- 1). Find legal and financial resources through agencies such as the U.S. Small Business Administration, SCORE, the Internal Revenue Service, your secretary of state and your state's department of revenue. These agencies are authorities on business topics. The SBA helps you through every stage of running your business, from choosing a legal structure to forming an exit plan. SCORE is an organization of more than 13,000 volunteers who provide advice to small business owners for free. The IRS doesn't provide legal advice, but since it's the authority on taxes for business, you should use the information it provides when making business decisions. Your secretary of state can explain the differences between business structures, while the department of revenue can explain state taxes for businesses. These agencies are unlikely to provide legal advice. All of these agencies provide business resources their websites, as well as at their offices.
- 2). Read resources carefully for references to online businesses. Look for references to such things as websites, links, clicks, content and page views. If a resource refers to a business location, it may be intended primarily for owners of offline businesses.
- 3). Contact the agency that produced the resource to speak to a representative. Ask whether the information in the resource pertains to online businesses, and how you can get more information. This removes any uncertainty as to whether the information applies to your business.
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