Howtostart.biz
Guides, stories, and playbooks on how to start and grow a business.
Browse by topic
- Business Ideas 197 Step-by-step guides to starting specific businesses.
- Ideas & Validation 17 Find, validate, and choose what to build.
- Legal & Setup 17 LLCs, EINs, licenses, and registering your business.
- Funding & Money 21 Startup costs, loans, grants, and bootstrapping.
- Taxes & Bookkeeping 12 Self-employment taxes, write-offs, and keeping books.
- Marketing & Customers 17 Getting your first and next customers.
- Online & E-commerce 16 Selling online, dropshipping, and digital products.
- Freelancing & Services 8 Going pro: pricing, clients, and agencies.
- By Situation 5 Starting out as a student, parent, by state, and more.
Latest guides
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Can You Start a Business While on Unemployment? Yes — Here Are the Rules (2026)
You can start a business while on unemployment if you follow your state's rules: report earnings, stay available for work — or join a Self-Employment...
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What's the Best State to Form an LLC? Your Home State, Almost Every Time (2026)
The best state to form an LLC in 2026 is almost always your home state. Here's the foreign-LLC math that kills the Wyoming/Delaware/Nevada pitch, the...
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Your First Year of Self-Employment: What Actually Changes About Your Paycheck (and How to Budget For It)
What changes financially in your first year of self-employment: no withholding, no PTO, irregular income, and the self-employed mortgage catch-22 most...
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How to Hire Your First Employee: A Step-by-Step Guide for Small Business Owners (2026)
How to hire your first employee in 2026: the real fully-loaded cost, the exact paperwork order (EIN, workers' comp, I-9, new-hire report), and the...
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Profit First for Small Business: How the Envelope Method Actually Works (2026)
What is the Profit First method and does it work for a solo or side-hustle business? Real allocation percentages, the 4-account setup, and how to...
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Solo 401(k) vs. SEP IRA: Which Retirement Plan Wins for the Self-Employed (2026)
Solo 401(k) or SEP IRA — which should a self-employed person open in 2026? Contribution limits compared, who wins at each income level, deadlines, and...
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Do I Need Workers' Comp If I'm Self-Employed With No Employees? (2026 State Rules)
Do sole proprietors need workers' comp with no employees? Most states say no by default, but construction and high-risk trades often require it...
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Can My Employer Stop Me From Starting a Side Business? (What's Actually Legal)
Can your employer legally stop you from starting a side business? What moonlighting policies, non-compete clauses, and state law actually allow in...
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AI Agents for Small Business: What They Actually Do (and How to Start With One)
AI agents vs. chatbots explained in plain English, the 6 tasks small business owners are actually automating in 2026 (lead follow-up, inbox,...
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Health Insurance for Self-Employed People: Every Option, Real 2026 Costs
A plain-English breakdown of every health insurance option for self-employed people and small business owners in 2026: ACA marketplace plans, spouse...
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Printables vs. Handmade: Which Side Hustle Should You Actually Start?
Printables and handmade products are the two most common Etsy side hustles — and they have almost opposite economics. Startup cost, time to first...
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LLC Before or After Your First Sale? The Honest Answer
You don't need an LLC to make your first sale — but you do need to know when the free window closes. Here's exactly when forming before beats forming...