The Ultimate Business Startup Checklist
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The golf simulator industry is expected to triple over the next decade. We put together this checklist to help get you organized and to provide some links to resources that can help you start your business.
We are dedicated to helping you start your small business as quickly and easily as possible. In this section, we’ve listed the specific steps required to start your business in any state. Once you’ve formulated your business idea and developed a business plan, the next step is following our instructions for starting your business right the first time! Note: You don’t have to do this all at once. A best practice is to set some goals on completing a few each day to get you ready to open. Check back as we'll add more links as we find them. |
name your Business, get a logo, set up a website
Once you have an idea of the type of business you want to start, a logical first step is to name the business. Many of the next steps will rely on you providing a business name, so this is a good area to focus on first. We also advice getting a logo and naming your business up front. Even if you are a physical store, this is a great time to start attracting customers. Why wait until you open your doors to do good free content marketing and build customer awareness.
As you think about naming your business, you want to keep a few things in mind. First, the name should convey what service your business provides. Second, it should be easy to remember and type into a web search. Using numbers in the name makes accurate searches difficult. For example if you went with rent2own, you’d probably have folks searching for you as rent to own and never finding you. Third, you want a business name where the domain name is available for your website and social accounts. There are some great resources to help you pick a name and develop a brand. (Blue text are helpful links)
As you think about naming your business, you want to keep a few things in mind. First, the name should convey what service your business provides. Second, it should be easy to remember and type into a web search. Using numbers in the name makes accurate searches difficult. For example if you went with rent2own, you’d probably have folks searching for you as rent to own and never finding you. Third, you want a business name where the domain name is available for your website and social accounts. There are some great resources to help you pick a name and develop a brand. (Blue text are helpful links)
- Business Name Research: Namecheap is a great free resource to check for name availability on all sorts of domains and social accounts. It is also one of the least expensive ways to register your chosen name to make sure you have sole access to it for a website.
- Host and build your website: Weebly is the company I used to build and host this website. it was very easy to set up without knowing how to code and has websites, eCommerce & Marketing in one place.
- Get a logo: SmashingLogo Super easy to use logo service that you can start for free and create a great logo or find a designer to help you.
take care of the legal stuff and insurance
You basically have 4 choices when selecting a legal structure. You can form a Sole Proprietorship, a Partnership, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or a Corporation or S-Corporation. Choosing the best legal structure is important and is something on which you should consult an expert.
In addition to legal structure, you need to check into any licenses required by your state or local government. The are important to understand and obtain as you will be unable to do business without them. These can typcailly be found on your state and local government websites. While we are talking about the government, you'll also need to get a Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) from the IRS.
Insurance is also a critical service for your business. It can be make or break for you to stay in business when an event occurs. Imagine if a customer gets hurt in your facility and they sue you, you need protections so these sorts of things are not catastrophic Fortunately, there are a lot of great online options for small business insurance packaged.
In addition to legal structure, you need to check into any licenses required by your state or local government. The are important to understand and obtain as you will be unable to do business without them. These can typcailly be found on your state and local government websites. While we are talking about the government, you'll also need to get a Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) from the IRS.
Insurance is also a critical service for your business. It can be make or break for you to stay in business when an event occurs. Imagine if a customer gets hurt in your facility and they sue you, you need protections so these sorts of things are not catastrophic Fortunately, there are a lot of great online options for small business insurance packaged.
- Incorporation: MyCompanyWorks and BetterLegal are two great companies that can help you form a business structure. They've formed thousands of companies for clients with one simple mission: to make starting a business as simple, fast and inexpensive as possible.
- Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN): The IRS website provides an explanation, guidance and a link to apply for your FEIN. Getting one is free.
- Business Insurance: Embroker is an industry-leading digital brokers that helps small business owners quickly shop and compare A-rated insurance carriers for superior solutions that match their industry and budget.
financing, company setup, and hiring
We have a pretty extensive blog article covering six ways to finance your business so we won't repeat all that on this page. In addition to getting startup funding, you'll also want to set up a business banking account.
Setting up your company involves leasing space, along with buying the tools and equipment you need to run your company. This includes everything from a store front sign, a point-of-sale device, a customer database, a credit card processor, a payroll provider
Insurance is also a critical service for your business. It can be make or break for you to stay in business when an event occurs. Imagine if a customer gets hurt in your facility and they sue you, you need protections so these sorts of things are not catastrophic Fortunately, there are a lot of great online options for small business insurance packaged.
Company Services:
Setting up your company involves leasing space, along with buying the tools and equipment you need to run your company. This includes everything from a store front sign, a point-of-sale device, a customer database, a credit card processor, a payroll provider
Insurance is also a critical service for your business. It can be make or break for you to stay in business when an event occurs. Imagine if a customer gets hurt in your facility and they sue you, you need protections so these sorts of things are not catastrophic Fortunately, there are a lot of great online options for small business insurance packaged.
Company Services:
- Scheduling and Payroll: Homebase makes hourly work easier for over 1 million people. With free employee scheduling, time tracking, team communication, and hiring, managers can spend less time on paperwork and more time growing their business.
- Accept Credit Cards: The Merchant Store offers great rates on credit card processing and equipment. Get a free quote on point of sale equipment and credit card processing.
marketing and customer service
Marketing your company involves setting up and managing social accounts, creating a customer database, leveraging email, setting up google local and a host of other avenues. We've gathers a number of tools we think are great for you to use here.
Insurance is also a critical service for your business. It can be make or break for you to stay in business when an event occurs. Imagine if a customer gets hurt in your facility and they sue you, you need protections so these sorts of things are not catastrophic Fortunately, there are a lot of great online options for small business insurance packaged.
Insurance is also a critical service for your business. It can be make or break for you to stay in business when an event occurs. Imagine if a customer gets hurt in your facility and they sue you, you need protections so these sorts of things are not catastrophic Fortunately, there are a lot of great online options for small business insurance packaged.
- Email: Mailchimp is great and free for up to 2,000 customers. I use it for this site and they have easy to use sign up forms you can use to collect customer information on your website. ConvertKit is another great option.
- Social: Sprout makes it easy for you to build and grow strong relationships via social medial. Get a free trial using the link in red.
- Google Local - Semrush has a great article describing best practices on getting your business correctly set up for Google Local. It is an important way to ensure visibility for your business.
I hope you found these resources helpful. Please drop us a line if there is a resource you need and want some help finding.
