Getting Started

Getting started is simpler than the internet makes it. Talk to a consultant. Tell the truth about the score, the cash, and the idea. Walk out with a sequence: entity, credit, site, books, funding, tax — in the order your file can actually support.

Fill out the intake. You will be assigned a person. They will reach you within 24 to 48 hours. No 800 number. That has been the deal since 2008.

Step 1: Fill out the intake

The intake form asks what you need help with and how to reach you. It takes a few minutes, and it is the same starting point whether you need a tax return, a new LLC, a funding file, or help deciding which of those comes first. Submit once. You do not have to figure out which department to call.

Step 2: Meet your consultant

A consultant is assigned to you as your direct contact by email, text, or phone. The first conversation is about the real picture: your credit, your cash, your current structure, and what you are trying to build. Bring what you have, such as a recent credit report, prior tax returns, bank statements, or a draft plan. Do not worry if the file is incomplete. Finding the gaps is part of the job.

Step 3: Get a sequence with dates

The outcome of that conversation is a sequence, not a pile of products. For many new owners, the order looks something like this:

1. Entity — choose and file the right structure, get the EIN, and open a business bank account.
2. Credit — clean up the personal file if it is blocking the next step, and start building business credit in the company’s name.
3. Website — a professional site and email so lenders, partners, and customers can verify you.
4. Books — bookkeeping that keeps business money separate and produces statements a lender can read.
5. Funding — a file matched to the right kind of financing, once the pieces above can support it.
6. Tax — planning through the year, not just filing in the spring.

Your sequence may be different. An established business might start with bookkeeping cleanup or a funding file. Someone with a strong idea and no plan might start with a written business plan. The point is that each step sets up the next one.

If you already run a business

Established owners often come in with one urgent problem, like a tax notice, a funding deadline, or books that are months behind. We start there. Once the urgent piece is handled, your consultant looks at the rest of the picture, such as whether the entity still fits, whether business credit is working for you, and whether payroll and bookkeeping are taking more time than they should.

If you are still at the idea stage

That is a good time to talk. Decisions made before the first sale, like the entity, the bank account, and how you will be funded, are easier to get right than to fix later. Your consultant can help you test the idea against the numbers and plan the launch in an order that keeps your options open.

What it costs to start

The first assessment is free. After that, pricing depends on which services make sense for your situation. Some desks publish their fees, like formation and business plans, and the funding desk is paid on the back end once you are funded. Your consultant will tell you what each step costs before you commit.

Ready when you are

If you are not sure where to begin, that is exactly what the intake is for. Start the intake, or browse our services to see every desk under one roof.

Related desks: Business plans

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