Business Foundations: 10 Things to Sort Before You Launch
Starting a business is exciting.
Whether you're selling handmade products, offering a service or opening a café, it's tempting to jump straight into creating social media posts, designing logos and dreaming about your first customers.
But before you focus on the fun stuff, it's worth asking yourself one simple question...
Have you built the foundations?
I've recently been reminded just how easy it is to overlook the basics. It inspired me to put together this checklist to help new business owners start on the right foot.
Business Foundations Checklist
✅ Register your business name
If you're trading under a name other than your own, make sure it's registered. It's one of the first steps in creating a professional business.
✅ Apply for an ABN
An Australian Business Number is essential for most businesses and often required before you can set up payment providers, invoicing systems and business accounts.
✅ Secure your domain name
Even if you're not ready to build your website, secure your domain name early. It's inexpensive, takes only a few minutes and prevents someone else registering it first.
✅ Understand your customer
Before you spend money on logos, websites or advertising, be clear on who you're trying to reach.
Ask yourself:
Who is my ideal customer?
What problem am I solving?
Why should they choose my business over someone else?
The clearer you are on your customer, the easier every other business decision becomes.
✅ Open a business bank account
Keeping personal and business finances separate makes bookkeeping much easier and presents a more professional image.
✅ Decide how you'll accept payments
Depending on your business this may include:
Stripe
Square
EFTPOS
Bank transfer
Don't wait until your first customer asks how they can pay.
✅ Build a simple website
Your website doesn't need to be huge.
It simply needs to answer:
Who are you?
What do you offer?
Why should someone choose you?
How do they contact you?
If the thought of building a website feels overwhelming, don't worry. That's exactly why I created my Website Foundationspackage.
✅ Claim your Google Business Profile
One of the easiest wins for local businesses.
It helps customers find you when they're searching online.
It's free and can start bringing you enquiries long before your website ranks on Google.
✅ Create consistent branding
You don't need an expensive logo.
You do need consistency.
Choose:
colours
fonts
tone of voice
...and use them consistently.
✅ Build your social media with purpose
Don't post because you feel like you should.
Post because every piece of content moves your business closer to a goal.
Final thoughts
A beautiful logo won't fix weak foundations.
Neither will posting every day on Facebook.
The strongest businesses don't just look professional.
They've taken the time to build the right foundations before chasing growth.
If you're just getting started, work through this checklist one step at a time.
Your future self will thank you.
Not sure where to start?
At The Salty Gypsy Studio, I help small businesses build strong online foundations, from websites and branding through to social media strategy.
Let's build something that lasts.