How to Start a Small Business For Less than $1000

Just one month ago, I was fed up with working for people that prioritized profit before people and our planet, but I was afraid of losing my job. So I started Uncommon Fruit, a small sustainable business incubator. My mission is to help my family and friends, which includes you, to start their own sustainable small businesses and support their communities.

The only thing I ask in return is that the business you start takes care of you, your employees, your customers, and our planet. 

Step 1: Create a small business plan

I recommend using a company called LivePlan. You may also opt to do it on your own, but take it from me that LivePlan basically writes your plan for you. It's like Mad Libs for business plans.

Step 2: Prepare your email and social media accounts

Create and register a business email account. Make sure your social media accounts (IG, FB, Twitter, YouTube, etc.) are ready to go live, with all relevant information about your company and your mission. All social media accounts should have a link to one another, and they should all include a link to your email address.

Step 3: Stay organized

It's vital to organize your personal files and keep meticulous records of expenses and income. Get G Suite and use Google Drive to maintain a folder system. You can use Google Docs for your documents and Google Sheets to track your budget and forecast sales. There are a ton of templates available, so find the ones that works best for you. I even use Google Fi for my work phone/wifi hot spot. Here's a coupon for $20 off your first month of Google Fi.

Step 4: Referrals

Ask all of your vendors and merchant partners if they have an affiliate or referral program. Make your own document like this and hyperlink your referral to pay for your credit card processing and bookkeeping fees for free.

Step 5: Get paid

Start taking payments with Square and receive $1,000 in free credit card processing and tracking sales and expenses. When I started a restaurant consulting business, I did it through Square appointments.

Step 6: Permits and licenses

Research all of the permits and licenses required to run your business (or businesses). You can have as many revenue streams you'd like under one roof, as long as you have the proper permits. Personally, I chose to run my business out of my home office in my apartment. Here is a good resource if you go that route. 

I also recommend Nathan Miller at Rocket Lawyer if you have legal questions or needs. For a free trial, tell him Jase Grimm of Uncommon Fruit referred you. He can help you with things like:

• Licenses and permits
• Trademark/DBA/EIN registration
• LLC incorporation
• Operating agreements

Step 7: Metrics and market research

Gather metrics regarding the sales from your line of business in your area/community. For instance, I researched food sales in Palm Springs, which helped me determine my target market. Here is an example of the type of infographic I found useful.

Here are some of the resources I used when putting together my plan:

• Zion & Zion
• World Population Review
• Data USA
• Business Insider

Step 8: Financing

Once you've gathered all of the intel from the previous steps, it's time to focus on financing. You can apply for financing with the Small Business Association and they'll connect you with lenders that might be able to help you. Then do your due diligence and vet each contact with the Better Business Bureau website or through the SBA website and read the online reviews.

You should also check out Government Business Grants and see if there is someone in your community who has written grants before, and could possibly help you now.

Try fundraising on the following sites:

• Indiegogo
• Kickstarter
• GoFundMe
• Wefunder
• SeedSpark
• Republic

Step 9: Software

For those of you who are interested in starting a small business in the food industry, I'll share with you that every good restaurant is built on solid food costing percentage calculations. I recommend that you pick a food cost percentage goal for your restaurant based on your menu items and stick to it. For a free trial to my food costing/kitchen inventory management software, please reach out to Hava at Parsley App and say Jase Grimm sent you. 

Then contact Katie at Toast about securing a POS system/online sales and marketing solution. For a great credit card processing rate and 10% off hardware, tell them Jase Grimm of Uncommon Fruit sent you. 

For your digital display needs, contact Brandi Booth at Raydiant. It's a great company that allows you to change your menu displays second-by-second, view social media feeds, create to-do lists, and communicate with your team. You can even video conference with your entire staff from the comfort of your home. They run specials for free hardware, in addition to offering monthly fee discounts, so check back often for the best price.  

Step 10: Bookkeeping

, click here. 

Step 11: Establish a payroll system

For integrated payroll services, Gusto Payroll has a great team that makes paying out employees a breeze. They can also hook you up with some great insurance, HR and other solutions. And do your onboarding/new hire paperwork for you!

Step 12: Generate demand through delivery apps

Sign up with the delivery apps (and any other apps relevant to your industry) to start building a customer base. Be sure to always ask for reduced marketing or delivery fees. 

• UberEats - No fee, first month free.
• DoorDash - For 30 days free, contact Chanel Tilden and tell her Jase Grimm of Uncommon Fruit sent you.
• Grubhub - For a free signup, contact Erick Johnson and tell him Jase Grimm of Uncommon Fruit sent you.
• Postmates - For a month of free processing, contact Matthew Miles and tell him Jase Grimm of Uncommon Fruit sent you.

Then when you get big enough to have your own delivery team, I recommend using Onfleet.  

Step 13: Familiarize yourself with Equal Opportunity Employment

Read about the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to learn the laws.

Here is a good place to find out about being an Equal Opportunity Employer. 

Contact Accessibility Awareness Specialist Andrew Gurza to learn more about Equal Opportunity Benefits and how to make your place of business accessible to those with disabilities. 

Other Tips:

If you're going to have a logo designed, consider 99designs or a similar service. I recommend finding a graphic designer that you love and you can keep using them so that the logo on your business and website remains cohesive. Having the same designer also helps if you decide to make tweaks and changes to your logo over time.

Check out your local Business Development Office for tips and resources. Here's the one I used: Opening A Business.

If you're interested in farming, check out Farm Ownership Loans.

Here is the home loan program I qualified for Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program. 

Once you're ready, make your own blog. Feel free to use mine as a template and insert all of your own information. Spread the word! Help all of your friends start small businesses in their communities and bring in a bunch of local money. Take care of yourself, take care of the people around you, take care of our planet, and the profits will follow. But make sure to share, because none of this works if we don’t take back the power of capitalism from the big guys.

Hopefully this helps!

Jase Grimm

631.599.4025

grimm.jase@uncommonfruit.co