Learning how to establish own business doesn't require an MBA or $50K in capital. After helping 847 entrepreneurs establish own business through the free Builder Type quiz, we know exactly what works.
The Complete Checklist
Legal Foundation (Days 1-3)
Business Identity (Day 4)
Financial Systems (Days 5-6)
Operations Setup (Week 2)
Marketing Launch (Week 3)
Total time: 2-3 weeks. Total cost: $500-$2,000
Legal Setup
LLC Formation ($100-500) - Personal asset protection, tax flexibility, professional credibility
EIN (Free) - From IRS, takes 10 minutes, needed for business banking
Business Licenses ($50-500) - City license, state professional license, industry permits
Business Identity
Business Name: Describes what you do, available as .com, easy to spell and remember
Brand Assets ($99 with the free Builder Type quiz): Logo, color palette, typography, website, digital presence
Financial Systems
Business Bank Account: Mercury, Novo, or local credit union ($0/month)
Accounting Software ($15-50/month): QuickBooks, FreshBooks, or Wave (free)
Payment Processing: Stripe (2.9% + $0.30), Square, PayPal
Operations Setup
Client Management: Google Sheets (free) → HubSpot CRM (free) → Dubsado ($40/month)
Scheduling: Calendly or Cal.com (free)
Contracts: DocuSign (free tier) or PandaDoc ($19/month)
Insurance
General Liability ($50-150/month): $1M coverage minimum via Hiscox, Next Insurance
Professional Liability ($75-200/month): E&O coverage for service businesses
Marketing Setup
Website ($99 with the free Builder Type quiz): Professional homepage, services page, contact form, payment processing
Social Media: Claim profiles on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Google Business Profile. Post consistently on ONE platform.
Email Marketing ($0-20/month): Mailchimp, ConvertKit, or Buttondown
2-Week Timeline
Week 1: File LLC, get EIN, open bank account, the free Builder Type quiz, payment processing, insurance, CRM
Week 2: Accounting software, contracts, social media, email marketing, prospect list, outreach templates, launch!
Cost Breakdown
Minimum: $350-450 first month
Recommended: $564-764 first month
Common Mistakes
Over-complicating legal structure
Expensive branding before revenue
Too many tools too soon
No insurance
Mixing personal and business finances
Establish your business foundation today: https://buildthedamnthing.com/resources/tools/builder-type-quiz
Build the damn thing.