Are you tired of working for someone else and ready to launch your own business? Owning and operating your own business is exciting and challenging venture. It takes a unique person who is willing to take risks to step out of the comfort zone of a bi-monthly paycheck. Be prepared for a lot of hard work and, when you start out, a roller coaster ride of financial ups and downs as you perfect your strategies. The ride is well worth it, however. You'll have a sense of independence and feel pride and satisfaction with every deposit you make at the bank because the money came from your efforts and creativity.

Obviously, the first thing that you will need to do is figure out what type of business you wish to create. Since you'll be spending a good 12-14 hours a day working your business, make sure that you choose something that you enjoy! You should also choose a business that matches your aptitudes. Tickle has a fun test that you can take for free that will reveal your true career goals and talents. Check it out - it might give you some ideas!

The next step is to make sure that you obtain all applicable local, state and federal licenses and tax permissions. On a local level, you will probably need to obtain a business license, even if you have a home office. By the way, some cities and towns have restrictions on the types of home offices that you can have, so check out your local rules. If you are selling physical goods, you will need to obtain a transaction (or sales) tax license from your state. Finally, you will need to obtain an employer identification number (EIN) from the IRS. Even though you may not have employees, many banks will require this information when you open your business checking account.

You will also need to consider the type of legal entity that you wish to establish for your business. For example, you might want to be a sole proprietor, create an LLC or incorporate. Your bank will also want evidence of any partnership, limited liability or corporate documents associated with your business when you open an account. There are many "do it yourself" legal forms available online. Ideally, you should consult an attorney about what type of legal entity you should create that will shield you from personal liability and best serve your business goals. If you do not know an attorney or feel uncomfortable calling lawyers "out of blue" by the hunt-and-peck method through the phone book, LegalMatch offers a perfect solution. At LegalMatch you type in the legal issue that you would like to have help with for free. You can remain anonymous if you want. Local lawyers will view your query and then respond to you, letting you know how they can help, their qualifications, and their rates. If none of the offers are to your satisfaction, you are under no obligation to hire any of the attorneys.

Seed money may also be an issue, or you may need a venture capital infusion when your business grows. You might want to consider looking for grants, which do not have to be paid. One of the challenges in obtaining a grant is the application and writing process. Many of these grants have picayune requirements that you must meet. FEDERAL MONEY RETRIEVER^® (Recommended by THE WALL STREET JOURNAL as "BEST of the BEST") is an award-winning software package that scouts out grants for you, and comes with a software application that will help you write your grant proposal in a way that meets the requirements of the agency or foundation that is awarding grants. You can get a free trial by clicking here.

This website includes information gathered throughout the Internet on a variety of topics that are geared to help you successfully launch your new business. Interesting news and tips are posted daily on our "blog."

We hope this site is helpful for you, and wish you the best of success in your business venture.