Purpose

Get officially open for business in five clear steps—minus the guesswork.

Background

Starting a business feels like standing at the edge of a cliff.

You’re filled with passion—but also paralyzed by questions:

Where do I even begin?

What forms do I need?

Am I even doing this right?

If you’re a service provider ready to launch your business, this blog is your clarity checklist.

We’re skipping the fluff and giving you the five exact steps to get your business officially open.

This is the difference between “I’m thinking about starting” and “I own a business.”

Let’s walk you through your first real win.

Ingredients

• A name for your business

• 1 hour of focused time

• Your credit card for filing fees

Steps to Implement

1. Register Your Business with the State

   • Go to your state’s Division of Corporations website.

   • In Florida, that’s SUNBiz.org.

   • Register your business as an LLC, corporation, or other entity.

   • Once submitted, you’ll receive your Articles of Incorporation—your official legal docs.

2. Get Your EIN from the IRS

   • Head to irs.gov.

   • File for your Employer Identification Number (EIN)—this is like a Social Security number for your business.

   • You’ll need this number to file taxes, pay yourself, and open a business bank account.

3. Open a Business Bank Account

   • Bring your Articles of Incorporation and EIN to your preferred bank.

   • Open a business checking account—this separates your personal finances from your business.

   • This unlocks your ability to take payments, set up software, and keep things clean for tax time.

4. Download The First System + Join a Workshop

   • Install The First System in Notion—this is your central dashboard to get organized.

   • Join our Monthly Workshop where we’ll help you:

     • Set your top three priorities

     • Identify the key relationships you need to build

     • Understand what needs to happen next

   • You’ll also get your Growth Scorecard, a custom plan for reaching your revenue goals.

5. Join a Community of Entrepreneurs

   • Success doesn’t happen in isolation.

   • Join a community of other early-stage founders to stay accountable and inspired.

   • Whether inside The Kitchen, our Circle community, or Momentum Multipliers—collaboration is your shortcut to clarity and confidence.

Preparation Notes

• Bonus Tip: If you’re in a regulated industry (health, finance, etc.), check with your state for additional licensing or registration needs.

• Insurance Reminder: Business insurance isn’t required for everyone, but it’s a smart move for peace of mind.

• CEO Hack: Create a recurring 1-hour block every week as your “CEO Hour” to review finances, strategy, and outreach.

• Tech Setup Next: After these five steps, install tools like QuickBooks or Wave for bookkeeping and Stripe or Square for payments.