Tools to Start and Grow Your Business: A Checklist

To help answer a question I get asked regularly (including several times during the recent COSE Small Business Conference) I put together a checklist of essential issues to consider when looking to start and/or growing your business. 

Today we are fortunate to have a variety of affordable small business tools on the market to assist us in each of these areas.  We will point to tools to help you make informed choices in each of these areas.  We'll provide you with links to product reviews; announcements of new products and services in the market; helpful resources such as free webinars and podcasts; and advice from experts in a given area. 

Company 

Choosing a legal form for your business

Choose a business name and complete a trademark search

Get licenses and permits

Planning

Establish business model and pricing

Write a business plan

Develop revenue and expense projections

Funding

Determine financing and working capital needs

Decide source of financing (savings, credit cards, loans, angel, VC)

Develop a financing plan and pursue

Operations

Obtain office space

Furniture and business equipment

Set up a computer system

Set up a phone system

Establish supplier relationships

Obtain business insurance

Financial Systems

Set up accounting system

Establish banking relationship

Advisors

Establish Accountant/CPA relationship

Establish legal counsel relationship

Establish Advisory board

Marketing

Develop marketing plan

Create a corporate identify kit (logo, business cards, letterhead, labels)

Develop a website

Develop a blog

Consider trademarks

Staffing

Establish staffing needs

Recruit and hire employees

Establish independent contractor relationships

Develop employee handbook

Develop work for hire agreements for contractors