Starting a Business
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HUBZone and 8(a): two certifications, two different tests
HUBZone tests where your business and its employees are located; 8(a) tests the owner's financial disadvantage. The rules, the limits, and how to check an address.
Running a business from home without breaking a rule
Zoning, licences, your lease, the IRS exclusive-use test and insurance: the five layers of rules that apply when you run a business from home.
Starting a business after service: what's actually available
What veterans actually get when starting a business: free VBOC advice, Boots to Business training, SBA VetCert certification, loan fee relief and VR&E support.
Writing a business plan a lender will actually read
The one-page lean plan is for you; lenders want the traditional one. What SBA's guidance says your plan and projections must contain to get a loan.
Registering a business: structure, EIN, licences
The EIN is free from the IRS and it isn't step one. The real order of registering a business: structure, state filing, tax ID and the licence layers.
Free, In-Person Help to Start a Business
SBDCs, SCORE, Women's Business Centers and VBOCs offer free one-on-one business counseling. What each does and how to find your nearest one through SBA's directory.
Starting a Business While You're on Benefits: SNAP, SSI, Medicaid
How self-employment income really affects SNAP, SSI and Medicaid: the deductions, the SSI work rules, PASS plans, and exactly what you must report and when.
Free government money for a small business is mostly a myth
The federal government does not hand out grants to start a business. Here's what SBA actually funds, the narrow exceptions, and the scams to avoid.