Opening a new business using ChatGPT to guide you

Hi all, I am relatively new here and new to using AI. At almost 60, tech is not my strong skill. That being said, I am not new to business operations and sales. In the past year I have opened two businesses of my own. The first, I paid an outside legal firm to set it up with thousands of dollars in associated costs. The other I did A-Z as described below. I only paid the Gov't fees. It took me about 3 hours in total. Good Luck!

How To Start a Small Business in 2025 (With ChatGPT As Your Co‑Pilot)

You don’t need to wander around in the dark to start a business. Here’s a practical, step‑by‑step roadmap you can follow and document inside a ChatGPT “project” as you go.

1. Create Your ChatGPT Project

Open ChatGPT and create a new Project using your future business name (or a working title if you’re not sure yet).
In your first message, do a full brain‑dump:

Prompt you can use:“Act as a startup co‑pilot. I’m creating a new business. Here’s my brain‑dump of what I want to build: [paste everything]. Help me organize this into a clear plan with next steps and questions I should answer.”

2. Build a Simple Expense & Budget Spreadsheet

Before you spend real money, track it.

Open Google Sheets or Excel.
Create columns for: Date, Vendor, Category (legal, domain, branding, software, etc.), Amount, One‑time vs Recurring, Notes.
Log every expense as you go.

Prompt you can use:“Create a starter expense and budget template in table form for a new small business, including typical early costs like state filing fees, domains, trademarks, software, and marketing. I’ll copy this into Google Sheets.”

3. Name Your Business & Secure Your Domain

You want a name that:

Is easy to say and spell
Has an available .com (or good alternative like .ai, .io, etc.)
Isn’t obviously in conflict with an existing brand in your space

Brainstorm 10–20 possible names with ChatGPT.
Check domain availability on sites like GoDaddy, Porkbun, or Namecheap.
Expect to pay roughly $10–$30/year for a standard domain.

Prompt you can use:“I’m starting a business that does [describe business]. Generate 20 brand name ideas that sound professional, are easy to pronounce, and likely have available .com or .ai domains. Include a short tagline idea for each.”

Note: Once you choose your domain, you’ll come back later to set up email through a workspace provider like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365.

4. Choose Your Legal Structure (Entity Type)

You need a legal entity to separate your personal life from your business.

Common formations:

LLC (Limited Liability Company)Flexible, simple to run, good for most small businesses. Profits usually “pass through” to your personal taxes.
C‑Corporation (C‑Corp)Standard for startups that plan to take on investors/venture capital. Separate tax entity. More formalities and record‑keeping.
S‑Corporation (S‑Corp)Tax status you can elect for an LLC or corporation (if you qualify). Can be tax‑efficient for owners who pay themselves a salary plus distributions.
Non‑Profit CorporationFor charitable, educational, religious, or similar missions. Different rules, oversight, and tax treatment. Not what you want if your goal is profit.

Which state?

Your home state is usually simplest if you’re small and local.
Delaware is popular for startups and future investors.
Wyoming is often chosen for privacy and low fees.

Each option has pros/cons. Use ChatGPT to compare.

Prompt you can use:“Compare forming an LLC in my home state vs Delaware vs Wyoming for a small [industry] business with 1–2 owners and no investors yet. Summarize in a simple table with pros, cons, approximate filing fees, and ongoing requirements.”

5. File With the State & Get Your Formation Documents

Once you pick the state and entity type, you’ll file formation documents with the Secretary of State (often online).

You typically need:

Business name
Business address (can often use a registered agent or virtual office)
Name and address of owner(s)
Registered agent details (sometimes required)
Basic description of the business

Approximate costs:

State filing fee: usually $50–$500, depending on the state and entity type.
Registered agent (if needed): roughly $100–$300/year.

You should receive:

Articles of Organization (LLC) or Articles/Certificate of Incorporation (corporation)
A way to request a Certificate/Letter of Good Standing later (often a small extra fee)

Prompt you can use:“List the exact steps, links, and information I’ll need to file an [LLC or corporation] in [your state]. Include what forms are called, approximate costs, and what documents I’ll receive back from the state.”

6. Get an EIN (Employer Identification Number)

An EIN is a federal tax ID for your business. You’ll usually need it for:

Business banking
Payroll (if you hire people)
Some vendor and tax forms

In the U.S., you get an EIN directly from the IRS website. Cost is $0.

Prompt you can use:“Explain what an EIN is, why my new [LLC or corporation] needs one, and give me a step‑by‑step walkthrough of how to apply for it on the IRS website as the owner.”

7. Protect Your Brand: Trademark Your Name & Tagline

Once you’ve picked a name and basic brand direction:

Create a USPTO account (United States Patent and Trademark Office).
Run a basic search to see if similar marks already exist in your category.
File a trademark for your word mark (business name + tagline).

Approximate costs:

USPTO trademark filing: generally around $250–$350 per class per filing.

You will likely want two separate filings:

Word mark: your business name (and possibly tagline).
Logo mark: once your logo design is final.

Prompt you can use:“Act as a trademark guide. I’m starting a business called [name] in [industry]. Help me identify the likely USPTO classes, risks of conflicts with existing marks, and outline each step I should follow to file a trademark application for the word mark.”

8. When Does Copyright Make Sense?

A copyright protects original creative works: written content, designs, software code, training materials, books, videos, etc.

You might consider a copyright filing for:

A structured course or program you’ve created
A detailed proprietary manual or playbook
Substantial written or media content that is core IP

Approximate cost:

Common online copyright filings in the U.S. often run about $45–$125 depending on type and number of works.

Prompt you can use:“I’ve created the following content for my business: [describe]. Explain whether a copyright registration would be useful, what type of application I should use, and the steps to file it online.”

9. Open a Business Checking Account

With your formation docs and EIN in hand, open a business bank account.

You will usually need:

Articles of Organization/Incorporation
EIN confirmation letter
Your ID
Operating agreement or corporate resolutions (sometimes)

Many banks allow online setup. Expect:

Usually $0–$25/month in fees (often waived with minimum balance or activity)

Example: Some people have had good experiences opening accounts online with large national banks.

Prompt you can use:“Create a checklist of everything I should have ready to open a business checking account for my new [LLC or corporation], plus questions I should ask the bank about fees, minimum balances, and integrations with my accounting software.”

10. Set Up Email & Workspace

Once your domain and business structure are in place:

Choose a workspace provider: Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, etc.
Create your primary address (e.g., you@yourbusiness.com).
Add shared folders, calendars, and basic access for future team members.

Approximate costs:

Common workspace plans: about $6–$15/user/month for basic tiers.

Prompt you can use:“Help me choose between Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 for my small [industry] business. Compare features, costs, and ease of use for 1–3 people.”

11. Use the AI Advantage, AI Surfer / Brain‑Dump Style to Train Your Project. It works well.

If you’re using AI tools like AI Advantage Bootcamp, AI Surfer, or similar systems:

Go back to your ChatGPT Project.
Keep adding:
Follow whatever “clone” or “brain‑dump” process your platform supports to store your content.

The more you feed your project, the more useful it becomes.

12. Ask ChatGPT for 5 Marketing Ideas on a Small Budget

Once the basics are set up, you’ll want leads.

Prompt you can use:“I’m launching a new small business that does [describe]. My monthly marketing budget is [$$]. Give me 5 practical, low‑cost marketing ideas I can start this week, including simple scripts, posting schedules, and how to track results.”

As you experiment:

Report back to ChatGPT what worked and what didn’t.
Ask for refinements, new angles, and better copy.

13. Keep Feeding New Ideas Back Into ChatGPT

As you:

Test offers
Talk to customers
Adjust your pricing
Discover better tools

…add that information into your ChatGPT project.

Tell it what happened, what changed, and what you’re considering next. You’re effectively building your own “business brain” that learns with you.

Prompt you can use repeatedly:“Here’s what I tried this week in my business and the results I got: [paste details]. Help me analyze what worked, what didn’t, and give me a focused action plan for the next 7 days.”

**13. Obtain Business Insurance (When It Makes Sense)

Business insurance is one of those things you don’t appreciate until you really need it. Not every new startup requires it on day one, but here’s when it becomes a strong strategic move:

When You Should Get Business Insurance

You interact with customers in person (office, shop, job sites).
You provide services where a mistake could cause financial harm (consulting, coaching, contractors, installers, IT work). Professional liability helps here.
You sell physical products (risk of defects, injuries, or shipping damage claims).
You hire employees or contractors (workers’ comp may be legally required depending on state rules).
You sign contracts with vendors or clients—many will require proof of insurance.
You want protection for your equipment, laptops, tools, or inventory.

Common Types of Insurance

General Liability Insurance – protects against bodily injury, property damage, slip‑and‑fall claims.
Professional Liability (Errors & Omissions) – protects against claims you made a mistake in your professional services.
Business Property Insurance – covers equipment, tools, inventory, laptops, etc.
Cyber Liability – recommended if you store customer data, run an online service, or accept payments.
Workers’ Compensation – required in many states if you have employees.

Approximate Costs

Small businesses typically see:

General liability: $300–$900/year
Professional liability: $500–$1,800/year depending on the industry
Cyber insurance: $100–$400/year for basic coverage

Prompt You Can Use

“Explain which types of business insurance make the most sense for a new [industry] company with [number] employees and primarily [online/in‑person/hybrid] operations. Include typical costs and when each type becomes necessary.”

Final Thought

If you: