It’s a common thing for people to sit down with their buddies and say, “Hey, I should create a [fill-in-the-blank] business!” That’s awesome, and it’s great that you’ve got an idea. Me? I’m not a business expert, but I’m actually in the same boat as a lot of the people who have those same thoughts. What I’ve learned is that it takes a lot more than just deciding to do something. You’ve got to actually do it, for one. Additionally, you’ve got to do it right.

So good on you for your realization that you want to start a business. However, now it’s time to take the initiative and make it happen. On my quest for resources to starting my own business, I’ve hand-picked three websites that simplify the process for those who just want an idea of what they need to do. These websites won’t tell you the in-depth knowledge you’ll need for getting in there as an entrepreneur, but they will give you a good starting point.

How To Start An LLC

From what I’ve gathered, LLCs seem to be the thing all the cool kids are doing these days. It’s kind of an all-purpose solution to legitimately establishing yourself as a business and keeping yourself safe as far as liability goes. Fortunately, this website by TRUiC will help you figure out how to set up an LLC according to your state.

The details are very simple and easy to understand, and I find this to be an incredible resource for those of us who have a service or product they want to sell but just aren’t savvy on the organizational side of business. With that said, I think this is an excellent step towards becoming savvy on that side.

r/SmallBusiness

Reddit’s at it again with its own r/SmallBusiness, a subreddit with a mountain of resources providing details on how you can create your own money-making venture. What makes this resource great is that it is comprised of people, instead of exclusively stock text and content. With that said, there are a lot of articles posted on this site, but what makes it great are the eyes reading them. You’ll find a great deal of advice with Reddit alone from people who are at the beginning stages of their business or have already had years of experience, and I would say that the articles that are shared here are simply side items. The real meat is made out of the users.

As a note, I believe Reddit is the best resource for most anything on the Internet, and honestly, I’d say it’s better than Google when you are trying to figure out how to do something. With Reddit, you can search for an activity, hobby, or process, and you’ll be led to people who have done it before rather than just examples of those things. Just food for thought.

Other similar subreddits include r/Entrepreneur, r/Business, and r/Startups.

U.S. Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration is a decent resource for learning how to start a business. I’ve actually linked you to an article that simplifies the process into 10 steps. It’s a lot like the first site in this article, but it’s more general than just an LLC. However, you may want to do a little more digging into this website as a whole.

This site also connects you to resources both local and online which will aid you in your quest for profit. However, this isn’t the only thing it takes to create a business. You’ll have to put forth a little effort on your part.

Conclusion

Hopefully, these three websites are a great starting point for you and your financial endeavors. Unfortunately, they are meant for US readers only. However, I think that r/SmallBusiness and the SBA may be adaptable for your own adventures.

If you are outside of the US, do you have any good web resources for creating a business? If you have created your own business, what do you do, and how did you start going about it?