For freelancers and consultants who need to register, set prices, write contracts, send invoices, work with clients abroad and pay their taxes.
Guide · Branding and design
A name that's free in your state can still infringe a trademark, and a federal trademark application costs $350 per class of goods or services. Check the USPTO database, your state's name rules and the domain before you print anything. Here's how to clear a name, and what each registration does and doesn't protect.
· 7 min read
Guide · Collaboration and productivity
Start with a domain you control, email on that domain, a simple website, a business bank account, accounting software, a way to take payments, a CRM, shared docs, a password manager and light automation. Most have free plans that last a two-person company months. A five-person stack runs about $180 a month at list prices.
· 7 min read
Guide · Cross-border incorporation
You don't need an ITIN to get an EIN, file Form 5472 or claim a treaty rate on a W-8BEN if you have a tax number from home. You do need one to file a US return as a nonresident, for example when your business is engaged in a US trade or business. The IRS says allow 9 to 11 weeks from abroad.
· 7 min read
Guide · Collaboration and productivity
Google Workspace Business Starter and Microsoft 365 Business Basic both cost $7 a user a month on annual billing. Zoho Mail's free plan covers five users. Forwarding through Cloudflare is free but only receives, and from January 2027 Gmail stops letting a personal account send as an outside address.
· 8 min read
Guide · Cross-border payments
On a $10,000 invoice, Wise's US account details cost $186.97 in fees including GST, Payoneer's published rates come to between about $219 and $496, and PayPal comes to about $727. Services exported under an LUT carry no GST, but you still need the paperwork. Here's how to choose.
· 7 min read
Comparison · No-code and automation
Ten thousand units a month cost $9 on Make's Core plan, $16 on Pabbly Connect's Standard plan and $129 on Zapier's Professional plan, all billed yearly. But Make counts every step including the trigger, while Zapier and Pabbly only count actions. Here's what one real automation costs on each.
· 7 min read
Guide · Company formation
The cheapest way to form an LLC is to file it yourself on your state's website and pay only the state fee, from $35 in Montana to $300 in Texas. Everything else can be free. Here's how, and what to watch for.
· 7 min read
Guide · Business banking
Opening a business bank account takes your formation documents, your EIN, ID for each owner and about 15 minutes online. Here's exactly what to have ready, the fees that matter, and how to choose between an online bank and a branch.
· 7 min read
Guide · Accounting and bookkeeping
Good bookkeeping isn't complicated: separate accounts, software connected to your bank, a short list of categories and an hour a month. Here's the whole system, from setup to the year-end handoff to your accountant.
· 7 min read
Guide · Company formation
Forming an LLC takes a few hundred dollars in state fees and one to two weeks. Here is every step in order, what each one costs, and which paid extras you don't need.
· 8 min read
Guide · Business taxes
A single-member LLC owner pays themselves with an owner's draw, not a salary, and is taxed on the LLC's profit whether or not they take it out. Partners use distributions and guaranteed payments. S corp owners must take a reasonable salary. Here's how each works.
· 7 min read
Guide · Company formation
For most owners, the best state to form an LLC is the state where they live and work. Forming in Delaware or Wyoming usually means registering at home too and paying both states. Here's the math, and the exceptions.
· 7 min read
Guide · Compliance and filings
Most states require an annual or biennial report to keep an LLC active, from $7 in Pennsylvania to $138.75 in Florida, and some add a yearly tax, like California's $800. Miss it and the state can dissolve your LLC. Here's what's due and when.
· 7 min read
Guide · Contractors
Whether someone is a 1099 contractor or a W-2 employee depends on control and independence, not on what the contract says. The IRS weighs behavioral control, financial control and the relationship, and states like California apply a stricter ABC test. Here's how to decide.
· 7 min read
Guide · Business taxes
If you expect to owe $1,000 or more in federal tax, you generally need to pay estimated tax each quarter. Pay at least 100% of last year's tax, or 90% of this year's, and you avoid the underpayment penalty. Here's how to work it out and pay.
· 7 min read
Guide · Company formation
Every LLC needs a registered agent: a person or company with an address in the state who accepts legal papers during business hours. You can be your own for free, or pay $125 to $249 a year. Here's how to choose.
· 7 min read
Guide · Contracts and legal
An operating agreement sets out who owns your LLC, who decides what, and what happens when someone wants out. Here's what it should cover, which states require one, and when a free template stops being enough.
· 7 min read
Guide · Legal structure
Electing S corp status lets an LLC owner take part of the profit without self-employment tax. Whether that's worth it depends on your profit, a reasonable salary and the extra running costs. Here is the math at three profit levels.
· 7 min read
Guide · Compliance and filings
US-formed LLCs and corporations no longer file beneficial ownership information reports with FinCEN. The final rule took effect on August 14, 2026. Only foreign companies registered to do business in a US state still report. Here's what that means for you.
· 7 min read
Guide · Legal structure
An S corp isn't a separate kind of company, it's a tax election an LLC can make. The real choice is between an LLC, taxed simply or as an S corp, and a C corporation built for investors.
· 7 min read
Guide · Company formation
An EIN is free from the IRS and takes about 15 minutes online. Here is what to have ready, the hours the online application is open, the mistakes that cause trouble later, and the fax, mail and phone routes for everyone else.
· 7 min read
Guide · Compliance and filings
Most businesses need at least one license or permit, but there's no single national license. Here's how the federal, state and local layers work, the permits people forget, and a step-by-step way to find yours.
· 7 min read
Guide · Business taxes
A business can deduct ordinary and necessary expenses, but the biggest savings come from the ones owners forget: start-up costs, the home office, mileage at 72.5 or 76 cents a mile in 2026, equipment under Section 179, and health insurance. Here's the list, with the records each needs.
· 7 min read
Comparison · Accounting and bookkeeping
Online bookkeeping services range from Pilot's $99-a-month Essentials plan to Bookkeeper360 at $399 and QuickBooks Live from $300. Here's what each includes, when a service beats software plus a part-time bookkeeper, and why you should insist on books you own.
· 7 min read
Comparison · Business banking
Mercury suits startups and founders abroad, but takes no cash. Relay gives you 20 free checking accounts and free cash deposits at Allpoint+ ATMs. Bluevine pays interest on its free plan if you meet a spending or deposit target. Here's the full comparison.
· 7 min read
Comparison · Cross-border payments
Wise charges a one-time $31 and conversion fees from 0.23%. Airwallex is free to open with a 0.5% markup on major currencies. Payoneer suits marketplace sellers and freelancers, but charges 1% to receive many payments and an annual fee on low volumes. Here's how to choose.
· 7 min read
Comparison · Email marketing
Kit's free plan now covers up to 10,000 subscribers, beehiiv's free plan up to 2,500 and MailerLite's up to 250. Paid plans start around $12 to $49 a month. The right pick depends on whether the newsletter supports a business or is the business. Here's how they compare.
· 10 min read
Comparison · Accounting and bookkeeping
For most small businesses, QuickBooks Online Simple Start ($38 a month) or Xero Growing ($59 a month, unlimited users) is the right starting point. FreshBooks Plus ($43 a month) suits freelancers and agencies who live in invoices. Here's the full comparison at list prices.
· 7 min read
Comparison · Invoicing
Zoho Invoice and Wave Starter invoice for free. FreshBooks Plus ($43 a month) adds real accounting for service businesses. Bonsai Essentials ($25 a month, or $19 billed annually) wraps proposals, contracts and invoices into one workflow. Here's how to choose.
· 7 min read
Comparison · Accounting and bookkeeping
Zoho Books' free plan is the most complete, including bank reconciliation, as long as revenue stays under $50,000. Wave's free plan has unlimited invoices but no automatic bank import. QuickBooks' free plan allows two invoices a month. Here's how to choose.
· 7 min read
Comparison · Company formation
The best LLC formation service depends on what you need after the filing. Northwest has the lowest ongoing cost and the best privacy, Bizee the cheapest first year with an EIN, ZenBusiness the most bundled compliance, LegalZoom the attorney access.
· 7 min read