Starting a small business: your first 30 days, in order.

Week 1: Name, legal foundation, and money basics.

Get your legal identity and business banking settled first. Every service you sign up for later will ask for your legal name, tax number, or bank details.

1. Pick a business name you can clear. Before printing anything, check domain availability, state business registries, and the federal trademark database. See our guide on how to pick a business name you can actually use.
2. Register your entity with your state. File your Articles of Organization for an LLC or register a DBA (Doing Business As) with your state or county clerk. Review registration steps on the Small Business Administration register your business guide.
3. Get a free federal Employer Identification Number (EIN). An EIN separates your business tax identity from your personal Social Security number. Apply directly and for free on the official IRS EIN application page.
4. Open a dedicated business bank account. Never run customer money through your personal checking account. Take your state registration and EIN letter to a local bank or online business bank. Read our checklist on money basics to set up before your first sale.
5. Choose your primary payment method. Pick how customers will pay you on day one: an in-person card reader (such as Square) or an online invoice and payment link (such as Stripe).

Week 2: Domain, email address, and phone line.

Set up your communication channels so potential customers reach a professional inbox and voicemail rather than your personal cell phone.

1. Register your custom domain name. Buy your domain from a reputable registrar like Cloudflare, Porkbun, or Namecheap. Avoid long hyphens or confusing spellings.
2. Set up a professional business email address. Route email for hello@yourdomain.com using Google Workspace, Zoho Mail, or free Cloudflare Email Routing. Walk through the steps in our guide to set up a business email address on your domain.
3. Authenticate your domain records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC). Add your starter DNS records so messages do not land in customer spam folders. Follow our plain-English guide to set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC.
4. Get a dedicated business phone line. Keep your personal cell number private by adding a dedicated line on your phone via an app. Follow our guide on how to get a business phone number without carrying a second phone.
5. Record a clean business voicemail greeting. State your business name clearly, note your normal callback window, and offer an alternative way to reach you (such as texting or visiting your website).

Week 3: Website foundation, getting found, and storefront.

Give customers a reliable place to confirm you are real, check what you sell, see your hours, and contact you.

1. Publish a simple, focused website. You only need five core sections on day one: who you are, what you offer, where you work, prices or estimates, and how to get in touch.
2. Claim your Google Business Profile. Local customers find nearby shops, studios, and services on Google Maps. Follow our afternoon tutorial to set up your Google Business Profile.
3. Add your basic legal website pages. Post your Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Mention how you handle customer data, refunds, and communications.
4. Put a signup link or form on your site. Give interested visitors an easy way to join your contact list before they leave. See our platform tutorials for Squarespace, Shopify, or WordPress.
5. Test your contact forms and phone routing. Submit a test message on your site form and call your business number from a friend’s phone to verify notifications work.

Week 4: Building your list, email rules, and launch prep.

Prepare your marketing channels so you own your audience from the day you open your doors.

1. Review basic marketing email rules. Understand postal address disclosures, clear unsubscribe links, and affirmative consent before sending a single campaign. Read our guide on email rules every small business should know.
2. Write your welcome email sequence. When someone joins your list, greet them right away with a friendly note that confirms what to expect. Copy templates from our welcome email series.
3. Prepare your customer texting compliance. If you plan to text customers reminders or updates, make sure your signup forms and website privacy policy meet carrier requirements. See our guide to get your business ready to text customers before you apply.
4. Gather your first 20 to 100 subscribers. Ask your personal network, place a counter QR code, and put a direct link in your social bios. Walk through our playbook to get your first 100 email subscribers.
5. Work through your final launch checklist. Run through your opening week plan, send your launch announcement, and follow up with early leads using our launch-week checklist for a small business.

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