thread Re: What’s the first thing you did when you decided to start your business? 🧠 in Community Corner

What’s the first thing you did when you decided to start your business? 🧠

isabelle — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 14:22:30 GMT

Hi Seller Community! 🎃 Today we're wondering...

What’s the first thing you did when you decided to start your business?

Can't wait to read your replies 🤓

Re: What’s the first thing you did when you decided to start your business? 🧠

VanKalkerFarms — Wed, 06 Oct 2021 20:39:04 GMT

Meetings with our Lawyer and accountant. Figure out what is the best way for your business to be setup and getting the correct S corp or whatever paperwork filed with the state, and all the paperwork tied to that status. Starting out wrong can end up biting you back in taxes if you aren't filed and setup correctly.

Re: What’s the first thing you did when you decided to start your business? 🧠

Snowcones — Wed, 06 Oct 2021 21:28:34 GMT

I started buying things and then I started learning how to write a business plan...lol. I'm kinda backwards

Re: What’s the first thing you did when you decided to start your business? 🧠

mythicrunning — Wed, 06 Oct 2021 22:00:23 GMT

Borrowed the capital to buy an existing business. From there, I knew the tech and POS had to be updated from an outdated software based POS to an online/mobile app that could handle sales, inventory management, payroll, and work offline when the internet goes out. After that decision (Easy! Thanks, Square!), it was a re-branding and marketing, marketing, marketing.

Re: What’s the first thing you did when you decided to start your business? 🧠

JK_Fiber_Art — Wed, 06 Oct 2021 22:59:54 GMT

Here's what we did:

* First decided on our Business Name.

* Then searched our State's info to see if the name was available.

* Next we registered our business name with the State.

* We decided on going with an LLC - this keeps your personal life separate from your business life.

* Contacted an attorney for assistance with setting up the LLC - safer than doing this on your own, but can be expensive.

* Picked a Domain Name for our website.

* Found a location for our physical location and applied for all the necessary town related permits as we had to do some remodeling.

* Applied for a State Tax license and local Business license.

* Met with a sign company who created our physical signage and business logo.

* Contacted our local paper to make some opening ads.

* Setup our website and setup several social media accounts.

* Opened a Square Account to process credit card sales.

* Purchased all the necessary Square Hardware - iPad, Stand, Printer, etc.

* Setup a Square Online Shop and linked that to our website.

It took some time but, hey we're now a physical and online business - now almost 9 years old and still in business - not bad for being a small business in a Mountain Resort Town.

Re: What’s the first thing you did when you decided to start your business? 🧠

aarontw — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 00:02:05 GMT

I love this story @JK_Fiber_Art ! A set of steps from 0-9 years 😮

@isabelle recently posted a seller spotlight about another seller that is Fiber Art Focused, I think it was about a member of our TogetHER: Women in Business Group.

Maybe she can share the link here so you can check it out.

Re: What’s the first thing you did when you decided to start your business? 🧠

isabelle — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 00:06:03 GMT

@JK_Fiber_Art 👏

Take a look here!

Re: What’s the first thing you did when you decided to start your business? 🧠

CRICEBOOKS — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 02:00:48 GMT

Pick out a business name was the first thing I did when I decided to go full in.

Re: What’s the first thing you did when you decided to start your business? 🧠

Gammarauder13 — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 08:59:04 GMT

shed a tear for a moment when I realized that "yes, this is really happening". $#!+-eating grin from ear to ear.

Re: What’s the first thing you did when you decided to start your business? 🧠

InnOnTurner — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 15:01:43 GMT

Great reply JK...This is prescisely what we did as well and a fabulous overview....we opened our Inn and unfortunately used another credit card processing site until we found Square (Square is soooo much easier to use and has great reports if you are a numbers nerd like my partner for following data year over year or breaking down sales) Good luck and Congrats Isabelle !!

Re: What’s the first thing you did when you decided to start your business? 🧠

BirchGroveDesig — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 16:48:48 GMT

We need to be friends! I am the same way, now I am asking what the heck was I doing!?

Re: What’s the first thing you did when you decided to start your business? 🧠

Shaquasia — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 17:02:06 GMT

Watched a couple Youtube videos to figure out what was needed and expected from me so that my business could be successful.

Re: What’s the first thing you did when you decided to start your business? 🧠

SHazlehurst — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 18:04:25 GMT

- Check on Business Name.

- Get insurance

- Sent a proposal

- Get 50% Deposit.

- Do a GREAT job.

- Referrals have been coming for over 30 years.

- Square came many years later and has been a great tool to handle my customers.

Love to have my own business!

Re: What’s the first thing you did when you decided to start your business? 🧠

CobbStreet — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 18:50:44 GMT

Panicked! Then got to work 🙂

Re: What’s the first thing you did when you decided to start your business? 🧠

cherrycreeklure — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 19:55:39 GMT

Made sure i filed the company correctly called and got forms and payments arranged. Ein filed that's employee identification number made sure i picked the rite type of business LLC and its domain. fed tax identification #

Re: What’s the first thing you did when you decided to start your business? 🧠

generalfork — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 20:05:13 GMT

THAT IS AWESOME INFORMATION JK.

THANKS FOR SHARING THAT. YOU ARE SPOT ON.

Re: What’s the first thing you did when you decided to start your business? 🧠

jacjig — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 20:39:00 GMT

1 Domain Name Search

2 Incorporate

3 Open Biz banking Account

Re: What’s the first thing you did when you decided to start your business? 🧠

BofBArtStudio — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 21:06:26 GMT

It was 2013 at Thanksgiving and our family was sitting around the dinner table contemplating and discussing our idea of opening a Create & Paint Studio. The first step after agreeing on the idea was to give it a name. We decided that we wanted something that was happy and positive and depicted taking a lump of clay into a beautiful vase or a blank canvas into a beautiful masterpiece, as well as the feeling you get when you are brimming with excitement. Burst Of Butterflies became that name. Like a Burst Of Butterflies fluttering in your tummy when you are excited, and a caterpillar turning to a beautiful butterfly. The next steps, of course, were business plan, licenses, and finding a building.

Re: What’s the first thing you did when you decided to start your business? 🧠

littleblossom — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 21:44:36 GMT

I did my research on starting a business, and in particular on publishing and consulting. I wrote a business plan, evaluated it and then decided to "go for it". The first business-y step I took was to register my business with the state.

Re: What’s the first thing you did when you decided to start your business? 🧠

PotluckCollab — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 21:46:48 GMT

Me and my sister picked out a name. It took us weeks to do so.