Love What You Do!
Step 1: Prepare for Washington State Business Success
Do you love this business idea? Are you good at what you do? Do you have the time to dedicate to the business? Do you have supportive friends and family? These are important considerations as you prepare for starting a business. Your passion for this business is going to sustain you through the late nights and early mornings as you grow your small enterprise.
Step 2: Plan Your Business
Is there a market for your products and services?
- Research your market (SBA)
- Take a startup class – There are a variety of business coaches and resources throughout Washington. You can find them on the Evergreen BizLink Resource
Do you have the time in your week to develop your business idea, track your revenue, do your bookkeeping and get your products to your customers? Good business planning keeps you focused, and can be the difference between failure and success.
Step 3: Learn the Landscape
- Take a business planning class
- Write a business plan. There are many business planning tools available to entrepreneurs. Here is one from SCORE. Another example is the Business Model Canvas. A great resource is also the Evergreen BizLink Navigator
Step 4: Register and License Your Business
You’ll need to go through several steps to make sure your business can operate legally. Local, state and federal laws apply to businesses. Get the help you need to take each step as it comes so you are not wasting your time and you are getting where you want to go, without putting yourself under too much pressure.
Step 5: Get Support from Technical Assistance Partners
Check out these resources for more information about Washington state providers to get started.
