Using the SBA to help get your small business going

When it comes to small business, the SBA has you covered.After all, that is what they do.The Small Business Association is set up to help you get your small business off the ground, and keep it going for as long as you want.

The SBA offers many great tools to aid you on your road to success.Most of these tools are free on their website www.sba.gov.It is a great idea to check out their website before you venture too far by yourself, with the SBA there is no reason to guess on your own.

Here are just some of the great start up tools that the SBA offers for the future small business owner.

- Very first they recommend that you take their short assessment.This helps you determine if you have the leadership skills necessary for running a business.It also checks to see if you have thought everything through.Going into business prepared is their goal for you.
- You can check and see if you have all of the small business licenses and permits that are necessary for your state and city.They will help you know what is required for you to have depending on what your business will be selling.
- They will help you pick a location that will be profitable and advantageous to your business.With you, they will look at competition and markets.They will help you decide whether it is best to buy, lease, or rent your space.
- The SBA will help you determine a structure for your business.The way you are set up will affect your taxes and liability.There are sole proprietorships, limited liability company (LLC), general partnerships, C Corporation, sub chapter S Corporation and more.They will help you look into what is best for you.
- Having a profitable business is not only your goal, but the SBA's goal in helping you.They will help you go over your best financing options.This may be borrowing money or using your own finances.They will also help you take a look at your short and long term goals to determine if you will have enough money to achieve them.They may also recommend an accountant if they feel your business would benefit from one.
- You should be the one profiting from your ideas, so the SBA can help you get your ideas protected.They have links on their site to get your stuff trademarked or copyrighted for your protection.
- What you name your business is important.There is more to choosing a name than something that catches attention, there is a whole legal aspect of it too.You need to make sure that there are no trademarks on the name you want.There can be local and national trademarks, so you may be in luck if there is another business with the name you want that is not local.
- The equipment necessary for each business will vary, and the SBA is ready to help you get the best deal.They have many tools for helping you decide if it would be more advantageous for you to buy or lease your business equipment.They also know all of the legal aspects there too and can lend some helpful advice.
- Getting your name out there is how you will start your customer base.The SBA has tools for advertising as well.They can get you set up with the most effective forms of marketing for your business.
- And probably the most important thing the SBA has to offer is a mentorship.They can set you up with a mentor, whose goal is to see you succeed.A mentor is someone who has been down that road before and done it successfully.Who better to turn to than to someone who can steer you around the bumps in the road that they had to cross as a new business owner!