Steps to Consider Before Starting Your Business

three people in an office looking over a document

This U.S. guide walks you through the essential steps to start a business—research, model, pricing, location, planning, funding, legal, insurance, suppliers, setup, hiring, and marketing. Use it as a practical checklist and adapt it to your industry and state.

Jeff’s Coffee Shop Story: The Friend’s Problem Method

Realistic illustrative sketch of an older man and a younger man having a business conversation in a cafe with a laptop on the table.

  Key Takeaways to Watch For in Jeff’s Story Why emotional attachment blocks good decisions—even when the answer seems obvious How imagining a friend’s problem instantly clarifies your own business challenges Simple steps to build emotional distance into every major decision you face At its core, this story shows how perspective creates clarity—when you step … Read more