https://www.howtostarta.business/guides/Short guides for people starting a business, by Luke F. Walton. No account, no tracking.enhttps://www.howtostarta.business/guides/how-much-does-it-cost-to-start-a-business/https://www.howtostarta.business/guides/how-much-does-it-cost-to-start-a-business/Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTIt depends on the business, and the useful number is the one you build from your own list. There is no typical number. Build your own from a list of one-time costs, monthly costs, and the cash you need while sales catch up.https://www.howtostarta.business/guides/how-to-calculate-break-even/https://www.howtostarta.business/guides/how-to-calculate-break-even/Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTDivide your monthly fixed costs by the contribution per sale (price minus the cost of one sale), then round up to a whole sale. Divide your monthly fixed costs by what one sale leaves after its own costs, then round up. Worked example, plus what to do when the number is too high.https://www.howtostarta.business/guides/how-to-find-a-business-idea/https://www.howtostarta.business/guides/how-to-find-a-business-idea/Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTStart from work you know and problems you keep hearing, then test one idea cheaply. Where ideas come from, how to compare a few, and the cheapest way to test one before you spend money.https://www.howtostarta.business/guides/how-to-get-your-first-customer/https://www.howtostarta.business/guides/how-to-get-your-first-customer/Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTAsk one person with the problem to commit to a small, priced offer, then learn from what they do. Find someone with the problem now, make a small offer, and ask for a real commitment. Then write down what you learned.https://www.howtostarta.business/guides/how-to-price-a-product-or-service/https://www.howtostarta.business/guides/how-to-price-a-product-or-service/Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTWork out what one sale costs you including your own pay, then set a price between that floor and what the result is worth to the customer. Start from what one sale costs you, then check what alternatives cost your customer and what the result is worth. Your cost is the floor, not the price.https://www.howtostarta.business/guides/how-to-set-your-hourly-rate/https://www.howtostarta.business/guides/how-to-set-your-hourly-rate/Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTAdd the income you want to take home and your yearly business costs, then divide by the hours you can realistically bill in a year, which is far fewer than the hours you work. Add the income you want and your yearly costs, then divide by the hours you can actually bill. A worked example for a one-person consulting practice.https://www.howtostarta.business/guides/how-to-start-a-business-with-no-money/https://www.howtostarta.business/guides/how-to-start-a-business-with-no-money/Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTShrink the first version until it costs almost nothing, get paid before you spend, and use what you already have, but know that some businesses have costs that cannot be skipped. Most businesses can start far smaller than people assume. Some cannot start with nothing. Here is how to tell which kind you have, and what to do about it.https://www.howtostarta.business/guides/how-to-validate-a-business-idea/https://www.howtostarta.business/guides/how-to-validate-a-business-idea/Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTValidate an idea by finding out whether people with the problem will give you time, then money, then a paid pilot, and treat anything less as encouragement. Test a business idea with real conversations and small commitments you can run this month on a set budget, then read the results honestly.https://www.howtostarta.business/guides/what-to-do-after-writing-your-business-plan/https://www.howtostarta.business/guides/what-to-do-after-writing-your-business-plan/Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTTest the riskiest assumption in your plan with real people before you file anything, then work through the official steps in order. Test your riskiest assumption first, plan the first 30 days, then work through the official steps in order. Know when to go back to the plan.https://www.howtostarta.business/guides/business-plan-with-ai/https://www.howtostarta.business/guides/business-plan-with-ai/Sun, 01 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTAn assistant can organize your notes. It cannot find out whether anyone will pay you. Give any assistant useful context, challenge its answers, and bring reviewed notes back to your plan.https://www.howtostarta.business/guides/choosing-an-ai/https://www.howtostarta.business/guides/choosing-an-ai/Sun, 01 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTUse whichever assistant you can open today, because none is best for everyone, and check what it says against your own customers and costs. Compare the free assistants side by side, see what each is good for, and learn how to get a first useful answer for your business plan.https://www.howtostarta.business/guides/how-to-write-a-business-plan/https://www.howtostarta.business/guides/how-to-write-a-business-plan/Sun, 01 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTA useful plan is the next decision you need to make, with the gaps still visible. Write a one-page plan with clear customers, honest numbers, and things to test. Includes a copyable one-page business plan template and examples.