Starting Your Business

First steps

There are a huge number of details involved in starting a business, and nobody knows everything they need. Fortunately, there is a lot of help available from people eager to build the economy by supporting new businesses. Here are links to sites that are particularly useful. As you review these materials, you’ll find answers to general questions that lead to more specific questions. That’s where a counselor or mentor can help. Call the Bonner Business Center at 208-263-4073 for a referral to one of the several free business counselors who see clients in the Sandpoint area.

Think you have what it takes to start a business? Check this list to be sure.

The Start-Up Guide on the Idaho Small Business Development Center’s website is another good place to start. This is a “gut-check” that walks you through some of the important basic considerations, including, “Do you have what it takes?” and “Is your idea feasible?” ISBDC offers classes on basic business skills at their facility in Post Falls, and occasionally, through the North Idaho College facility at the Bonner Mall. When you’re ready, the ISBDC can provide counseling at no cost.

Another excellent resource to consult early on is the State of Idaho website with a very useful collection of resources, including an informative booklet entitled “Starting a Business in Idaho”. The website also will guide you through all the necessary registrations with the State.

A similar website, sponsored by the Reduce Idaho Bureaucracy committee is Idaho Small Business Solutions at idahobizhelp.org. This is another collection of Idaho-specific information and another portal into the registration process for Idaho businesses.

Another excellent resource is SCORE, a volunteer organization of business people who enjoy mentoring small businesses. The SCORE website also includes quite a library of documents and business tools for small businesses at any stage of development. SCORE also provides no-cost counseling. The chapter in our region, Spokane, frequently offers classes in business basics at very reasonable cost. SCORE is now providing their free mentoring service online, providing a better chance of connecting with someone experienced in your area of business.

The federal government’s Small Business Administration, which contributes funding to both SCORE and the Idaho Small Business Development Center, also has a collection of materials at www.sba.gov/smallbusinessplanner. While none of these sites may have a business plan, for example, that exactly reflects the needs of your business, among the various resources, you should be able to find sample materials that you can draw from to craft your own documents.

Don’t forget that there are expert business counselors available from the Idaho Small Business Development Center at no charge to you. Call the Bonner Business Center at 208-263-4073 for a referral to one of these free business counselors who see clients in the Sandpoint area.