The steps for starting your own business can be confusing. Figuring out what steps to take first is like playing a game of chess without the rules or knowing how many pieces you have on the board.
These steps will help you figure out where to start and put all of your resources into one place so that they are not scattered throughout your house, office, or wherever you might be living right now.
1. Do your research
The best way to start any process is by doing your research. You have to know what you are getting yourself into and what the steps are in order to do that.
The internet is a great place to start, but don’t forget about the people around you who might have started their own businesses before. Ask them how they did it, what steps they took, and what steps you should take before starting your own business.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions or reach out for help if needed! There are plenty of resources available online where you can get answers quickly about specific steps that will fit with the steps you have already taken so far.
Once you’ve done all of your research and feel confident about the steps you need to take, it’s time to move on to step two.
2. Create a business plan
Once you’ve done your research, it’s time to create a business plan.
A business plan is essentially steps one through five of this blog post in written form! It will explain everything that you need to know about starting your own small business and the steps involved.
This step may seem like overkill for some people since they may not want to start their own business, but it’s still an important step to take. It will keep you accountable for what steps you are taking and the steps that need to be taken in order for your small business to succeed!
Once you’ve written down all of your ideas on paper (or digitally), there is one more thing that needs to be done in order for you to move on to the next steps.
You have to take that business plan and put it into action!
This is where a lot of people stumble because they’ve created this great document with all their ideas but don’t know how to start implementing them. That’s where step three comes in handy.
3. Get funding (if necessary)
One of the steps that is often skipped over when starting a business is getting funding.
This doesn’t mean you have to go out and get a loan from the bank, but it does mean that you need to start thinking about how much money you will need in order to start your business and keep it running for at least six months.
There are plenty of resources for starting a small business that will help you figure out how much money you need, where to get it from (if necessary), and what steps you should take in order to make sure your company succeeds.
If there is one thing people don’t want when it comes to funding their businesses, it’s surprises.
Struggling to Find Your Purpose?

Download this FREE eBook for a guide to finding your purpose.
Start living the life you’ve always dreamed.
4. Register your business
Once you have your business plan in place and you feel confident about it, it’s time to register your company.
This is one of the steps that many people forget about because they are eager to get started with their companies! That’s perfectly fine if this step isn’t necessary for what kind of business you’re putting together, but make sure you do your research first.
There are plenty of steps that need to be taken in order for a business to succeed and one of those steps is having the right paperwork! Registering your company will make it official and give people more confidence when they see who’s behind the name on all documents.
Once you’ve registered, there may be steps you need to take in order to get your company up and running.
This may include getting business permits, applying for the right licenses, or even having an office space that is designated as a work area! These steps aren’t always necessary but they can definitely help out when it comes time to move on step five.
5. Market your business
This is the step that a lot of people are excited about because it’s where they get to start showcasing their business to the world!
Marketing your business can be done in a variety of ways, but it’s important to make sure you’re doing something. You can’t just put your company online and expect people to come knocking on your door.
You can take steps to promote your business by doing things like blogging, creating social profiles on different sites (like Facebook and Twitter), contacting other businesses in your industry for collaborations or guest posts, etc. The possibilities are endless when it comes to marketing!
Once you’ve started implementing the steps that were outlined in this blog post, it’s time to start making steps towards actually running your business.
Remember that starting a small business is hard work and takes dedication, but if you put in the effort then there are plenty of rewards waiting for you!
6. Hire employees (if necessary)
This is a step that a lot of small business owners don’t have to take because they are doing everything themselves, but it’s definitely something to think about if you’re starting to get overwhelmed.
Hiring employees can be a daunting task, but it’s important to find the right people for your company who share the same values and goals.
You’ll also want to make sure you create steps for hiring employees so that the process is done right. This includes creating an application, setting up interviews, and doing background checks on anyone who can potentially be a future employee of your business!
While these steps may seem like a lot at first glance, they are necessary if you ever want to take a step back from your business and allow someone else to take the reins.
Running a small business can be tough, but it’s definitely worth it in the end! Make sure you’re taking all of the necessary steps to start and grow your company so that you can achieve success.
Related:

Looking to Grow Your Career?
Check out Harness Your Butterflies: The Young Professional’s Metamorphosis to an Exciting Career available now.