Start a Business

Start a new business basics

Covering the basics is the first step when starting a new business

• Choose a business name - Choosing the best name for your startup and how to protect it
• Business startup strategy - What business are you in? What makes your business unique? Who is your intended customer?
• How to protect a business idea - How important is protecting your business idea and when do you disclose information? Find out here
• Read more about the basics of starting a business

Incorporate your business

Make your business official and protect yourself by incorporating your business

• Legal entities and business licenses - What's the difference between an LLC and an S Corp? Answers to these questions and more regarding the legal structure of your startup
• How to form a corporation - Step by step processes for setting up a business corporation
• Protect a business idea - How important is protecting your business idea and when do you disclose information? Find out here
• Read more about incorporating a business
• Special offer: Get $25 off when incorporating your business with The Company Corporation.

Write a business plan

A solid business plan raises your chances for success and helps you to get funding

• What is a business plan? - Business planning expert and entrepreneur Tim Berry answers this question and more
• Business plan template - This SBA and bank approved template for a business plan can help you get started
• Business plan outline - What makes a successful business plan? Here are the pieces that lenders and investors expect
• Get ideas from our sample business plan library
• Promotion: Business Plan Pro software helps you write a professional business plan today

Funding & finance for a startup

Ensuring that your business has the financial resources to operate is critical to startup success

• Proper funding for your business - Know the right funding for your business type, from venture capitalists to SBA guaranteed loans.
• Small business funding tips - Eight tips to improve your chances of getting your small business funded
• Personal guarantee for credit approval - Often requested by lenders, know when to use the Personal Guarantee and when not to
• Read more about small business finance

Marketing & advertising your business

Effective marketing and advertising will promote your business and drive sales

• Marketing plan outline - The content of a standard marketing plan
• Market research - Nearly every company can benefit from market research data
• Sample marketing plans - Review complete sample marketing plans to inspire your own planning efforts
• Read more about small business marketing
• Promotion: Real-world Market Research data helps you to build a better business plan

Growing your business

A proper growth strategy will help you take your business to the next level

• Cash planning - Understanding how cash flow works will prevent your business from going broke even when producing a profit
• Strategic business planning - A solid business strategy keeps your business on focus and consistent over time
• Read more about small business growth

Business startup help

Sample business plans

Browse our library of over 500 sample business plans from a variety of industries

Business plan template

This business plan template follows the format preferred by the SBA and lenders

Business calculators

Our business calculators make it easy to quickly evaluate different aspects of your business

Free guide for startups

Get a free PDF of the "start a business" section from Tim Berry's classic business plan guide Hurdle: The Book on Business Planning