Starting a new business is an exciting time. For serial entrepreneurs, starting a new business is often more routine because they have developed a system from their prior ventures. For those who are just diving into entrepreneurship, understanding how to handle the early stages of the business, such as start-up costs, won’t be so routine. If you have a business idea and you’re considering taking the plunge with a start-up, it is essential to have a good business plan which will provide structure for handling the early stages of the company as well as managing start-up costs. The core start-up costs include:
Legal Fees
When establishing a business plan, many entrepreneurs overlook the cost of legal fees. For many, legal fees are an unwanted expense which results in pursuing subpar legal documents online. Unfortunately for many entrepreneurs, these documents fail to account for the individual needs of the business and entrepreneur, which can result in expensive litigation and exorbitant future business expenses. When establishing a start-up, always consult with a business attorney to ensure that you and your company are protected.
Regulatory Costs
Another often overlooked cost is related to regulatory costs. Depending on your start-up, you may be required to receive certain licensure and permitting from the state, local governments, or professional associations. These costs can quickly build up from a fee standpoint, and failure to satisfy these requirements can result in greater costs as your business may not be able to operate while you wait for the licensure, permit, or other regulatory approval.
Insurance
Insurance protects you and your company from unexpected events that would otherwise cripple the company. Carrying the proper insurance means that your employees are protected, your customers are protected, your business is protected, and you are protected. In addition to potentially being illegal in your area, attempting to skip out on insurance has the potential to sink your company and make you personally liable.
Marketing Expenses
Even if you have the greatest product in the world, no one can buy it if they don’t know it exists. Thus, your business plan should always include a budget for marketing. The avenue you pursue for marketing will be specific to your business, but always take the time to budget for marketing costs.
Employee Expenses
One of the largest expenses for companies around the world is the cost of labor, or the amount it costs them to have employees. When budgeting for employees, you need to be realistic in what you are requiring of each employee when estimating the wage that the employee will require. In addition to an employee’s salary, don’t forget about employee benefits. Underestimating the cost of an employee can cost you thousands in unplanned expenses.
Administrative Costs
An often-overlooked expense is the administrative cost of operating the business. Here, you need to budget for accounting costs, payroll costs if you intend to have employees, and information technology costs. Additionally, some may include the costs of operating a website as an administrative cost, although others may budget their website as a marketing expense.
As you can see, there are numerous costs common to start-ups that need to be addressed in the business plan.