Disclosure: I am an investor in doola and in beehiiv. Some links on this page are affiliate links: if you sign up through one I earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
You have a name for your business. Most people stall right here, because the next steps look like paperwork. They are not hard, and you can do all of them this week. These are the six steps in the order I would take them, what each one costs, and the tool I would use for each.
1. Check the name is really available
Search the name in your country’s business register and in the US state you might form in, and search it on social platforms. A name generator such as Namelix is good for ideas, but it cannot tell you whether a competitor already trades under the name.
2. Register the domain today
Domains are cheap and the good ones go fast. Buy the .com if you can and the version people will mistype if it is cheap. I keep my company domains at Namecheap, which includes free WHOIS privacy so your home address is not public.
3. Make the company official
If you sell to US customers or need Stripe, Amazon or a US bank account, form a US company. I formed mine from outside the US through doola: the Starter plan is $297 a year plus state fees and covers the filing, the EIN, a registered agent and a US address. If you live in the US, your state’s own filing site may be enough. My full guide to forming a US LLC from abroad covers states, costs and the yearly filings.
4. Put up the place people buy
- Selling products: Shopify runs the store, payments, shipping and taxes in one place and has a free trial, so you can build the store before you pay.
- Selling a service: one page is enough at first: what you do, who it is for, the price or a starting price, and a way to book or pay.
5. Start your email list before you launch
The people who sign up before launch are your first customers. I run my newsletter on beehiiv; it is free up to 2,500 subscribers. Put the signup form on your site from day one and tell everyone you know.
6. Separate the money
Open a business bank account in the company’s name and run every sale and every cost through it. It makes taxes simpler and keeps the company’s liability separate from you.
What it adds up to
| Step | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Domain | A few to a few dozen dollars a year |
| US company through doola | $297 a year plus state fees ($50 to $110 to file in New Mexico, Wyoming or Delaware) |
| Store or website | Free trial, then a monthly plan |
| Email list on beehiiv | Free up to 2,500 subscribers |
| Business bank account | Often free |
None of these steps needs to be perfect. A registered name, a company, a place to buy and a list of people who want to hear from you is a business. Everything after that is iteration.
