About StartupStead
StartupStead is a practical guide to building a business in the United States. It covers what to set up, in what order, what it costs, and which software to use. It is written for founders and small business owners of every kind, from SaaS startups and agencies to local stores, distributors and exporters, and for founders abroad who form or hire through a US company.
How it is organized
The site is organized around the stages every business goes through. You start and incorporate, build a brand and website, market and sell, manage the money, hire a team, and protect the business. Each stage is split into topics, and industry pages pull together what applies to your type of business.
What you will find here
- Guides to the decisions every business faces, such as how to hire in another country or how long your cash will last.
- Comparisons of the software businesses choose between, side by side, with sourced and dated prices.
- Free tools, like the runway calculator and the hiring-abroad cost calculator, which run in your browser and store nothing you enter.
How articles are researched
- Prices and features come from each company's own pricing and product pages first. Where something comes from a review site or a news report instead, the article says so.
- Every price carries the date it was checked. Software prices change often, so check the live page before you buy.
- When a page changes, the article is updated and its "Updated" date moves.
The editorial policy covers the rest, from how products are tested to how mistakes are corrected.
Who writes it
StartupStead is written by Suraj Upadhyay, a software engineer and founder. To report a mistake or suggest an article, get in touch.
How it is funded
Some links may earn a commission. That never influences what an article recommends. Read exactly how it works.