Business Startup Guide

The first vital step in starting a business is to carefully research and refine your business ideas; then, secondly, start writing your business plan. That includes identifying your reason for starting a business, determining your appetite for risk, and inventorying your skills and strategies. Answer the next three questions:

  • Do you want to be your own boss?
  • Are you willing and able to work 24-hours a day, 365 days a year?
  • Are you flexible enough to face and accept your limitations?

Quick Reference

The following websites are excellent resources for researching and defining your strategies, skills, risk tolerance, industry, market and product.

www.hcplonline.info/smallbusiness/businesscenter.html

The Harford County Public Library Small Business Center offers resources and information to start, run and grow a small business

www.harford.edu/sbdc/startup

The Small Business Development Center will help you establish and expand your business by providing a variety of management and technical assistance programs and tools

www.sba.gov

The U.S. Small Business Administration home page leads you to a wealth of programs and services to help you start, grow and succeed in business

www.choosemaryland.org

The Governor’s Office of Business Advocacy and Small Business Assistance acts as a small and minority-owned business liaison in cooperation with the State of Maryland’s various departments

Step by Step