The A to Z Business Setup Guide
Every part of setting up a business sends a signal to Google, Bing, Apple, and AI tools. The guide is split into 29 parts and grouped by stage. Start with the stage you’re in. If your business is already open, start with Get found.
There are 437 pages so far. Parts without a link are still being written. Get free updates to hear when new parts go live.
- Part 1: How to use this guide
- Part 2: Using the guide by business stage
- Part 3: The status system
- Part 4: The 8 checkpoints
- Part 5: Master business record (1 page)
- Part 6: Personal and ownership readiness (18 pages)
- Part 7: Business idea and validation (41 pages)
- Part 8: Name, brand, and structure (32 pages)
Set up
Section titled “Set up”- Part 9: Registration and compliance (35 pages)
- Part 10: Taxes, banking, bookkeeping, and insurance (57 pages)
- Part 11: Legal documents, safety, privacy, and security (56 pages)
- Part 12: Communication and file systems (17 pages)
- Part 15: Customer records and customer relationship management (CRM) (7 pages)
Get found
Section titled “Get found”- Part 13: Website and digital setup (32 pages)
- Part 14: Local listings and reputation (48 pages)
- Part 18: Marketing and automation (9 pages)
- Part 19: Search engine optimization (SEO), content, and AI answers (33 pages)
- Part 20: Advertising and lead generation (10 pages)
Run and grow
Section titled “Run and grow”- Part 16: Sales, intake, and closing (11 pages)
- Part 17: Scheduling, delivery, and customer service (8 pages)
- Part 21: Analytics and conversion (9 pages)
- Part 22: Procedures and operations (10 pages)
- Part 23: Hiring and leadership (3 pages)
- Part 24: Finance, funding, and growth
- Part 25: AI and advanced systems
- Part 26: Ecommerce and recurring services
- Part 27: Continuity, exit, and legacy
- Part 28: Ongoing management
Reference
Section titled “Reference”- Part 29: How the audit data is organized