A new site, honest about it.
Small Biz Primer launched in 2026 with fifteen guides. We would rather tell you that than dress it up as a decade of publishing.
Last updated September 25, 2026
Why this site exists
There is no shortage of writing about starting a business. There is a shortage of writing that tells you which steps are legally required, which are optional, and which exist mainly so somebody can sell you a service. Search "how to form an LLC" and most of the first page is written by companies that form LLCs for a living. That does not make them wrong. It does mean nobody on that page is going to tell you that you can file it yourself in twenty minutes for the state fee.
We started Small Biz Primer to write the other version. Plain English, the real order of operations, and a clear line between "you must" and "you could". Where the free official route exists - the IRS EIN application, your state's own filing portal, Google Business Profile - we point at it first, before we mention anything paid.
What we are not
We are not a law firm, an accounting firm, or a licensed financial adviser, and nothing on this site is legal, tax or financial advice. We write educational material about how things generally work in the United States. Rules differ by state, by industry and by your specific circumstances, and they change.
When a decision has real money or real liability attached to it - choosing between an S-corp election and staying a default LLC, handling payroll tax, signing a personal guarantee on a loan - we will tell you to talk to a licensed professional. That is not a disclaimer we bolt on at the bottom. It is in the body of the guide, at the point where it matters.
Corrections
We will get things wrong. When we do, we fix the page and add a dated correction note at the bottom rather than quietly editing it. If something here is inaccurate, out of date, or missing a step that tripped you up, tell us. Corrections from readers who actually filed the paperwork are the most useful mail we get.