If I’m being honest, getting my business started had many high’s and lows. I had studied Advertising in college, and so, when it came to the business aspect of my business, I was clueless.
(If I’m being honest, I still have some days when I’m feeling clueless. Don’t we all, though?)
There were many missteps, trials and errors, and lots of late nights trying to figure out all kinds of forms and fill out all kinds of paperwork.
But at the same time, I learned a lot, and I thought that the least I could do would be to share all of this information with you! Because I know that I can’t be the only one who felt completely stressed and baffled at times by this whole process.
So hopefully this guides you along the journey of starting up your business so that you can do it quicker than I did!
Note: You’ll see some affiliate links below, so if you do click the link and make a purchase, I do get a commission. But I only ever share what I use and love, because I know that you’ll love them, too!
The Steps I Took To Get My Business Started
I’ll preface this by saying that I officially started my business after I had already been doing freelance copywriting for well over a year. I’d largely relied on cold pitching and 3rd party sites like UpWork to get clients.
But after a while, it felt like it was time to really turn this into an actual business. So these were the steps I took when I decided that this could actually be something!
Filed for an LLC and opened up a business bank account
Registering for an LLC
Registering for an LLC (Limited Liability Company) for my business was somewhat easier than I expected, though at some points, things got a little confusing.
(Like the one time I paid $250 for my EIN to a company that I thought was the IRS. Along with my social security number. Definitely one of those low moments I talked about. Thankfullyyyy everything worked out just fine. Just know that you don’t actually have to pay for your EIN number!)
An LLC is important so as to protect your personal assets from any potential legal action taken against you, so it’s something you do want to do early on.
Each state is different, so it’s important to make sure you’re following all the steps accurately. This resource through the NY state’s website was really helpful if you happen to be in NY. But chances are, your state will have something similar!
Also, I’m not a professional — I mean obviously. What professional would give money to a fake IRS site?! But make sure you speak with a professional about your businesses’ needs if you need help setting up your LLC — this was just my experience.
Opening up a business bank account
I did this step several months after I opened up my LLC because, you know, life. But it’s recommended that you don’t wait to set it up.
I just headed to my local bank and they were able to assist me. Though, this process did take much longer than I expected. I was probably there for about 2 and a half hours. So just make sure you give yourself plenty of time.
There’s several forms that you’ll need to bring with you. Just call your bank ahead of time to ask for exactly what they needed!
Once my account was opened, I connected it to my PayPal and Stripe accounts and was (almost) ready to go!
Built a website
I’ve mentioned it before, but I am so thankful that I took the time to build a website instead of first focusing on building a social media following. Websites create a physical home for your business that you own, making them a great
‘; way to build credibility.
I first settled on a domain name and purchased the domain on GoDaddy.com. I’ll be honest —I didn’t do a whole lot of research there. I was familiar with them and they were my first thought. I will say that getting my domain setup was very easy. Maybe there are easier sites out there? I’m not sure, but I had no issues here!
And then after some hemming and hawing and lots of careful research (with this blog post sealing in my final decision), I ended up going with Showit as my website platform. And I have absolutely no regrets!
Showit is extremely user friendly. Which was something that was really important to me. I’d be using this website for a long time, so I wanted it to be something I could update often and not also feel like pulling my hair out.
And so far, I haven’t felt like pulling my hair out! So I think that’s a win. It’s all drag and drop, making customizing both the desktop and mobile views a breeze.
With a Showit website template that I purchased from Kleist Creative (You can read more about that decision in this post!), I literally created my whole entire site.
It only took me several months because I was so nervous to actually hit “publish.” Looking back, I should have launched it so much freakin’ earlier. Website’s can be edited all the time, and in this case, done was better than perfect.
So if I could share any advice: just launch the damn thing!
Set up my CRM and back-end systems
I ended up choosing to use Dubsado as my CRM, mostly because I’ve heard so many good things from other service-providers out there.
And it did not disappoint.
Now, is it the most intuitive or user-friendly CRM? Not really. But they do have some really thorough tutorials that have made it easier. They also allow you to use it for free with your first three clients, which I personally loved.
What I really love about it, though, is how client-focused it is. It offers such a smooth and professional experience for my clients when I’m sending them proposals, invoices, and all onboarding materials. Which was important to me.
I also ended up purchasing templates for my proposals, contracts, and forms from Fran of The Passions Collective. And it was such a good move! I highly recommend them. They help you weave your branding in through every client experience, which feels like a treat for your audience and ups your credibility. Plus, they look so pretty 🥰. (And are wonderfully easy to use, thanks to her tutorials!).
If you’re interested in her templates, check them out here, and use code KACOPY for $50 off!
And if Dubsado is the CRM you’re thinking of using, you can get 20% off with code KACOPY here.
Set up email marketing platform
I knew that shortly after launching my website, I would want to start email marketing and send out a consistent newsletter. (All the reasons why you should start one are here, in case you’re on the fence!).
This step started with me brainstorming what I would want my newsletter to cover and look like, mapping out content ideas, and then writing up the opt-in copy that would be spread out throughout my website.
Next came creating a lead magnet to provide value to visitors once they came to my site, and creating opt-in copy for that, too. When you first launch your website, chances are, it’s the one time you’ll have so much traffic at one time. So to capitalize on that you want to make sure that you’re giving visitors a way to get more value or to keep up the relationship with you!
I simply used Canva to create my lead magnet, and finally, I set up an account on Flodesk — the most intuitive and user-friendly (and aesthetically pleasing!) business tool I might have ever used. (Use this link for 50% off your first year!)
My last step here was writing out my freebie delivery email sequence and newsletter welcome email.
It did take a little bit of time to set up my email marketing strategy, but now that it’s done, it’s done!
Until I decide to whip up another lead magnet one of these days…
Continued learning
As someone who loved being a student, the one thing I did when I was growing my business (and still do) was prioritize my own learning. There’s so much to learn out there, and to make sure that I’m offering my clients only the best, I want to keep expanding my own knowledge base!
How have I been doing this?
Through courses. Well, not just any course, but Site Series — literally the most all-encompassing copywriting course. Sara of Between the Lines Copy goes over everything from writing every single word of copy for your whole website, all the way to all the ways to market your website, with modules on blogging, SEO, Pinterest — everything.
I took it over a year ago, but she’s since re-vamped it and has somehow(??) worked even more valuable content into it. So I’ve been enjoying watching it again, dedicating half an hour to it every day. And because I could literally listen to her talk all day, it never actually feels like work.
The doors are closed right now, but you can get on her waitlist here!
Now go get your business started!
Hopefully, this has helped lay out the business-starting process for you and you’re feeling inspired to get moving on yours!
It really is a process, but the sooner you start, the sooner you can get to doing the most wonderful things!
Hey, I’m Kristie! And besides writing website and email copy for the best businesses, I also help business-owners like you feel grounded and less chaotic.
Here’s how we can stay connected:
Subscribe to my newsletter for all things copywriting, marketing, and self-care. So both you and your business can do great things.
Get your freebie! I’ve put together 5 quick strategies to help take your copy up a couple notches when you’re in a pinch.
Wander through my blog for more free content similar to this!
Work with me! I help with website copywriting, email marketing, and even plain ol’ copy audits if you just need someone to take a look at your work.
Send me a message! You can reach out to me right here with any questions, inquiries, or just to say hi!
So glad you’re here! XO
