For independent and family-run shops, salons and cafés that need a till system, payroll and scheduling, insurance and a way to be found online.
Guide · Branding and design
A name that's free in your state can still infringe a trademark, and a federal trademark application costs $350 per class of goods or services. Check the USPTO database, your state's name rules and the domain before you print anything. Here's how to clear a name, and what each registration does and doesn't protect.
· 7 min read
Guide · Collaboration and productivity
Start with a domain you control, email on that domain, a simple website, a business bank account, accounting software, a way to take payments, a CRM, shared docs, a password manager and light automation. Most have free plans that last a two-person company months. A five-person stack runs about $180 a month at list prices.
· 7 min read
Guide · Collaboration and productivity
Google Workspace Business Starter and Microsoft 365 Business Basic both cost $7 a user a month on annual billing. Zoho Mail's free plan covers five users. Forwarding through Cloudflare is free but only receives, and from January 2027 Gmail stops letting a personal account send as an outside address.
· 8 min read
Guide · Website builders
Launch with a home page, a page per offer, pricing, about, contact, a privacy policy and terms. California's CalOPPA requires a privacy policy on any commercial site that collects personal information from its residents. Cookie-free analytics avoid an EU consent banner. Aim for LCP under 2.5 seconds, INP under 200 milliseconds and CLS under 0.1.
· 7 min read
Comparison · Security and passwords
A team of eight pays $24.95 a month on 1Password's Teams Starter Pack, $32 on Bitwarden Teams and $17.90 on NordPass Teams with a two-year plan. NordPass Teams includes Google Workspace sign-in, Bitwarden is open source, and 1Password's flat pack is simplest until ten people. Here's which suits which team.
· 7 min read
Comparison · No-code and automation
An internal tool for ten colleagues costs $99 a month on Softr Pro and $199 a month on Glide's Business plan, both billed yearly, because both count users. Bubble's Starter plan is $29 a month with no user count, but you build more yourself and pay for server workload. Here's which fits an internal tool, which fits an MVP, and when code is the better bet.
· 7 min read
Guide · Company formation
The cheapest way to form an LLC is to file it yourself on your state's website and pay only the state fee, from $35 in Montana to $300 in Texas. Everything else can be free. Here's how, and what to watch for.
· 7 min read
Guide · Business banking
Opening a business bank account takes your formation documents, your EIN, ID for each owner and about 15 minutes online. Here's exactly what to have ready, the fees that matter, and how to choose between an online bank and a branch.
· 7 min read
Guide · Accounting and bookkeeping
Good bookkeeping isn't complicated: separate accounts, software connected to your bank, a short list of categories and an hour a month. Here's the whole system, from setup to the year-end handoff to your accountant.
· 7 min read
Guide · Company formation
Forming an LLC takes a few hundred dollars in state fees and one to two weeks. Here is every step in order, what each one costs, and which paid extras you don't need.
· 8 min read
Guide · Business taxes
A single-member LLC owner pays themselves with an owner's draw, not a salary, and is taxed on the LLC's profit whether or not they take it out. Partners use distributions and guaranteed payments. S corp owners must take a reasonable salary. Here's how each works.
· 7 min read
Guide · Compliance and filings
Most states require an annual or biennial report to keep an LLC active, from $7 in Pennsylvania to $138.75 in Florida, and some add a yearly tax, like California's $800. Miss it and the state can dissolve your LLC. Here's what's due and when.
· 7 min read
Guide · Contractors
Whether someone is a 1099 contractor or a W-2 employee depends on control and independence, not on what the contract says. The IRS weighs behavioral control, financial control and the relationship, and states like California apply a stricter ABC test. Here's how to decide.
· 7 min read
Guide · Company formation
Every LLC needs a registered agent: a person or company with an address in the state who accepts legal papers during business hours. You can be your own for free, or pay $125 to $249 a year. Here's how to choose.
· 7 min read
Guide · Contracts and legal
An operating agreement sets out who owns your LLC, who decides what, and what happens when someone wants out. Here's what it should cover, which states require one, and when a free template stops being enough.
· 7 min read
Guide · Compliance and filings
US-formed LLCs and corporations no longer file beneficial ownership information reports with FinCEN. The final rule took effect on August 14, 2026. Only foreign companies registered to do business in a US state still report. Here's what that means for you.
· 7 min read
Guide · Business taxes
You must collect sales tax in states where your business has nexus: a physical presence, or sales above that state's economic threshold, such as $100,000 in Florida or $500,000 in California and Texas. Here's how to work out where you owe it and what to do next.
· 7 min read
Guide · Payroll and benefits
Every paycheck involves taxes you withhold from the employee and taxes you pay yourself. In 2026 that's 6.2% Social Security and 1.45% Medicare from each side, federal unemployment tax on the first $7,000, state unemployment tax and income tax withholding. Here's how it all works.
· 7 min read
Guide · Payroll and benefits
Before your first employee starts, register as an employer with your state, set up payroll, and get workers' compensation. On day one, collect a W-4 and complete the I-9 within three business days, then report the hire within 20 days. Here's every step.
· 7 min read
Guide · Company formation
An EIN is free from the IRS and takes about 15 minutes online. Here is what to have ready, the hours the online application is open, the mistakes that cause trouble later, and the fax, mail and phone routes for everyone else.
· 7 min read
Guide · Compliance and filings
Most businesses need at least one license or permit, but there's no single national license. Here's how the federal, state and local layers work, the permits people forget, and a step-by-step way to find yours.
· 7 min read
Guide · Business taxes
A business can deduct ordinary and necessary expenses, but the biggest savings come from the ones owners forget: start-up costs, the home office, mileage at 72.5 or 76 cents a mile in 2026, equipment under Section 179, and health insurance. Here's the list, with the records each needs.
· 7 min read
Comparison · Business banking
Mercury suits startups and founders abroad, but takes no cash. Relay gives you 20 free checking accounts and free cash deposits at Allpoint+ ATMs. Bluevine pays interest on its free plan if you meet a spending or deposit target. Here's the full comparison.
· 7 min read
Comparison · Accounting and bookkeeping
For most small businesses, QuickBooks Online Simple Start ($38 a month) or Xero Growing ($59 a month, unlimited users) is the right starting point. FreshBooks Plus ($43 a month) suits freelancers and agencies who live in invoices. Here's the full comparison at list prices.
· 7 min read
Comparison · Accounting and bookkeeping
Zoho Books' free plan is the most complete, including bank reconciliation, as long as revenue stays under $50,000. Wave's free plan has unlimited invoices but no automatic bank import. QuickBooks' free plan allows two invoices a month. Here's how to choose.
· 7 min read
Comparison · Payroll and benefits
For most small businesses, Gusto is the simplest payroll to buy and run: $49 a month plus $6 per person for one state, $80 plus $12 for several. ADP and Rippling price by quote. ADP suits businesses that want a large, established provider, Rippling teams that want payroll, HR and IT in one system.
· 7 min read
Comparison · Company formation
The best LLC formation service depends on what you need after the filing. Northwest has the lowest ongoing cost and the best privacy, Bizee the cheapest first year with an EIN, ZenBusiness the most bundled compliance, LegalZoom the attorney access.
· 7 min read