Starting a Home-Based Business in Washington State

People often start home-based businesses because they are tired of working in the corporate world or are struggling to find a job and decide to create a business with skills they already possess. Entrepreneurs who are motivated self-starters do well with home-based businesses. People like the idea that they can be their own boss and develop a business where they can make all the decisions. In Washington State, starting a home business means that you have to ensure that you notify all the proper agencies of your new home-based business and abide by the Washington State guidelines for the business you would like to create.

Research home-based business ideas and try to pinpoint what makes them successful. Research the part of Washington State that you are in to figure out if anyone in your area needs the type of business you would like to create.Plan the type of home-based business you would like to run. Select what type of product you will sell and how you will get the product. If you are starting a home-based business that sells a skill set that you have, you need to decide which skills you will utilize and how you will sell them. Write a business plan for your new business entailing your mission statement and how you plan on conducting business.

Register the business name with the Washington State city clerk’s office of the city or town that you live in. The name also needs to be registered with the Washington Division of Revenue Services, The Washington Secretary of State and the United States Internal Revenue Service.

Visit the Washington Small Business Development Center to receive advice and training about starting a small business in Washington State. There are several locations throughout the state of Washington and the Small Business Development Centers assist business owners by offering trainings and business advice. The website is located at wsbdc.org/contact and offers the various office locations as well as a phone number for questions which is 1-509-358-7765.

Collect information on doing business in the state of Washington by going to the government website which has a portal for small business contacts within the state. This portal contains information on contacts for many of the government bodies in Washington state and can be found at ora.wa.gov.

Contact the Washington State Chamber of Commerce for a written guide for small businesses. The guide is called "Guide for Small Businesses" and can be located at the website or by contacting the Chamber of Commerce. The guide alerts small business owners to local state agencies and to business information about doing business in the state. Inquiries can be directed to the Washington State Department of Commerce, 128 10th Ave. SW, Olympia, WA 98504 or 1-360-725-4100. Information is available on commerce.wa.gov.

Learn how to run a business from Washington State Office of Minority and Women's Business Enterprises if you are a minority or a woman. There are offices all over the state and they offer training and business consulting at a low cost. They may be contacted at Olympia Main Office, 406 Water St. SW, Olympia, WA 98501 and 1-866- 208-1064 or omwbe.wa.gov

Go to the Washington State Department of Licensing website to research if the type of home-business you plan on running needs a license. Apply for the license with the state of Washington if you do need one. Contact the Washington State Department of Licensing at Master License Service Department of Licensing, P.O. Box 9034, Olympia, WA 98507-9034 or 1-360-664-1400 and [email protected].

Advertise your home-based business in Washington by creating business cards and flyers and handing them out to people or put them up on bulletin boards at local businesses. Create a webpage and use the Internet to market your product. Put signs in your yard advertising your business. Run a newspaper ad or a radio commercial to alert the town of your home-business.

Tip

Decide what kind of business insurance your home-based business will need.