What’s the median-sized business, in terms of employees, are you targeting? In the businesses you’re attempting to reach out to, typically which position(s) have the authority to make decisions on what you’re offering? Assuming your business is established and you have domestic sales history, are you intending to sign MSA’s with US businesses, or how’s your sales typically work?

You just have to quality the business name in the state you incorporate in. If the name’s accepted, which it usually is, even if it’s only one letter or number that differentiates the business from another, then you’re fine.

Seeing that you’re in social media, how you expand will depend on if you have offices and/or employees in another state or country. For instance, if you do have offices and/or employees in another state, you usually have to “foreign qualify” the business and file a Certificate of Authority with that state. Some states do “Good Standing” certificates and require different business licenses than the state you incorporated in, but it’s just something you’ll need to check if you expand, and it won’t affect your business name. It’s mostly for taxes and legal purposes.

I’ve take different approaches throughout the years, but my advice to anyone in your shoes is go regional. The larger, national banks haven’t always provided the best service in my experience. There’s no personal relationship, and they tend to be more rigid with any requests, lines of credit, etc.

The smaller, local banks often have the relationships, flexibility, and a hands on approach, but haven’t always had the room to grow at the pace of the business. Personally, I find the sweet spot to be the regional banks. They offer the best of both worlds. You may want to identify 3-5 regionals in your area that have credibility with the community, and from there, see which ones sound like they best cater to your specific needs. Don’t be shy about going in and speaking with them in person, as it will give you an idea of what you might expect from them in the long-run.

A couple specific examples of banks that I’ve had great experiences with and bank to this day, is Whitney Bank (Hancock Whitney) and Frost Bank. Unless you’re located in the Gulf of Mexico Region, those may not be available to you, but at least you’ll have something to reference. Hope that helps, and good luck with the new business.

Laundry. I’d love to be able to just throw dirt clothes in a basket and the next time I see them, they’re cleaned, pressed if necessary, and hanging in my closet to be worn again.

It’s a long process. It took us 3-4 years before we met all the requirements and was awarded a GSA contract. First thing though, you need an established business, with regular clients. Once you have that, you essentially leverage that experience and history to either bid on sub-contracts of the primary contracts that prime contractors have been awarded, and/or you start at the local government level, work up to state, then file directly for GSA status.

If you go to SAM.gov you can view contract opportunities, and they usually list out the requirements for each, where you can get a feel for what they’re looking for. Once you’re ready, this is also where you’ll register for account to bid, but I believe you’ll need 3 years of business history before you can do that. You’ll also need to register your business with Dunn & Bradstreet. If you already have an established business, or once you have a direction, let me know if you have any questions.