So, You Started a Business.

The MCo. Small Business Launch List

First: congratulations. Second: there's a lot more to building a brand people want to buy from than getting a business email.

You've got the idea, the name, maybe your first customer. Now comes the part where you have to turn all of that into something people can actually find, recognize, and do business with.

You don't need everything figured out on day one. You should a few things in place.

Luckily, we can help!

01. Buy the URLs. Before someone else does.

Seriously. Do this now.

Get the obvious version of your business name in .com if it's available. If there's a shorter version that makes sense, consider grabbing that too. Also, if your business is prone to misspellings, grab those up too!

We like Squarespace Domains. It's easy to manage, and you can connect your domain to a website when you're ready.

While you're at it, claim your social media handles.

Even if you're not planning to post anything for a while, it's worth making sure you can actually use your business name when you do.

P.S.: Your domain shouldn’t be hundreds of dollars. If it is, that should send up a red flag: your provider is charging too much.

02. Get a logo. And get the actual files.

Your logo is going to end up on everything.

Your website. Your business cards. Your invoices. Your social media. Maybe the side of a truck.

You don't need to spend three months debating fonts.

You do want:

☐ Primary logo
☐ Version for light backgrounds
☐ Version for dark backgrounds
☐ Simple icon or submark
☐ Brand colors and fonts
☐ High-resolution files for print and digital use

Please don't let the only copy of your logo be a blurry JPEG someone emailed you.

Your future printer will thank you.

Oh also. We do logos. Connect with us here.

03. Put up a website. It does not need to be complicated.

You need a website that tells people what you do, why they should hire you, and how to get in touch.

That's the job.

For most small businesses, a handful of well-designed pages will do just fine.

At minimum:

☐ Home
☐ About
☐ Services or products
☐ Contact

Make sure it works on a phone. Make sure the buttons work. And actually test your contact form.

You'd be surprised.

And while we're here, please don't make people hunt for your phone number.

04. Get your Google situation together.

When someone searches for your business, what do they find?

If your business qualifies, set up your Google Business Profile. It's free, and it can help customers find you through Google Search and Maps.

Add your hours, services, website, contact information, and some decent photos.

Then make sure everything matches across your online presence.

Not every business qualifies, especially online-only businesses, so check Google's requirements first.

And yes, Google Business Profile is different from having a website. Ideally, you want both.

05. Set up a professional email address.

We love a good Gmail account.

Just not necessarily as the primary contact address for your new business.

Once you've got your domain, set up an email address that uses it.

Something like hello@yourbusiness.com or yourname@yourbusiness.com.

Then add a professional email signature with your name, company, website, and phone number.

While you're at it, make sure someone is actually checking the inbox.

An inquiry sitting unanswered for four days isn't doing anyone much good.

Part of our Business Launch Package is connecting things like this so you don’t have to!

06. Get your business materials together.

Eventually (hopefully), someone is going to ask for a business card, a company overview, a logo, or something they can share with a colleague.

It's nice to have those things ready before you need them.

We'd start with:

☐ Business card
☐ Professional email signature
☐ One-page company or services overview (something that’s easy to handout or mail)
☐ Branded document template
☐ A few good photos
☐ Organized folder of brand assets

You don't need a warehouse full of printed materials.

You just need the basics, done well.

07. Set up social media. But don't make it your entire personality.

Somewhere, someone is going to tell you that you need to post three times a day on five different platforms.

You probably don't.

Start with the platforms your customers actually use.

Make sure your profiles are complete, your branding is consistent, and people can figure out how to contact you.

Then think about what you'd actually want to share.

Your work. Your products. Your people. The process. Questions customers ask. Things you've learned.

Not everything needs to be a graphic with your logo on it.

Actually, please don't do that.

And before you start posting, have a few weeks of ideas ready. You'll thank yourself later.

08. Make it easy to do business with you.

This one sounds obvious. It apparently isn't.

If someone wants to hire you, buy something, or ask a question, what do they do?

Call? Email? Fill out a form? Book online?

Whatever the answer is, make it obvious.

Then make sure you have a process for what happens next.

You don't need a complicated system. You do need to know where inquiries go, who's responding, and how you're keeping track of them.

And if you're going to offer online booking, please make sure the calendar is actually connected.

09. Have a plan for the first 90 days.

You launched. Great.

Now what?

What are you going to post next week? How are people going to hear about your business? Who should you introduce yourself to? Are there local organizations worth joining? What does success look like three months from now?

You don't need a 50-page marketing plan.

You do need some direction.

Pick a few priorities, put them on a calendar, and get moving.

And don't forget to ask your early customers how they found you. That information gets very useful, very quickly.

You Don't Need to Have Everything Figured Out.

Starting a business is a lot of work. Some of it is exciting. Some of it is paperwork. And some of it is spending an unreasonable amount of time trying to decide which font looks better.

The good news? You don't have to do everything at once.

Get the essentials in place. Make it easy for people to find you and work with you. Build from there.

And if you'd rather have someone handle the branding, website, and marketing side of things?

Well. That's kind of our thing.

Our Business Launch Kit brings it all together for one flat rate.