to reflect a different Web-Site. 10. Find a Hosting Service: Find a Hosting Service that will meet all your expectations. A Hosting Service is the place you "Park" your Domain Name. There are hundreds of thousandsof them out there now. Just shop around and consider different factors such as: Price, Service,Method of Connection., CGI Support, Tech Support, and customer support. How accessible are they to Billing and General Service Questions? These things you must ask yourself before you join one.Now, you have started your business, and are ready to begin the process or securing orders.Congratulations!! Article Tags: Fictitious Business Name, Internet Service Provider, Yellow Pages, Business License, Fictitious Business, Business Name, Internet Service, Service Provider, Hosting Service, Domain Name