When I opened my dm’s a common question was:
HOW DO I SET UP MY BUSINESS LEGALLY? WHERE DO I START?
I AM SO OVERWHELMED WITH EVERYTHING
Probably due to information overload. I get it, you find a topic and research it to death. To the point where your eye is twitching and you have a crazy headache (been there, done that). So I want to offer a hand in helping you set up everything from scratch for free!
STEP ONE: SEARCH YOUR NAME ON NAMECHEAP/GODADDY
Before you start to get your new business name on the map you have to decide where it’s going to live when you create the website!
Search for the domain. It’s so cheap to claim on a yearly plan and make sure no one else can have it.
STEP TWO: HIRE A CPA OR ACCOUNTANT
When we first set up our taxes, our tax preparer had me under sole proprietorship which is cheaper to start but, more money is taken out of your account as you are taxed as a self-employed person
I recently changed tax preparers and have been an LLC for quite some time. They did the entire process for me because I wanted to make sure it was done right the first time. I highly suggest getting a separate business account, and credit just for business purposes to make it so much easier at the end of your quarters to make sure things are perfectly separate.
I currently use Wave receipts to track coffee dates and any purchases I make for my business. Download the entire year and present it to my accountant
Also, if you want the ULTIMATE $7,000 saver. Use MileIQ to track my miles every time I get in the car and make a drive. If you put appointments in your calendar, you can always track your business trips monthly. Just swipe left for personal and swipe right for business. It’s just that easy. And you can use MileIQ like I do for 50% off – yay!
STEP THREE: FIND A WEBSITE PLATFORM
Yay! You are officially legit and going places so fast!! Now I believe that a social media presence is vital if you want to create a space and make your business known.
But, I think relying on social media ALONE is a disservice to your business.
EXAMPLE #1: REMEMBER WHEN INSTAGRAM + FACEBOOK WERE DOWN?
Uh uh, because you don’t own the platform. You DO, however, own your website.
So if something goes down and social media disappears, you don’t
Here are some suggestions that are easy to start:
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Showit
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Squarespace
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Prophoto
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WordPress
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Wix
I can attest to these because I have used every one of these sites and they have served me in different points of my business. I consider an EASY starter site to be Squarespace + Wix. With the more advanced site being Showit (my secret love).
Consider the pricing plans of all the selections and of course, choose what logically feels like the best fit for you in your business now! Don’t overthink it. Make a choice and get to work on it!
