Starting my company, Gloss and Glam, was the best thing I ever did. But before I opened my small business, I spent countless hours speaking to lawyers, accountants, and other entrepreneurs trying to figure out next steps. Save yourself countless hours — and the headache of making foundational mistakes — by getting these five things straight before you startup:

1. Own your business name.

   Make sure the company name you choose is one with an available trademark and Internet domain name. To see if a trademark is available, you can do a trademark search online through the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s website. Failure to properly obtain a trademark could put your fledgling business at risk. Don’t assume your new business name is not trademarked because you were unsuccessful finding such name on the Internet, either. Someone could have used the name for a business that closed, or filed a trademark and never used it.

2. Get in with the law.

   Understand what regulations, licenses and taxes you will need to follow, obtain and pay for your new business. After doing some initial research on your own, consult with a lawyer and accountant to confirm your understanding and to help structure your business to be in compliance with the law. Generally speaking, you will need to need to (i) ensure you are charging the correct amount of tax your service or product that your business is promoting, if applicable and (ii) obtain all of the proper licenses needed to run your new business, at a minimum. Establishing a successful business is hard enough. The last thing you need is some technical legality or administrative detail to stand in the way of your success.

3. Consider personal expenses.

   When working on your business plan, do not forget about the most important factor: you. You need to take into account your living costs: rent, mortgages, and health insurance, etc. You will most likely need to cut out all the unnecessary extras you can live without. Make sure to account for unforeseen or unexpected expenses by factoring flexibility into your budget for those “just-in-case” moments. You might even consider taking a part-time job until things pick up with your new venture and speak to a financial planner to help you budget yourself properly.

4. Weigh the time commitment.

   Starting a business takes brains, bravery, and what will seem to be endless hours of hard work. When you own your own company, there is always something that has to get done. You will most likely find yourself working at least 60-80 hours a week for the first two years. With that said, I’ll ask you one very important question: Are you ready to give up your personal life for the next three years?

5. Don’t over (or under) spend.

   Starting a business can be incredibly financially taxing on you and your family. You will need to learn where and when to spend. It’s important not to waste those precious seed dollars but it’s equally important to spend where necessary. In any business, you often have to spend money to make money. Don’t skimp out on things your company needs. For example, it may be worth it to put $1,500 in an online vendor listing, but it may not be necessary to give every new customer a $15 mug. Be sure to keep up with technology too. There are many time-saving programs and free apps that can help you keep track of it all. As we all know, “Time is money.”

Nicole Robinson is the CEO of Gloss and Glam, a premier and largest luxury on-location hair and makeup company. Gloss and Glam provides high end hair and makeup services for runways, magazines, weddings, TV shows, movies, and private clients across the world. For more information or to book an appointment visit www.glossandglam.com.

© YFS Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Copying prohibited. All material is protected by U.S. and international copyright laws. Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this material is prohibited. Sharing of this material under Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International terms, listed here, is permitted.