I’m no expert in setting up a business. But it’s been all that’s on my mind for the past few months as I’ve focused on launching my Virtual Assistant business. I drive by small shops on a street and have so much more respect for the time, organization, and energy that goes into these establishments. I browse online bloggers webpages and can only imagine the effort it took to get them to the point where they are making a living off of their online presence.

DependableVA was born when I realized that the work I did supporting busy executives had turned virtual by default. As they were traveling the majority of the time, I rarely saw them in person. We had learned to communicate almost entirely by email. I began searching online to see if I could contract the work I do and lo-and-behold! There was already an entire community of VA’s out there online.

As I began to put together my business, I thought my first blog post would be focused on what’s been consuming my mind for the past few months: the steps it takes to create a small business.



This is the order of steps I took to create my business, but I am no means a business advisor or authority on this and this cannot be construed for legal advice.

1. Sign up for small business forums. If there is a small business forum located within your sector, sign up for that as well. For instance, I’m part of the Virtual Assistant Forums, which has been a great help on understanding my particular business and small business in general.
2. Decide upon a business name. Are you doing business as yourself/using your name or are you setting up the business under a name like “Pizza Emporium”?
3. Obtain an EIN number. EIN stands for Employer Identification Number. Without it, you will be giving people your social security number…and you want to stay away from that if possible. Do not sign up for anyone offering to do it for you for a fee. The form is free to fill out on the IRS webpage.
4. Register your business. Are you going to be a sole proprietorship or an LLC?
a. A sole proprietorship is less expensive and you register in the town you are doing business out of. Advantages are that there are no corporate tax payments and few business requirements. The drawbacks are that the owner (yourself) is wholly responsible for debts and liabilities incurred by the business and investors rarely invest in sole proprietorships.
b. An LLC is more expensive to register. However, you do not need to register an LLC out of the state you are located. Research the best states to register an LLC out of and you could save yourself a lot of money. Advantages are that you can choose how to be taxed (single member, partners, or Corporation) and that you have more protection from liability. Disadvantages are that they are often more expensive to register and there is more paperwork to set the business up as an LLC.
5. Create a business bank account. It’s generally a good rule of thumb to have a separate business bank account for tax reasons. Depending on the size of your business and the amount of transactions, there are some banks that offer business accounts with no monthly fee. Nerdwallet has a great list that you can check out here.
6. Establish a webpage. There’s no denying it – we live in a virtual world. When you tell someone you offer services, they immediately want to find your establishment online. That’s not to say you NEED a webpage – my husband got by his first year of business by word of mouth. However, eventually you should have one as it makes you look more professional. If possible, have a “blog” page as well! I know from my personal blog that the more consistently I blog, the more my webpage shows up on search engine and the better the SEO is.
7. Create marketing materials. Business cards are so important. There’s nothing worse than talking to someone about what you do, they ask for a business card, and you don’t have one. Or you forgot it at home. Keep extra business cards in your car just in case. Other marketing materials include flyers, welcome kits, promotional materials, etc.



This simple guide just focuses on the basics to get your business off the ground. Other important items include obtaining licenses and permits (if you have a physical store), understanding legal processes involving hiring employees, financing your business, and creating a business plan. I encourage anyone thinking of starting his or her own business to use the small business association (SBA) webpage as a resource. There are also organizations within your city that can also be used to help you get on your way. And, as always, use the Internet, but use it with discretion.

If you have any questions, please let me know, and I’d be happy to help you in anyway that I can!