Start a Business guides
The commercial questions founders ask after choosing an idea.
Each guide answers one question directly, then works through the decisions behind it. Evans is not a law or accountancy practice — where professional advice is needed, the guides say so.
Finance basics
Startup costs, working capital and when to get professional advice.
What Will It Actually Cost to Start My Business? →Not sure what business to start
Working out what fits you before choosing an idea.
Founder questions
Validation, customers, pricing, launch and the first year.
How Can I Test My Pricing Without Losing Customers?
How Do I Build a Repeatable Sales Process?
How Do I Find Customers Before Launching?
How Do I Find My Most Profitable Customer Segment?
How Do I Get My First B2B Customer?
How Do I Identify My Target Customer?
How Do I Run Effective Customer Interviews?
I Want to Start a Business but Don't Know What Business
Should I Choose a Niche, and How?
Should I Quit My Job to Start a Business?
Should I Use Cold Outreach Before I Launch My Business?
Starting a Business with No Audience and No Customers
What Is a Minimum Viable Service (MVS)?
What Should I Automate in a New Business?
Getting help
What support exists and when outside help is worth it.
Should I start…?
Honest decision pages — not every answer is yes.
Should I Start a B2B Service Business?
Should I Start a Cleaning Business?
Should I Start a Consultancy?
Should I Start a Landscaping Business?
Should I start a local service business?
Should I Start a Manufacturing Business?
Should I Start a Marketing Agency?
Should I Start a Recruitment Agency?
Should I Start a Subscription Business?
Should I Start a Training Business?
Should I Start an Agency?
Should I Start an Ecommerce Business?
Should I Start an IT Support Business?
Decisions and comparisons
Trade-offs explained by circumstance, not universal winners.
Agency vs Productised Service: Scaling a service business
B2B vs B2C business: which should I start?
Consultancy vs Agency: What is the difference?
Direct Sales vs Using Distributors: Choosing Your Channel
Employees vs Freelancers: How to build your team
Local Business vs Online Business: Which Should You Start?
Owning an Ecommerce Site vs Selling on a Marketplace
Subscription vs Retainer: Choosing a recurring model
How to start specific businesses
Commercial set-up guides for credible B2B-led models.
How to Start a B2B Lead Generation Business
How to Start a Business Using Subcontractors
How to Start a Commercial Cleaning Business
How to Start a Commercial Landscaping Business
How to Start a Commercial Maintenance Business
How to Start a Contract Manufacturing Business
How to Start a Distribution Business
How to Start a Managed Service Business
How to Start a Productised Service Business
How to Start a Recruitment Business
How to Start a Specialist Consultancy
How to Start a Technical Sales Agency
How to Start a Training Business
How to Start an IT Support Business
Looking for ideas rather than how-to guidance? Browse the business ideas library →