A business plan is critical to the success of a business and can be seen as a plan that describes your business, products/services, market, and describes how your business will go about expanding for the next three to five years. It is essentially a "road map" for your business to follow going forward.   How to Write a Business Plan offers much useful information on the process, such as:  determining your potential market and its viability; identifying your business' initial needs and start-up costs; identifying potential investors; establishing your business strategy and marketing plan; and creating a clear, concise document that ends with your "executive summary," in which you essentially "sell" your business to investors and interested parties. See the following wikiHow articles for more information on How to Start a Small Business; starting up a small retail business such as a bakery; and the specifics of starting a business in California, for example, among others. To make sure you’re ready to open up, consult the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) 10-part checklist for starting a business.  Each part of the checklist is summarized in the following three steps below. Before starting your business and filing the necessary papers, it is important to decide on how your business will be legally structured.  Generally speaking, you will be establishing either a sole proprietorship; partnership; corporation;  or limited liability company (LLC).  There are important legal and tax implications for each.  A sole proprietorship is owned and run by one person, and there is no distinction between the owner and the business. This means that all the business' profits, losses, debts, and liabilities are your responsibility. Choose this if you are the sole owner and want full responsibility for the business. Partnership. A partnership occurs when two or more people share ownership. In a partnership, each partner has equal share (unless specified) in the profits, liabilities, and management of the business. This can be useful in terms of pooling capital and expertise to start the business. Corporation: A corporation is an independent legal entity owned by shareholders. Generally, this structure is not appropriate for small businesses. Limited Liability Company (LLC): An LLC is similar to a partnership, except members are protected from personal liability for actions of the LLC. For example, if the LLC is sued, the personal assets of the partners are typically exempt. If you are worried about personal exposure to lawsuits or debts arising from your business, this may be a good option. A different procedure exists for forming each one of these structures, and some require more work while others are extremely simple. Details surrounding how to form each type can be located on the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) website.  Forming a sole proprietorship is most simple, as it involves no formal action. Simply obtain your EIN (described below), establish a business name (described below), and your can include your business income on your personal tax return. LLC's, Partnerships, and Corporations are slightly more involved to form, requiring specific paperwork. To learn the details on each, check the SBA website, or contact the SBA. Also known as an Employee Identification Number (EIN), the EIN is used to identify your business for tax purposes. Applying for an EIN is simple, and can be done within minutes on the IRS website.  Note that if you are starting a partnership or a sole proprietorship, it is not necessary to obtain an EIN. However, it can be wise to do so anyway. Without an EIN, your business will be identified by your Social Security Number (SSN) for tax purposes. Keeping your SSN private reduces the odds of identity theft.. Unless you are running the business under your own name, such as "John Smith Painting," most states require you to register a "Doing Business As" (DBA) name for tax and legal purposes.  Registering a DBA is done with your state government or county clerk's office. Search the specific requirements of your state online. Establishing a DBA name usually just takes minutes to complete, and is especially useful if you have a sole proprietorship. This allows you to have a business name separate from your personal name. When you form a sole proprietorship, the business name will automatically default to your personal name unless you file a DBA. The city or county which you operate within will require a business license. Typically, these forms can be found on the website for your city.  These forms will require your business type, address, # of employees, EIN, and possibly information regarding revenue (estimations will work fine here). Keep in mind that licensing requirements often apply to online and home-based businesses as well as typical brick-and-mortar businesses. Requirements do vary according to location, so be certain to contact your local and state government to determine specific requirements. Unfortunately, each city or county has different permit requirements for businesses. These can include things like "Home Occupation Permits" for home based businesses, "Alarm Permits" if your business requires a commercial alarm, or various alcohol and firearm permits. Contact your local government's permitting bureau or similar authority, or seek out the local chamber of commerce or business association for advice. It is very important not to mix business and personal finances, as this can lead to issues with the IRS. Having separate bank accounts for business and personal transaction simplifies accounting and makes tax requirements easier to understand. To open a business account, simply contact your local bank or credit union. While forming a sole proprietorship is relatively simple, if you are forming an LLC, Corporation, or Partnership, it is essential to involve a professional. A professional can guide you through which forms to fill out, and can also help you draft important partnership documents. For example, forming an LLC or Partnership involves documents specifying what ownership is attributed to each partner. This must be specified in a legally valid form.
تأكد من وضع خطة العمل. حدد الهيكل القانوني للمشروع التجاري. قم بإعداد المستندات اللازمة لتأسيس الهيكل القانوني المُختار. احصل على رقم التعريف الضريبي. قم بتسجيل اسمك التجاري. اطلب الحصول على رخصة تجارية. استفسر كذلك عن التصاريح التجارية الأخرى اللازمة. إنشاء حساب بنكي لمشروعك التجاري. تواصل مع محاسب أو محامي متخصص في المشاريع التجارية الصغيرة من أجل المزيد من المعلومات.