Run the Business
Nobody starts a business because they love admin. But the boring layer – legal structure, invoicing, tax, banking, insurance – is what keeps the fun layer alive. Plain-English guides to getting it right without hiring a department.
Articles
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Featured guide
Do You Actually Need an LLC? A Plain-English Guide for Solo Founders
Everyone on the internet tells you to form an LLC on day one. Here's when it actually matters, and when it can wait.
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Formation
Best LLC Formation Services Compared (2026)
Northwest vs ZenBusiness vs Bizee vs LegalZoom vs DIY — where the "free" offers make their money, and which add-ons to decline.
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Formation
LLC vs Sole Proprietorship: Which Should You Start With?
The comparison in plain English — liability, taxes, cost, credibility — and the triggers that make the decision for you.
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Formation
What Is a Registered Agent — and Can You Be Your Own?
The most upsold checkbox in the formation flow, explained in two minutes — with the honest case for doing it yourself.
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Tax admin
How to Get an EIN — Free, From the IRS, in About 15 Minutes
The most profitable upsell in the formation industry is a $0 government form. The free route, including for non-US founders.
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Formation
Do You Need an LLC for a Blog, Podcast or Side Hustle?
A blog, a podcast and an Etsy shop carry very different risks – so the one-size answer everyone gives is wrong in both directions.
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Formation
What Is the Owner of an LLC Called? Member, Founder, CEO and Other Titles
The legal answer is one word most people have never heard used that way. The practical answer – your email signature – is up to you.
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Formation
LLC vs Ltd: The US and UK Business Structures Compared
Same idea, different countries, surprisingly different machines – the translation guide, and the honest answer on forming one across the Atlantic.
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Formation (UK)
How to Register as a Sole Trader in the UK (Free, in About 20 Minutes)
The easiest admin in UK business. The useful knowledge is around the edges: who needs to, by when, and what happens next.
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Formation
Northwest vs ZenBusiness: Which LLC Formation Service? (2026)
The two most-recommended formation services take opposite approaches to the same job – one sells you less on purpose, the other makes not-buying the challenge.
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Formation
Can You Start a Business Without an LLC? (Yes — Here's How It Works)
Three questions people quietly type into search bars, answered properly – including what happens if you form an LLC and then just… don't.
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Contracts
Freelance Contracts 101: The 8 Clauses That Actually Protect You
Most freelance disasters aren't villain stories – they're ambiguity stories. The one-page contract that prevents almost all of them.
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Privacy
Can You Get a Free Virtual Business Address? (Sort Of)
The search bar is full of people asking for a free business address, and the industry answers with $10/month products. Both have a point – the honest map.
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Privacy
Best Virtual Business Address Services (2026)
Get your home address off your filings and invoices for about $10 a month – and the two things no provider's ad will tell you.
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Credit
Best Business Credit Cards for a New Business (2026)
Yes, you can get one the week you start — approval runs on your personal credit, not your revenue. Which card, and the personal-guarantee clause everyone skips.
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Formation (UK)
Sole Trader vs Limited Company: The UK Solo Founder's Guide
The UK's version of the LLC question, with real money attached in both directions — and a trigger list for when incorporating actually makes sense.
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Banking (US)
Best Business Bank Accounts for Solo Founders & the Self-Employed (2026)
Mercury vs Found vs Novo vs Relay vs traditional banks – and the multi-pot habit that makes any solo business calmer.
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Banking (UK)
Best UK Business Bank Accounts for Sole Traders and Small Companies
Starling vs Tide vs Monzo vs Mettle vs the high street – what's genuinely free, FSCS protection, and the FreeAgent bundle worth £150+ a year.
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Insurance
Do You Need Business Insurance as a Company of One?
You're buying protection against specific bills you couldn't pay from savings. Walk your risks with that lens and the shopping list writes itself.
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Tax
Freelancer Taxes, Minus the Panic: A First-Year Guide
Freelance tax anxiety is almost never about the tax — it's about the not-knowing. The four moving parts, and the two habits that fix it.
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Cash flow
Invoicing Tools That Get You Paid Faster
Late payment isn't a client-quality problem — it's a systems problem. The tools and tactics that measurably shorten payment times.
- Coming soon: Bookkeeper vs accountant: who do you actually need? · S-corp election explained · Scope creep scripts: what to say when the project grows