Run the Business
Money and admin for a small business, written for the United States: a virtual address, a bank account, a credit card and an LLC. The UK guides are in their own block further down, with £ figures only. Nothing here is legal, tax or financial advice. Figures in the guides need checking against the source, because fees change.
United States
| Guide | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Best virtual business address | Mailbox services for a US business, and whether a free address exists |
| Business credit cards for startups | Cards for a new business, personal guarantees, and approval with little revenue |
| US business bank accounts | Accounts for startups, sole proprietors and LLCs |
| Do I need an LLC? | When to form one, what the owner is called, side hustles, and how to get an EIN |
| LLC formation services | Northwest, ZenBusiness, Bizee, LegalZoom, DIY, and what a registered agent is |
| LLC vs sole proprietorship | Liability, tax, cost and when to switch |
| Northwest vs ZenBusiness | First-year cost, the registered agent, and which founder each one suits |
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United States
Best virtual business address
A real street address and mail scanning from about $10 a month, what it cannot do, and the honest answer on "free".
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United States
Business credit cards for startups
Approval runs on personal credit more than on revenue. The personal guarantee is the clause to read.
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United States
US business bank accounts
Mercury, Found, Novo, Relay and a traditional bank, for sole proprietors and LLCs. UK accounts are a different page.
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United States
Do I need an LLC?
When it matters, what you can do without one, side hustles, what the owner is called, and the free EIN from the IRS.
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United States
Best LLC formation services
Where the $0 offers make their money, which add-ons to decline, and what a registered agent actually is.
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United States
LLC vs sole proprietorship
The same taxes by default, a liability shield with conditions, and the triggers that say it is time to file.
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United States
Northwest vs ZenBusiness
One charges up front and includes the registered agent. The other is $0 until the checkout.
UK section
United Kingdom
Three guides for UK sole traders and limited companies. They use £ and UK rules, and they do not apply to a US LLC. Accounting software, including FreeAgent, is in the UK note on the accounting guide.
| Guide | What it covers |
|---|---|
| UK business bank account for sole traders | Starling, Tide, Monzo, Mettle and the high street |
| Sole trader vs limited company | When to incorporate, and whether a Ltd is the same as a US LLC |
| Register as a sole trader | The HMRC registration, the trading allowance, and the same-week setup |
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United Kingdom
UK business bank account for sole traders
What is actually free, which accounts are FSCS-protected, and the FreeAgent bundle on Mettle.
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United Kingdom
Sole trader vs limited company
Liability, tax and admin, plus a short section on how a UK Ltd differs from a US LLC.
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United Kingdom
How to register as a sole trader
Who has to register with HMRC, the £1,000 trading allowance, and what to set up the same week.