Here are a few things that may seem simple but can easily get overlooked or pushed off, then pushed off AGAIN. And then again, and again. But missing any one of these simple and somewhat obvious steps can stop your business in the early stages, or maybe worse, slam you hard just when you thought you were starting to make real progress. So this small business checklist may come in handy.
Some things can be put off, in fact some things should be put off until you have a clearer idea of exactly what you need. Yet, some things need to be done and will only get harder to get done as you get busier and busier. The list below has come from experience of operating 6 of my own businesses as well as consulting to many client businesses. Yeah, it’s a lot. But then again the rewards of having a sound business that will take care of you and your family for a long time is worth building on solid ground.
Small Business Checklist – not necessarily in order
- Register the business with any necessary governmental agency.
- Get a domain name. Maybe you can’t get a “.com” anymore for your business but grab something. There are a lot of other top level domains now available: .ca .org .oi .bz .biz .xyz (really). It may not be important now, but it will be at some point (a domain name is not a website) NamesCheap.com and GoDaddy are two very easy to use registrars.
- Make sure you have a BOOKKEEPER or at least some bookkeeping software. DON’T leave this for later.
- Make sure you have an invoicing process. A definite PROCESS. Manual is better than nothing, software is better than manual and a bookkeeper is better than just software.
- Any license you need, duh! Of course if you are a trades’ person, Electrician, Plumber etc. you know this, but make sure there is not a license required for the type of work you do. Check!
- INSURANCE. Depending on what you are doing, this can be more or less important. But if you are on other people’s property, some kind of liability insurance is important. LOOK INTO IT!
- At least think about a website; get one if you can. It can be very very simple, but it begins building “authority” with Google. You can get absolutely free websites, but usually without the ability to use your own domain from WIX, Squarespace, Weebly, and others, but here is one that is ABSOLUTELY FREE for life, does not even require a credit card and you can use your own domain Get totally free website from GrooveFunnels.
- Come up with a logo, or at least use your company name consistently. You can get a log made pretty cheaply at fiver.com or from VistaPrint.
- The above small business checklist is really a list of things that are critical. Things that you will need to do at some point. As mentioned above, if sales are slow, you can use some time to do some of these items. Some of them will actually help a lot with your sales efforts as you will need to think about what you are selling, who you are selling it to as well as other details. But these things will have to get done eventually if you want a successful sustainable business.
If you have any questions at all about items on this list, or would like help to get them done, use the form below to contact me. You will be put on my email list and I will send you useful information. More importantly, you can respond to any of the emails you get, just by hitting reply, and I will respond to you directly.
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I hope this small business checklist has been helpful to you
