Business Formation
Forming an LLC means filing formation documents with your state, getting an EIN from the IRS, and creating an operating agreement. You can file everything yourself and pay only the state filing fee, or use a formation service that prepares and files the paperwork for you.
Do It Yourself — Free
Learn the task and handle it yourself using our free guides and official government resources.
Want Help Forming Your LLC?
Recommended Provider
LegalZoom
Prefer help with the formation process? LegalZoom offers online business formation services that can help prepare and file LLC formation documents.
View LegalZoom LLC ServicesRecommended Provider
Bizee
Bizee offers paid LLC formation plans — its Standard and Premium options include preparing and filing your formation documents for you.
Explore Bizee Standard & Premium OptionsAffiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission if you purchase through these links, at no additional cost to you.
Website & Ecommerce
Selling online brings its own requirements: a business website, a way to accept payments, and state sales tax obligations. You can set these up yourself, or use a platform or service that bundles the work for you.
Do It Yourself — Free
Learn the task and handle it yourself using our free guides and official government resources.
Start Your Online Store
Recommended Provider
Shopify
Learn how to launch an online store with Shopify's ecommerce platform.
Explore ShopifyAffiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission if you purchase through this link, at no additional cost to you.
Accounting & Bookkeeping
Keeping business finances separate and organized from day one makes tax time far easier. You can manage your own books with a simple system, or hand the work to bookkeeping software or an accountant.
Do It Yourself — Free
Learn the task and handle it yourself using our free guides and official government resources.
Or Use a Paid Service
Recommended provider: FreshBooks — pending approval
We only recommend providers we have reviewed. A recommended paid service for this category will appear here once our partner review is complete.
Freelance Business Services
Freelancers and solo service providers need the right business structure, an EIN for invoicing and taxes, and a clear picture of self-employment taxes. You can set all of this up yourself, or get help from a service that handles it for you.
Do It Yourself — Free
Learn the task and handle it yourself using our free guides and official government resources.
Hire Freelance Professionals
Recommended Provider
Fiverr
Find freelance professionals for logo design, website development, marketing, writing, and other business projects.
Explore Fiverr FreelancersAffiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission if you purchase through this link, at no additional cost to you.
Marketing & SEO
Finding your first customers is often the hardest part of a new business. You can learn the fundamentals and market your business yourself, or work with tools and services that speed up the process.
Do It Yourself — Free
Learn the task and handle it yourself using our free guides and official government resources.
Or Use a Paid Service
Recommended provider — pending approval
We only recommend providers we have reviewed. A recommended paid service for this category will appear here once our partner review is complete.