By Emma Grace Brown
Define Your Business
Taking a passion or a skill and turning it into a business is a giant leap, and if you fail to define the venture, you'll be starting on the wrong foot. Writing down "I want to sell my designs online" is not enough, but it's a good start as you have the base of what you're going to do. Expanding from there, go into specifics. What types of crafts will you sell? Are you going to offer them online?
Whatever you're going to do, know the product or service you're selling inside out, and research the market and the competition to know what to expect.
Develop a Business Plan
Regardless of what you plan on offering, you're going to need a solid business plan. Your company will expand and evolve but getting a plan on paper is imperative as it will keep you focused on what you want to accomplish and is convenient if you ever need to secure funds. The business plan doesn't need to be a massive document, but it needs as much detail as possible. You should include information like your company's objectives, the scope of your venture, the business model, market analysis, management, and financial aspects. You can revise the plan, later on, to reflect any changes in your enterprise and update your goals. Will you be working from a designated office or storefront or from home? You’ll need to include your business’s location in your business plan and detail how you’ll make everything work. For example, if you’re working from home, you’ll need to consider all the necessary equipment you’ll need, including items such as a high-resolution monitor, ergonomic desk and chair, headset, and reliable laptop.
Decide on a Business
Entity Type Many successful entrepreneurs recommend those just starting to put a great deal of thought and research into this step. The entity type will have legal, administrative, and financial impacts on your business, with some of them including sole proprietorship, LLC, C Corporation, etc. Among these structures, the LLC is the best option for a small business - it offers several benefits, such as flexibility, tax advantages, limited liability if the venture fails or collects debts, and less paperwork to deal with. In addition, rather than working with a lawyer, you can fill the forms yourself or form an LLC through a formation service to handle it since it’s cheaper. However, before deciding and proceeding with the paperwork, ensure you look up the regulations around establishing the LLC structure for your small business.
Open a Business Bank
Account Business owners should never mix their personal and business finances. Not only is it a pierce to the corporate veil, but it can destroy the personal legal and financial liability protections you get if you form an LLC. To prevent blurring this line, open a bank account and use it only for business purposes.
Setting Up Your Security
These days, all business owners have to be prepared to encounter a wide variety of cyber threats. These aren’t just concerns for major corporations; in fact, hackers will often target smaller businesses specifically because they sometimes have more lax security. So the future of your business depends on protecting yourself – and your customers – from these threats.
The Bottom Line
A home-based business in today's world is simply a remote-friendly company where technology can close the gap between you, your employees, your suppliers, and your customers. All in all, a home-based venture is an opportunity to start small, grow nimbly, and invest cautiously, especially when you can cut the costs of renting an office.
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