How to Start a Business In the United States
You may have dreams of starting your own business. And the truth is – no matter who you are, no matter your immigration status, no matter how much money you have – you can do it. At Briico, we have helped thousands of people start their own successful small businesses.
But you might be wondering:
How do I start a business?
What businesses are most profitable?
What business can I start without money?
How do I start a cleaning business (or other specific business)?
If I start a business, how will I get clients?
What do I need to start a business?
The truth is that there are simple answers to all of these. And that’s what we’ll look at in this article.
First, let’s start with what is NOT true about starting your own business in the US.
You’ve probably heard this bad advice about starting a business:
❌ Start with a great business idea.
❌ Borrow money
❌ Write a business plan
❌ Wait until you’re experienced.
OR you may have gotten the advice to just start – and that it doesn’t matter if you do things the correct or legal way.
Honestly, for 99% of businesses – ALL of that advice is bad. And I believe that advice is the reason that most businesses FAIL.
I’ve worked for the US Small Business Administration, started 4 businesses of my own, and helped thousands of small business owners. And I’m going to tell you why you’ve probably gotten bad, risky, ineffective business advice – and I’ll tell you the simple, effective things you can do to start a business in the United States – without a lot of money.
Especially for people who don’t have a lot of money to invest, using the conventional approach to business is risky and ineffective. You end up investing too much time and money on the wrong things. And starting a business without setting it up correctly will always create more problems than it is worth.
Here’s what you need to do to start a business in the US – successfully, without a lot of money, and with a professional, legal business that won’t cause you trouble later:
✅ Choose the right business.
✅ Start your business correctly and legally.
✅ Start small, start fast, and dream big.
✅ Generate a lot of clients.
✅ Learn what earns high rates.
1) Choose the right business.
You will have a MUCH higher chance of success if you start a business that has:
✅ High customer demand
✅ High hourly rates
✅ Low costs to start
✅ Low insurance costs
✅ Low licensing requirements
For example, starting a restaurant costs an average of $375,500. Restaurants also require extensive permits and licenses and have high insurance costs. Plus, restaurants often have a lot of competition from other restaurants.
But, many people don’t realize that in most states, you can start a food business from home totally legally. (Learn more about that HERE.) For instance, in New York State, you can legally make breads, cakes, mixes, snacks, and other items without a commercial kitchen or any kind of inspection. So people could be making and selling food within the span of just a few weeks. This is a way that anyone can get started towards the dream of owning a restaurant, bakery, or food business with zero capital.
Similarly, there are many home services businesses that you can start in just a few weeks, with very affordable insurance, high demand, zero licensing requirements, and where you can make $30-$40 per hour, from the start. Which ones these are varies by state – so do your research. Or, sign up for Briico Kits and we’ll help you choose the best business for you, in your state. And always consider what businesses you already have skills or experience in. It’s not always necessary to have prior experience but it can be a helpful place to start.
Some businesses that are great options are:
🛠 Home renovation / handyman
🌱 Landscaping
🧽 Cleaning
🚙 Mobile Car Detailing
🍰 Home food business
There are many other businesses you can start successfully, of course. But it’s wise to set yourself up for success in terms of the costs, requirements, and demand of what you choose.
2) Start your business correctly and legally.
You can start a business in the United States completely, legally, regardless of your immigration status. (More on that HERE.)
But there are some things you need to do, to do it correctly and keep yourself safe and make sure your new business will be successful.
To start a business correctly and legally in the US, you need:
An ITIN or SSN. With either of these numbers, you can do everything else necessary for a business that is as correct and legal as any other business in the US.
Optional: an LLC. Most people don’t need to start with an LLC. An LLC will protect you if you have a lot of assets (cash, house, etc). But it is optional.
An EIN (Employer Identification Number). This is fast and free to get, once you have an ITIN or SSN.
Business Insurance. Business insurance will keep you safe and doesn’t have to be expensive, as long as you choose the right business to begin with.
DBA. A “Doing Business As” certificate allows you to operate under your business name. This is usually easy and cheap (around $25) to get.
Any licenses or permits that apply for your business type, in your state. Again,
To pay taxes – income tax and sales tax.
This is incredibly important. Here’s why.
Advantages of setting up your business correctly:
Demonstrating you are doing things legally and contributing to your community (for immigration hearings.)
Low/no risk of problems with the IRS or government.
Ability to buy insurance for your business.
Save money
Pride of having a fully correct and professional business.
If you set up your business correctly, you will be equal to any other business in the United States and can grow as high and as far as you want to. If you don’t, you will put yourself at risk of fines, immigration risks, deportation, and legal trouble.
You don’t need to pay people high fees to help you set these things up. And you don’t need complicated structures. With Briico Kits, we’ll walk with you through the simplest possible setup for your business that is still fully legal and professional.
3) Start small, start fast, and dream big.
It’s common to think that you should wait until “later” to start your business. Many people suggest you wait until you have lots of experience, lots of money saved, and until you have a certain immigration status.
My recommendation is to start as quickly as possible, with whatever time, money, and experience you already have. There are a few reasons for this. When you start small and start sooner, you:
Learn what actually works in your exact business – by doing it.
Can start alongside other work you have.
Invest small amounts of money and learn what works so you don’t risk losing larger amounts of money.
Generate a lot of clients.
4) Generate a lot of clients.
One simple truth about business always holds: If you don’t have enough clients, you won’t have enough income. And to have enough clients, you need the right systems. Yes, recommendations help. But if you don’t have systems to generate clients every single week, consistently – you will always earn less money than you otherwise could and you won’t be in control of your own growth.
That’s why a key part of Briico Kits is setting up the systems that the most sophisticated businesses owners use. If you set up the technology well, you don’t need to be talking to people on the phone or working every week to get new customers.
What systems you need depends on what kind of business you have. If you have a food business, the systems will be different than if you have a home services business. But here are some of the systems you may need in you have a service-related business.
Some systems that you can set up so that you have clients calling YOU for work:
Next Door
Craigslist (paid ads)
Thumbtack
Turno.com
Google Local Leads
Google Business Profile
A Customer Relationship Manager (CRM)
Google Website
Yelp
Booking Koala or another booking system.
Setting up these tools doesn’t have to be complicated, although it can be time consuming. We do that work for you if you buy a Briico Kit. But even if you don’t, I encourage you to invest in these systems so that you have as many clients as you need.
5) Learn what earns high rates.
One key part of earning high hourly rates is having enough customers. But there is another part too – and that is know what things the best, most experienced professionals do to get the best rates for their work. This will depend on your business. And in Briico Kits, we collaborate with the most experienced professionals in the business to tell you the professional secrets to earn more and be recommended. They fall into three groups:
Soft skills. This includes how you greet your customer, what freebies they get, how you follow up after sales, etc.
Hard skills. This is everything related to actually delivering the service.
Good customer service. This is related to how well and how competently you answer inquiries and help people book with you.
With Briico Kits we walk people through all of these steps and take them by the hand to set them up. – but you can also do it yourself.
Remember:
Choose the right business.
Start your business correctly and legally.
Start small, start fast, and dream big.
Generate a lot of clients.
Learn what earns high rates.
If you’ve dreamed of starting a business, you can do it – probably a lot faster and cheaper than you realize.
