How to Plan a Business Infrastructure

Creating Legal Structure

• 1). Choose how you are going to form your business. Your choices are sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company (LLC), corporation, S corporation, or non-profit. The requirements for each type of business vary by state.
  
  
• 2). Select a name for the business. Obtain a copyright for name if needed.
  
  
• 3). Obtain from your state's department of assessments and taxation the incorporation forms. The paperwork and fees required to form the business vary by state and depending on how you choose to form the business.
  
  
• 4). Complete incorporation forms.
  
  
• 5). Submit completed incorporation forms and fees to your state.
  
  

Research and Business Plan

• 1). Create a research system. There are many tools that you could use including the Internet, the library, and interviews.
  
  
• 2). Learn about possible competitors using the research system. You want to know possible demographics and markets the competitors focus on and their missions, goals, products and pricing.
  
  
• 3). Create a budget for your business. The budget should include start-up costs, overall salaries, marketing costs, operations costs and development cost if applicable.
  
  
• 4). Use the documentation system to write the mission and goals for the business. A documentation system is a recording or writing system that maintains a data history for the company. You could use word processing software, notebooks, note cards, flip charts or voice recordings.
  
  
• 5). Use the documentation system to write your business plan. Combine all the previous information into the plan. The business plan should also include a summary of the information.
  
  

Management, People and Positions

• 1). Draw an organization chart for your business using the whiteboard. The chart should list all the positions you will need to start the business.
  
  
• 2). Create a job description for each position. The description should tell you who each position may report to and what the position does.
  
  
• 3). Look at average rates for the positions using the research system. Using the budget you created, set a salary or hourly rate for each position. Decide if the worker in the position should be a contractor, full-time or part-time employee. Rate the positions in order of importance in case you need to reduce the number of initial employees.
  
  
• 4). Create a growth list. This is a list of employees, materials or tools you want to hire or purchase as the company grows. Rate these as well so you know the priority for expanding.