How to start a business Introduction
What if I told you that while everyone else is complaining about their paycheck, you could be building something that pays you every single day, even when you're sleeping?
You know that little voice in your head that whispers "what if I started my own business?"Most people shut it down immediately.
They tell themselves they're not smart enough, don't have enough money, or don't know where to begin.
But you're here reading this, which already makes you different from 95% of the population.
Starting a business isn't just for people with MBAs from Harvard or trust funds from rich parents.
The college dropout who built a billion-dollar company from his dorm room started exactly where you are right now.
The mom who turned her side hustle into a six-figure business? Same thing.
The teenager already making more than most adults with college degrees? Started right here too.
The only difference between them and everyone else wasn't some special talent or secret knowledge.
It was deciding to actually start instead of just thinking about it for the next five years.
This guide walks you through everything you need to know, step by step.
No confusing business jargon, no assuming you already know this stuff.
Just real, actionable steps that work whether you're 16 or 60, whether you have $100 or $10,000.
By the time you're done reading this, you won't be someone who just thinks about starting a business someday.
You'll be someone who actually knows how to do it.
Ready to make that voice in your head a reality?
Let's make it happen.
Conduct Market Research
Let me tell you something that's going to save you months of spinning your wheels and probably thousands of dollars in mistakes.
Finding a business idea that pays you $10k+ monthly in 2025 is easier than it's ever been in human history, but most people screw it up because they overthink it.
They spend six months "researching" and "validating" their idea while some kid down the street copies what's already working and starts making money next week.
Here's the truth that nobody wants to admit: there are no new business ideas.
Everything that's making money right now is just an old idea with a fresh coat of paint.
Those "revolutionary" entrepreneurs you see on social media? They all started by copying someone else who was already successful, then they added their own twist.
That's it. That's the whole secret.
So instead of trying to invent the next Facebook in your garage, here's what you actually need to do:
Go to Google Trends right now and type in things like "online coaching," "dropshipping," or "digital marketing."
You'll instantly see which business models are exploding and which ones are flatlining.
Then hop over to YouTube and search "how to make money with [business idea]."
Watch what the top videos are teaching. Those aren't theories - those are real people showing you exactly what's working.
That's your roadmap handed to you on a silver platter.
But here's where most people completely sabotage themselves: they take this information and then spend the next three months "planning" instead of doing.
They create business plans that nobody will ever read, design logos that nobody cares about, and overthink every detail until their great idea becomes their great regret.
Smart entrepreneurs skip that nonsense entirely.
They find mentors who've already built million-dollar businesses and can tell them in five minutes whether their idea is gold or garbage.
The mentors at The Real World have already done all this research for you.
They know exactly which business models are printing money in 2025, which ones are about to crash and burn, and which ones are sitting there waiting for someone smart enough to grab them.
They take complete beginners and show them exactly which opportunities to jump on for the fastest path to $10k+ per month.
No guessing. No hoping. No wasting months on ideas that were never going to work.
Click here to skip the amateur hour mistakes and get handed the exact business models that are working right now.
Write Your Business Plan
Your business plan will decide whether you make your first $10k in 30 days or spend the next six months spinning your wheels wondering why nothing's working.
The business plans that actually create millionaires could fit on a cocktail napkin.
Meanwhile, those beautiful 40-page documents full of charts and projections? They're sitting in a file cabinet somewhere while the business died.
Most new businesses don't fail from lack of effort. They fail because some advisor convinced them to follow the traditional model that puts you in crushing debt from day one.
Bank loans for equipment you don't need yet. Office space that eats your profits. Inventory sitting in your garage for months.
The traditional business plan is designed to impress bankers, not make money.
Smart entrepreneurs use something completely different called the BIAB Business Mastery Model - "Business In A Box" designed to be profitable from day one.
No overhead eating your profits. No loan payments crushing your cash flow. No bloated startup costs.
This model was created by one of the millionaire mentors at The Real World after he lost everything following the traditional path.
A real business plan should answer five questions:
What problem are you solving? One sentence.
Who's going to pay you to solve it? Be specific.
How much will they pay? Pick a number.
What's it going to cost you to deliver? Time, money, and effort.
How are you going to reach these people? Social media, ads, word of mouth.
Five questions. One page.
If you can't answer these clearly, you don't have a business idea yet.
Choose a Business Structure and Name
Look, once you start making real money, everyone suddenly wants a piece of it.
Before you worry about business cards and social media accounts, let's handle what actually matters: protecting your cash from greedy hands.
When money starts flowing in, so do taxes, lawsuits, and people looking for easy payouts.
The good news?
You're smart enough to set this up right from the start instead of learning this lesson the expensive way like most people do.
That alone puts you ahead of 90% of new business owners who get blindsided later.
Here's what you need to do now so strangers can't reach into your bank account and grab handfuls of your hard-earned money:
Create an LLC as soon as possible.
LLCs (limited liability companies) are perfect for new business owners because they give you legal protection when things go sideways.
They keep your business money and personal money completely separate so that if some angry customer tries to sue you, they can't touch your house or that shiny new car you bought with your profits.
Quick note: If you're planning to make serious money fast, you might want to consider an S-Corporation instead because they can save you thousands in taxes.
Just know there are more paperwork rules to follow.
Setting up your business structure right from day one means you can sleep peacefully knowing your money is safe no matter how big you grow.
Yeah, all these legal details can feel overwhelming when you just want to start making money.
That's exactly why the millionaire mentors at The Real World created a simple checklist that tells you exactly which structure fits your goals and how to set it up without hiring expensive lawyers.
They'll even help you figure out if your business idea has the potential to hit $100k in the first month, which would totally change which structure you should choose.
Picking Your Business Name
Your business name is either going to make you money or cost you money.
There's no in between.
Beginners screw this up because they try to be clever, cute, or use some random metaphor from their childhood.
Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.
Your business name needs to do 2 things:
Tell people what you do
Be easy to remember and spell
Picture this: You discover a new type of wireless microphone that's about to explode.
We're talking sold out in 72 hours, back-ordered for months, people paying double on eBay kind of exploding.
But instead of trying to sell to everyone and getting lost in a sea of boring generic brands that nobody remembers, you get smart about it.
You target podcasters specifically.
You create a brand called "PodTech" and suddenly every aspiring podcaster knows exactly what you sell and why they need it.
BOOM.
Your brand name does the selling for you before you even open your mouth.
Here's what most people don't realize: A magnetic business name that sticks in people's minds can literally double your sales overnight.
When customers can't remember your competitor's name but yours rolls off their tongue, guess who gets the sale?
The millionaire mentors at The Real World have seen this happen hundreds of times.
They've helped students pick names that became so memorable, customers started referring to their friends just because the name was so catchy.
We're talking about names that spread like wildfire and turn into household brands in their niche.
Want to discover the exact naming formula that makes customers remember you instead of your competition?
Plus get access to their database of available domain names in profitable niches?
Click to gain exclusive access.
Register your domain and lock your brand
This part is super easy.
Once you've had a chat with the Business Mastery mentor, you'll want to quickly register your domain and lock in your brand name.
Registering your domain can be done in a couple minutes by going on GoDaddy.com, Namecheap, or Google Domains to get it set up fast.
Make sure it's the .com version and not the .shop, the .co or the .io version of the domain.
People tend to not trust those as they're more likely to view trust with .com sites and not those.
Scammers or sites without secure payments often buy those other domains which is why they have a bad untrustworthy reputation among online shoppers.
Register Your Business and Get Legal
No one wants to do this part…
But if you want to sleep at night (and protect yourself when things go sideways), then setting up the legal side of your business isn’t optional.
One angry customer or one messy refund shouldn’t be enough to wreck your bank account.
Below you will find the necessary steps to make sure you're covered on the legal side.
Pick your legal structure
Most people starting an ecommerce business go with an LLC.
It’s simple, it’s fast, and it keeps your personal stuff protected.
That means if something goes wrong, no one’s coming after your savings or your house or the Lambo you bought using all cash from your ecommerce business.
If you’re in the U.S., you can set this up today without a lawyer.
Some sellers eventually upgrade to an S corp for the tax benefits, but that’s usually after you pass $10k in monthly profit. When you get there, talk to a CPA who knows ecommerce.
Outside the U.S.? Most countries have a similar version of an LLC.
The main point is your business and your personal life should be two separate things on paper.
Always.
File your EIN
Filing for an EIN is like your business's social security number and it's extremely easy to file for one.
You can do it for free on the IRS website.
No lawyer is needed for this.
Open your business bank account
Never... never... mix your personal and business money.
Ever.
The second your phone starts lighting up with order notifications, every dollar needs to land in a dedicated business bank account.
It’ll save your sanity come tax season.
It also keeps you legally protected if anything ever goes sideways with a customer.
More than anything, it shows you’re serious about building something real.
Check your license and permit requirements
Check your license and permit requirements
Even if you’re just building your store from a laptop at the kitchen table, some states still want you to register as a home-based business or apply for a sales tax license.
Rules change depending on where you live, so just check your state or city’s official business site to make sure you’re set.
No need to overthink it.
Just make sure everything’s legit before you start collecting payments or shipping orders.
If you’re planning to sell internationally, look into VAT registration and local tax rules.
They sound scarier than they are.
And if anything feels confusing? A 20-minute consult with a local accountant or business attorney can save you weeks of stress down the line.
One last step most people forget
One last step most people forget
Start collecting the tools and software your ecommerce business will run on.
This means your ecommerce platform, your shipping software, your payment processor, and any supplier or manufacturer you partner with.
Make sure your Shopify or WooCommerce account is registered under your business name and that supplier contracts reflect your LLC, not your personal name.
Getting this right from the start makes scaling 10 times easier later.
Want help getting your legal foundation in place the right way?
Yes, the legal stuff is boring (and a little confusing)...
But it only feels that way in the beginning.
Once you get your basics in place, you’ll have a go-to CPA and lawyer to help with anything unclear.
To make sure you cover all your bases before launch, The Real World gives you a simple, beginner-friendly legal checklist that walks you through everything step by step.
No law degree required.
Click here to get your ecommerce business set up the right way from day one.
Fund Your Business (And Stop Making Excuses)
Self-funding vs. outside capital
Before you start chasing every investor in town for money, let me ask you something that'll save you months of wasted time:
How much of your business are you willing to sell?
Because that's what we're really talking about here.
You want to keep 100% control of your destiny? Then you're looking at self-funding. Use your savings. Reinvest every penny of profit. Bootstrap with whatever cash you can scrape together from under your couch cushions.
The beautiful part? You answer to nobody. No pitch decks. No meetings where people tell you how to run your business.
The not-so-beautiful part? Every financial hit lands on you. Every slow month feels tough. Every unexpected expense comes straight out of your pocket.
Now, if you're willing to trade some ownership for cash in the bank, outside capital can put rocket fuel in your tank.
Friends and family money, angel investors, business loans - they all put real dollars in your hands so you can hire talent, market like crazy, and build without waiting for profit to trickle in like water from a broken faucet.
SBA loans, grants, and crowdfunding (Your backup plan)
What's that? You don't have a rich uncle or a trust fund?
Join the club, friend. Most of us started with nothing but determination and a plan.
But here's what the smart entrepreneur knows that others don't.
You still have options. Real ones.
SBA loans are backed by the government with reasonable interest rates. They're designed for small businesses that need serious money without excessive requirements.
Grants are free money with zero payback required. They're competitive as hell, so your application better be bulletproof.
Hate banks? Hate paperwork? Try crowdfunding.
Sites like Kickstarter let you raise money from real people who actually believe in what you're building. Give them something valuable in return, and they'll fund your dream.
How much do you really need to start? (More than you think)
The fastest way to kill your business before it starts is to run out of money at a critical moment.
And that usually happens when someone says, "I think five grand should cover everything."
You don't want to think. You want to KNOW.
Stop guessing and start calculating.
Startup costs
Equipment, inventory, licenses, initial marketing
Operating expenses Rent, utilities, insurance, software subscriptions
Marketing budget Because customers won't find you by accident
Emergency fund At least 6 months of expenses (not 3, not 4, but 6)
When you add up the real numbers (and not the fantasy numbers that make you feel better)- you'll see what you actually need to survive and thrive.
Open a Business Bank Account and Set Up Tools (Before You Need Them)
What you need to open your account
You cannot - and I repeat, CANNOT - build a legitimate business by mixing your personal money with your business money.
That's how people get destroyed at tax time, lose track of profit, and make preventable mistakes that cost them everything.
Here's what you need to open a business checking account.
Your business name (the legal one you registered, not your fantasy name)
Your Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Your business formation documents (LLC or Corp paperwork)
Government-issued ID
That's it. Most banks will let you open an account online in 15 minutes or less.
Some will even bribe you with $300 sign-up bonuses, no monthly fees, or integrations with QuickBooks and Stripe.
Best tools and software for new businesses
Trying to run your business with random spreadsheets and unreliable free apps is like trying to build a house with toy tools.
It might work for a few weeks, but when you get your first serious client who expects professionalism, you'll struggle to deliver.
Stack the right software from day one.
Bookkeeping QuickBooks, Wave, or Xero (pick one and stick with it)
Invoices + Payments Stripe, Square, PayPal (make it easy for customers to pay you)
Project Management Trello, ClickUp, or Notion (stay organized and meet deadlines)
CRM HubSpot (free version), or Zoho CRM (manage customer relationships properly)
Communication Slack or Google Workspace (maintain professional communication)
Scheduling Calendly or Acuity (eliminate back-and-forth scheduling emails)
You don't need every tool today but the moment money starts flowing, you need to track it.
The moment you have multiple customers, you need to manage those relationships properly.
Hiring help (freelancers, VAs, and partners)
If you think doing everything yourself makes you a better entrepreneur, you're missing a key opportunity.
Smart business owners understand this principle. The faster you can delegate tasks that others can do, the faster you can focus on high-value work that grows your business.
Start here.
Freelancers Hire on Upwork, Fiverr, or Contra for design, development, or content creation.
Virtual Assistants Use platforms like OnlineJobs.ph or Athena for admin work, customer service, and research.
Partners If you've got skill gaps that are limiting your growth, bringing in a co-founder might be your power move.
But remember: Only bring people in if they speed you up, not slow you down.
Every hire should either save you time or make you money. Preferably both.
Brand Yourself and Advertise
Set up your website + social media
You don't need a fancy agency to build a website that makes people trust you. You just need clarity, confidence, and the courage to publish.
Your site is your storefront, your office, and your elevator pitch running 24/7.
Pick a domain name that matches your business name. No weird dashes or numbers. Clean. Easy to say. Easy to spell.
Build your site using tools made for non-tech founders. Wix if you need fast. WordPress if you want control. Webflow if you care about design.
Your homepage should answer one question fast: What problem do you solve, and why should I trust you to solve it?
Not your life story. Not your vision for the next decade. A clear offer and a way to take action.
Get your social media accounts set up. Don't try to be everywhere. Pick one platform where your people already are.
Your early posts shouldn't sell. They should show. Show your process. Show your progress. Build that trust brick by brick.
The Real World hands you a no-fluff website launch plan, ready-to-use social templates, and done-for-you brand starter kits.
Intro to SEO, ads, and content
SEO isn't magic. It's simply knowing what your audience types into Google and making sure your site answers that question better than anyone else.
You don't need to rank for everything. You need to rank for the right things.
Use Google Keyword Planner. Type in your niche. Find out what people are searching for. Then write pages that give them the answer. Don't overthink it. Just be helpful.
Ads give you speed. Facebook, Google, TikTok - take your pick. Set a budget, test some copy, and find out fast what makes people click. Start small. $5 to $10 a day.
Content is your engine. Share your process. Document your launch. Teach one simple thing you wish someone had told you when you were starting.
You're not trying to "go viral." You're trying to be trusted.
Click here if you want the plug-and-play SEO starters, ad templates that don't waste budget, and 30 days of content ideas.
Create your first marketing campaign
This is the difference between posting randomly and making sales consistently.
Build a lead magnet. Could be a PDF guide. Could be a discount code. Could be a simple quiz that tells people what service they need. Doesn't matter what it is - as long as your audience wants it.
Drop it on a landing page. Clear headline. One paragraph. One form. Done.
Then get eyes on it. Post about it. Run a $10 ad to it. Email your friends about it. DM five people in your niche and offer it for free.
Your first campaign doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to run. You'll get smarter every time you test.
When the first sale comes in from something you built with your own hands? That's a feeling money can't buy.
The Real World walks you through this exact system - step by step.
Lead magnets. Pages. Emails. Even ad copy. Just tweak it, publish, and go.
Grow Your Business
Set SMART goals
Ask any 7-figure entrepreneur the secret to building massive wealth and they'll tell you something most people don't understand.
Most people work for money. Rich people make money work for them.
When you're serious about making the kind of money that has you flying first class wherever you want, whenever you want, you realize there's a specific formula that makes money chase you instead of the other way around.
It's called setting a SMART goal.
Specific: "I want to start an ecommerce store..." Measurable: "...that makes $100k per month in profit..." Achievable: "...with the help of a millionaire mentor to avoid beginner mistakes..." Relevant: "...so I can finally retire my parents..." Time-bound: "...and I want to do all of this by December 31st."
Picture yourself 8 months from now. You're checking your phone and seeing another $15k day. Your parents call you crying because you just paid off their mortgage. Your biggest stress is deciding whether to reinvest in more inventory or take that month-long trip to Europe you've been dreaming about.
No one ever made life-changing money by starting with "I want to make more money" because that leads to exactly where you are right now: working harder for the same paycheck, watching prices go up while your bank account stays flat.
The Real World shows you exactly how to set SMART goals that turn into real bank deposits and lifestyle changes you can actually touch and feel.
The mentors have turned goal-setting into a paint-by-numbers system.
They've created a step-by-step SMART goal template that removes all the guesswork and shows you exactly what to focus on each week.
Customer feedback + product tweaks
Want to know the difference between businesses that struggle to hit $10k a month and ones that effortlessly scale to $100k+?
It all comes down to customer obsession.
Most business owners treat reviews like an afterthought. They launch their product, cross their fingers, and hope for the best. Then they wonder why their sales plateau and competitors start eating their lunch.
5-star reviews in your first 30 days can literally make or break your entire business. They determine whether you show up first in search results, whether customers trust you enough to buy, and whether you build momentum or get buried.
Smart entrepreneurs know something that separates them from everyone else. They've figured out how to stack the deck in their favor before they even launch.
There's a specific interview technique that gets people to reveal exactly what they'd pay money for without them even knowing they're being interviewed.
The mentors at The Real World use this to help students create genius product ideas that skip the expensive testing phase completely.
You get honest feedback about what would make them throw money at you, what features they'd pay extra for, and what problems they're desperately trying to solve.
The result?
You launch products that fly off the shelves because you built exactly what people were already begging for.
Scaling operations and staying profitable
Picture this: you've been following everything in this guide, and your business is absolutely crushing it. Orders are pouring in, customers love what you're doing, and money is flowing like you've never seen before.
This is where most business owners make the mistake that sends them right back to square one.
They get trigger happy and start bringing on people to do the day-to-day work so they can focus on bigger picture stuff like growth strategy.
But what they fail to recognize is that adding too much too quickly will eat up profits faster than you can make them.
Yes, your calendar opens up but your bank account gets smaller and smaller.
There's a healthy line you must follow if you want to scale profitably.
The Real World has an entire section of their community dedicated for you once you start raking in $10k per month and want to scale the right way without eating profit.
Click here to see how you can avoid the common pitfalls and build operational systems that keep your business printing money automatically.
Final Thoughts
Building your own business isn't just a nice idea anymore. It's become the only way to actually enjoy life while everyone else struggles to keep up.
Picture waking up every morning knowing you don't have to ask permission to take a day off.
Imagine checking your bank account and seeing money that came in while you were sleeping.
Think about what it feels like to book a vacation without calculating how many vacation days you have left or whether your boss will approve it.
That's what freedom actually looks like, and it's what thousands of people are creating for themselves right now while their friends are still trapped in cubicles.
The traditional career path your parents and teachers pushed you toward? It's broken beyond repair.
College graduates with $50,000 in debt are moving back in with their parents because their degrees can't land them jobs that pay enough to cover basic living expenses.
Meanwhile, inflation keeps climbing, rent keeps rising, and those "stable" corporate jobs keep disappearing through layoffs and automation.
You can see it everywhere you look.
Friends with college degrees working retail jobs…
People with 10+ years of experience getting laid off and struggling to find anything that pays what they used to make…
Families where both parents work full-time but still can't afford to buy a house…
The system that worked for previous generations has completely fallen apart, and you're watching it happen in real time.
But here's what makes you different from everyone else who's stuck in this mess: you're not just complaining about it.
You're not just hoping things will magically get better. You're actually doing something about it.
You're the hero in this story who refuses to accept that struggling financially for the next 40 years is just "how life works."
You're the one who looked at this broken system and said, "There has to be a better way."
And you're absolutely right. There is a better way.
You have access to information, tools, and people who have already escaped this trap and built the kind of life most people only dream about.
This is exactly why The Real World is so powerful for people like you.
The entire community was specifically designed for anyone who refuses to accept the status quo and wants guided help to replace their paycheck as quickly as possible.
Every live call, every tool, every proven strategy, every piece of 1-on-1 help is designed to get you into a life you can actually be proud of and enjoy.
They've built businesses so successful that they've completely automated their day-to-day operations, which gives them the time and freedom to show absolute beginners exactly how to do the same thing.
And they're sharing the exact systems they used to build multi-million dollar businesses, and they're doing it because they remember what it felt like to be trapped and want to help as many people as possible experience real freedom.
If you're even a little bit curious about what your life could look like one week from now when you're not just reading about business success but actually building it...
Click here to join today and start building your business alongside 130,000 like-minded people who decided they deserved better.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much money do I need to start a business?
You don’t need tens of thousands sitting in your bank account to get moving. In fact, most small business owners today are launching lean with less than $1,000—especially if you're starting an online business, freelance service, or consulting gig. With the right tools, strategy, and a clear value prop, you can test offers fast, without going broke. The Real World gives you the lowdown on startup costs, what to spend on first, and what to ignore.
What’s the best business to start with little money?
The smartest move when you're working with a limited budget? Choose a business that runs light and scales fast. Think: digital services, content creation, coaching, affiliate marketing, or even AI-powered freelancing. These don’t require inventory, storefronts, or massive ad budgets. Inside The Real World, you'll get access to real-world case studies and templates that walk you through building a profitable low-investment business from scratch.
Do I need a business license or can I just start?
Yes, and no. Some states let you operate as a sole proprietor without needing a license for general services, but the moment you’re offering regulated goods, food, or location-based services? You’ll need proper business licenses and permits. Don’t risk fines. The Real World breaks down the rules by state, so you know exactly when and where to register your business legally.
Should I start an LLC or a sole proprietorship?
Here’s the short version: a sole proprietorship is easier and cheaper to set up, but an LLC gives you legal protection, tax flexibility, and more credibility out the gate. Most serious small business owners go LLC once they’re past the side hustle phase. Want help choosing the right business structure? The Real World gives you a side-by-side breakdown so you can decide in minutes.
How do I pay myself as a business owner?
If you're running an LLC or sole proprietorship, you’ll typically pay yourself through what's called an “owner’s draw”—pulling profits from the business bank account into your personal one. But once you start earning real revenue, you’ll want to structure how and when you pay yourself to avoid IRS headaches. The Real World walks you through setting up your business bank account and getting clear on your business income vs. personal cash.
How long does it take to start a business legally?
If you’re ready with your business name, structure, and basic info, you can form an LLC or register your business in most states in under an hour. Some states even approve same-day. Once you get your EIN from the IRS and register for taxes, licenses, and a business bank account and you’re good to go. Inside The Real World, we give you a fast-start legal checklist so you can hit “go” today without missing a step.
What software or tools do I actually need to run a business?
Keep it simple. You need a business bank account, basic accounting software (like QuickBooks or Wave), a place to send invoices, something to manage tasks (Notion, Trello, or ClickUp), and a CRM if you’re doing outreach. No need to buy every shiny app. The Real World shows you a vetted starter tech stack designed to run lean, stay organized, and make you money from day one.
What if I fail? Can I start over?
Every successful entrepreneur has face planted at least once. What separates winners is they get back up, smarter. Starting over is not only possible—it’s often the thing that makes your second attempt wildly successful. You keep your EIN, tweak your structure, reposition your offer, and relaunch with everything you’ve learned. The Real World shows you how to build momentum again without dragging your past failures into your future wins.