Home (Online) Business Startup Checklist
Now that you have decided that you want to start your own business, the next
batch of questions that you will have to think about are what do I have to do to
start my business? The information that follows is designed to address these
questions and help you get started on the right foot.
The following is a list of Business Start Up Needs and issues facing the new
business owner and Flashecom's recommendations. Take some time
to go through the entire list, and if there is something that we have not
addressed, let us know and we can add it to the list for future business
owners.
Contents
This is a very simple but unfortunately somewhat difficult question to answer.
The first thing to ask yourself is actually "What am I going to
use the computer for?" In this section we will assume that you will be
using it for managing your website as its primary use.
Your next question has to be Desktop, or Laptop. Until recently there was no way you could run a business with nothing more than a
laptop computer. However, with the advance in wireless access and the speed and
power of laptops, it is now commonplace.
The operating system is completely a matter of choice. You will have to choose
between Windows XP and Windows Vista. If you have experiencing working with one
then that is the one you should choose. No, you cannot use a Mac at this point
unless you choose one that will run dual operating systems and MS Internet
Explorer.
Other than the operating system and the included browser (MS Internet Explorer)
there is absolutely no special software required to manage your Flashecom
website.
There are a number of different ways to get high-speed internet to your home.
The biggest factor in what you can choose from is geography. Someone in a highly
populated urban environment will have significantly more options that someone in a
predominantly rural area. However this is a list of what is out there. You will
have to decide what is best for you based upon your location and budget,
- DSL
- Cable
- Wireless
- Satellite
Generally speaking you will need a few different licenses to conduct business
legally, and those are generally a Federal Tax ID Number (EIN), a State Business
Permit, and a local/city business license. Some of these are free of cost (Federal
Tax ID) while others require paying a fee (local business license). Before you
start your business make sure you do your homework and make sure you are in
compliance with all Federal, State, County, and local regulations to avoid any
problem down the road.
This is called different things in different states in the US, but the reason
you need it is simple. REAL Wholesaler Suppliers are not going to charge you any
tax on the products they ship to your customer. At the end of the year, they have
to show the IRS why they did NOT charge you that tax.
Your "Sales Tax ID number" proves that YOU are collecting sales tax on your
customers' purchases. The general rule is that you only collect sales tax on the
products shipped to addresses in the state where your business resides, but you
should check to be sure how this is done in your own state.
The Wholesale Supplier keeps a copy of your "Sales Tax ID number" on file, so that
they are not liable for the tax on the products shipped to your customers.
Every state has a web site listing information about the tax rules in that state,
and where you can obtain your "Sales Tax ID number". You can click on your home
state below to go to that site, and get the information you need.
In addition to the Federal Tad ID Number you are also to have a State Business
License:
Alabama - http://www.ador.state.al.us/licenses/authrity.html
Alaska - http://www.dced.state.ak.us/occ/buslic.htm
Arizona - http://www.revenue.state.az.us/license.htm
Arkansas - http://www.arkansas.gov/business_res.php
California - http://www.calgold.ca.gov/
Colorado - http://www.state.co.us/oed/industry-license/index.cfm
Connecticut - http://www.state.ct.us/
Delaware - http://www.state.de.us/revenue/services/Business_Tax/Step3.shtml
District of Columbia - http://www.dcra.dc.gov/
Florida - http://sun6.dms.state.fl.us/dor/businesses/
Georgia - http://www.sos.state.ga.us/corporations/regforms.htm
Hawaii - http://www.hawaii.gov/dbedt/business/start_grow/
Idaho - http://www.idoc.state.id.us/Pages/BUSINESSPAGE.html
Illinois - http://www.business.illinois.gov/licenses.cfm
Indiana - http://www.state.in.us/sic/owners/ia.html
Iowa - nging.com/business/blic.html /
Kansas - https://www.accesskansas.org/businesscenter/index.html?link=maintain#licenserenewals
Kentucky - http://www.thinkkentucky.com/kyedc/ebpermits.asp
Louisiana - http://www.louisiana.gov/wps/portal/.cmd/cs/.ce/155/.s/1114/_s.155/1110/_me/1110
Maine - http://www.maine.gov/portal/business/licensing.html
Maryland - http://www.dllr.state.md.us/
Massachusetts - http://www.state.ma.us/sec/cor/coridx.htm
Michigan - http://medc.michigan.org/services/startups/index2.asp
Minnesota - http://www.dted.state.mn.uss
Mississippi - http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/mssbdc/going_intobus.html
Missouri - http://www.missouribusiness.net/docs/license_registration_checklist.asp
Montana - http://www.state.mt.us/sos/biz.htm
Nebraska - http://assist.neded.org/licensed.html
at this time
New Hampshire - http://www.nhsbdc.org/startup.htm
New Jersey - http://www.state.nj.us/njbiz/s_lic_and_cert.shtml
New York - http://www.dos.state.ny.us/lcns/licensing.html
New Mexico - Not available at this time
Nevada - http://secretaryofstate.biz/comm_rec/index.htm
North Carolina - http://www.nccommerce.com/en/BusinessServices/StartYourBusiness/BusinessLicensesPermits
North Dakota - http://www.nd.gov/sos/businessserv/registrations/business-search.html
Ohio - http://www.sos.state.oh.us/sos/businessservices/corp.aspx
Oklahoma - http://www.okonestop.com/
Oregon - http://www.filinginoregon.com
Pennsylvania - http://www.paopenforbusiness.state.pa.us
Rhode Island - http://www.dlt.ri.gov/lmi/jobseeker/license.htm
South Carolina - http://www.state.sd.us/STATE/sitecategory.cfm?mp=Licenses/Occupations
South Dakota - http://www.sdreadytowork.com/community/resources/startup/step8.asp
Tennessee - http://www.tennesseeanytime.org/business/index.html
Texas - http://www.tded.state.tx.us/guide/
Utah - http://www.commerce.state.ut.us/web/commerce/admin/licen.htm
Vermont - http://www.sec.state.vt.us/
Virginia - http://www.dba.state.va.us/licenses/
Washington - http://www.wa.gov/dol/bpd/limsnet.htm
West Virginia - http://www.state.wv.us/taxrev/busreg.html
Wisconsin - http://www.wdfi.org/corporations/forms/
Wyoming - http://soswy.state.wy.us/corporat/corporat.htm
First have your business paperwork together and organized. The next step is to
contact your local city hall and/or county government offices to determine the kind
of license to obtain along with the proper paperwork. Complete the paperwork; file
it with the proper application fee with the appropriate government. Most likely
this process will have to be done in person. Annually you will need to file a
renewal of your business license.
Any business checking account will be fine initially. If you already have a bank
account or checking account then start with the institution that you already have a
relationship with. Beyond that look for the fewest fees and features like Online
Banking services, overdraft services, etc.
In order to accept credit card payments you will need to find a company to
provide Merchant Services. The Merchant company will process your credit card
payments, and charge you a percentage of the sale as well as a per transaction fee.
Obviously, the goal is to find the company that provides the lowest fees as well as
secure transactions.
People who shop online recognize PayPal right off the bat. It is the best way
for potential customers, who may be hesitant to give out their credit card
information online. PayPal provides a secure server (SSL) that keeps transactions
safe. Moreover one’s credit card information is only revealed to
PayPal and not the merchant.
In the world of ecommerce Google is a trusted name. Google Checkout is a fast,
convenient checkout option that harmonizes the existing checkout process and
facilitates customers to buy from you quickly and securely, using a single username
and password. For every $1 you spend on AdWords, you can process $10 in sales for
free. If you do not use Google search advertising or you go beyond your free
transaction processing, you can process additional sales at a low 2% and $0.20 per
transaction.
How to get a Federal Tax ID/EIN Number
This is called different things in different states in the US, but the reason
you need it is simple. REAL Wholesaler Suppliers are not going to charge you any
tax on the products they ship to your customer. At the end of the year, they have
to show the IRS why they did NOT charge you that tax.
Your "Sales Tax ID number" proves that YOU are collecting sales tax on your
customers' purchases. The general rule is that you only collect sales tax on the
products shipped to addresses in the state where your business resides, but you
should check to be sure how this is done in your own state.
The Wholesale Supplier keeps a copy of your "Sales Tax ID number" on file, so that
they are not liable for the tax on the products shipped to your customers.
Every state has a web site listing information about the tax rules in that state,
and where you can obtain your "Sales Tax ID number". You can click on your home
state below to go to that site, and get the information you need.
