Guides for starting and running a local business

What it takes to open in each trade, from licenses and insurance to the first customers, and playbooks for the places jobs leak once the leads arrive: the phone, the follow-up, the reviews. Every guide cites the agencies and studies it draws on, and each one is reviewed before it is published.

Playbooks: where jobs leak, and how to stop it

• How fast to respond to a new lead: the first five minutes and the first weekWhat the five-minute lead studies really measured, the misquotes to ignore, and the first reply, day-one cadence, week one and monthly secret shop to run.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to book more jobs from the leads you haveFix the booking path before buying more leads: the first phone screen, a short form, staffed hours on Google, arrival windows and ads set by open slots.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to follow up on an estimateA 14-day estimate follow-up cadence with the words for each touch, plus options, lost reasons, financing wording and the cancellation paperwork rules.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to get more Google reviews without breaking the rulesHow to get more Google reviews inside Google, Yelp and FTC rules: who to ask, when, the exact words, reply templates and HIPAA-safe replies for clinics.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to keep customers coming backRebook at checkout, sell maintenance plans, run a consent-checked win-back and ask for referrals, plus what the famous retention statistics really say.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to reduce no-shows and late cancellationsTwo answerable reminders, a waitlist that refills open slots, a fair cancellation policy and arrival windows a crew can keep: what the research supports.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to stop losing jobs to missed callsCount missed calls without Google's call history, return them inside 24 hours, set up text-back and after-hours cover, and handle the new LSA charges.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to train a receptionist to book more callsFront desk training for home service companies and clinics: two full sample calls, price questions, the booking ask, a scorecard and call recording rules.Updated October 3, 2026
• Texting, AI answering and call recording rules for small businessesTCPA consent for business texts, opt-outs before and after FCC 26-67, quiet hours in three states, 10DLC, AI voice disclosure, call recording and HIPAA.Updated October 3, 2026

How to start a business, trade by trade

Home services

• How to start an HVAC businessHow to start an HVAC business: EPA 608 and NATE, state licenses in Texas, California, Florida and North Carolina, insurance, tools and first customers.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start a plumbing businessHow to start a plumbing business: apprentice to master hours by state, the company license, insurance, trench safety and how the first calls arrive.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start an electrical contracting businessHow to start an electrical contracting business: master and contractor licenses in Texas, California, Florida and North Carolina, insurance and first jobs.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start a roofing companyHow to start a roofing company in the US: licensing in California, Texas and Florida, workers' comp, OSHA fall rules, cash flow and first customers.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start a garage door companyHow to start a garage door company: state licenses, the federal opener rule, spring safety, IDEA credentials and Google's checks before your first ad.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start a pest control companyHow to start a pest control company: the business license and the applicator license, FIFRA and EPA certification, and the rules in TX, CA, FL and NC.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start a house cleaning businessHow to start a house cleaning business: the IRS household employee rule, sales tax in Texas and Florida, OSHA chemical rules, bonds and the first clients.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start a landscaping or lawn care businessHow to start a landscaping or lawn care business: California C-27, Texas irrigation and pesticide licenses, Florida fertilizer rules, H-2B and insurance.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start an artificial turf businessHow to start an artificial turf installation business: state licenses, Florida's 2026 turf rule, rebates that exclude turf, insurance and first customers.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start a tree service businessHow to start a tree service: California C-49, Maryland and New Jersey licenses, OSHA and ANSI Z133 safety, ISA certification, power lines and insurance.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start a pool service businessHow to start a pool service business: Florida's cleaning and repair license split, public pool certification, hauling chemicals and Texas sales tax.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start a pressure washing businessHow to start a pressure washing business: wash water and storm drain law, EPA lead rules on older homes, roof cleaning, California's D-38 and Texas tax.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start a locksmith businessHow to start a locksmith business: the licensing states, Texas, California, New Jersey and Illinois rules, ID before an opening, ALOA and Google checks.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start an appliance repair businessHow to start an appliance repair business: EPA 608 and refrigerant buying, California BHGS registration, gas appliance licenses and brand servicer rules.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start a junk removal businessHow to start a junk removal business: city and state hauler licenses, fridge and e-waste rules, truck weight lines, franchise disclosure and first jobs.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start a moving companyHow to start a moving company: USDOT and household goods authority, 49 CFR 375, Texas TxDMV, California Max 4, Florida registration and first moves.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start a water damage restoration companyHow to start a water damage restoration company: IICRC certification, mold licenses in Texas, Florida and New York, insurance claim limits and first jobs.Updated October 3, 2026

Remodeling and construction

• How to start a kitchen and bath remodeling companyHow to start a kitchen and bath remodeling company: California B-2 and salesperson rules, deposit caps, EPA lead rules, stone silica and first clients.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start a general contracting businessHow to start a general contracting business: licensing in California, Florida, Arizona, North Carolina and Texas, lien deadlines, bonds and OSHA duties.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start a painting businessHow to start a painting business: state licenses from California's C-33 to none in Texas, EPA lead-safe certification, VOC rules and your first customers.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start a flooring installation businessHow to start a flooring business: California C-15 or C-54, Arizona R-8, OSHA asbestos and silica rules, NWFA standards, big-box programs, first customers.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start a window and door replacement companyHow to start a window and door company: Florida licensing and product approval, Texas windstorm rules, California C-17, the EPA lead rule, cancel rights.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start a deck and fence businessHow to start a deck and fence business: California C-13 and C-5, Pennsylvania registration, Minnesota footings, 811 notice, permits and pool barriers.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start a concrete businessHow to start a concrete or masonry business: California C-8 and C-29, Minnesota and Michigan rules, OSHA silica, ACI certification and pour weather.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start a basement finishing businessHow to start a basement finishing business: Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Michigan licensing, egress and ceiling rules, radon testing, silica and customers.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start a siding and gutter businessHow to start a siding and gutter business: California's D-41 and gutter classes, Minnesota and Michigan rules, EPA lead work, OSHA scaffolds, storm claims.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start a custom home building companyHow to start a custom home building company: licenses in California, Florida, North Carolina, Minnesota and Texas, construction loans, warranties and 45L.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start a solar installation companyHow to start a solar installation company after 25D: Texas TDLR registration, California C-46 or C-10, the CPUC guide, Florida, Arizona, Minnesota, NABCEP.Updated October 3, 2026

Med spas and aesthetics

• How to open a med spaHow to open a med spa in the US: who may own one, who may do the good faith exam, FDA rules on toxins and lasers, and state rules in CA, TX, FL and NY.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start an aesthetic injector practiceHow to start a Botox and filler practice: who may inject in CA, TX, FL, NY and OK, buying from authorized sources, supervision rules and malpractice.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to open a laser hair removal clinicHow to open a laser hair removal clinic: who may fire the laser in TX, CA, FL, AZ, GA and NY, FDA device classes, ANSI Z136.3 and Texas TDLR licensing.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start a body contouring studioHow to start a body contouring studio: what each FDA clearance lets you claim, why "FDA approved" is misbranding, FTC weight-loss rules, franchises.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to open an IV therapy clinicHow to open an IV hydration clinic: who may order and start a drip in TX, AL, NC, MS and GA, sterile compounding, FDA and FTC rules, and the first clients.Updated October 3, 2026

Wellness, clinics and personal care

• How to start a chiropractic practiceHow to start a chiropractic practice: NBCE boards and fees, licenses in California, Texas, Florida and New York, Medicare enrollment and credentialing.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start a physical therapy practiceHow to start an outpatient physical therapy practice: the NPTE, the PT Compact, Texas direct access, Medicare enrollment and plan of care rules, and Stark.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to open a medical clinicHow to open a primary care or urgent care clinic: who may own it in CA, TX and NY, Florida clinic licenses and price posting, CLIA, Medicare and payers.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start a massage therapy practiceHow to start a massage therapy practice: the MBLEx, Texas and Florida establishment licenses, New York's own exam, California's CAMTC and city permits.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start an acupuncture practiceHow to start an acupuncture practice: California's CALE, NCBAHM exams, Clean Needle Technique, licenses in NY, TX and FL, needles, waste and Medicare.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to open a gym or fitness studioHow to open a gym: the membership contract laws in Texas, Florida, New York and California, bonds, franchise disclosure, ADA equipment, music and trainers.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to open a yoga or pilates studioHow to open a yoga or pilates studio: no state licenses teachers, but Florida, Texas, California and New York regulate the membership contract and bonds.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to open a hair salon or barbershopHow to open a hair salon or barbershop: shop licenses in California, Texas and Florida, training hours, booth rental rules, formaldehyde and Google ads.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to open a nail salonHow to open a nail salon: training hours by state, pedicure cleaning logs, New York's MMA ban, ventilation, California's 2025 ingredient ban and more.Updated October 3, 2026

Restaurants and food

• How to open a restaurantWhat opening a restaurant takes in the US: health permits, a certified food manager, liquor licenses in CA, NJ and TX, tipped wages and first reviews.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to open a coffee shopHow to open a coffee shop in the US: the Food Code's low-risk category, backflow rules, Florida's three agencies, tax on coffee and drive-thru zoning.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start a bakeryHow to start a bakery in the US: cottage food rules in Texas, Florida and California, storefront permits, FDA label exemptions and the teen mixer rule.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to open a bar or breweryHow to open a bar, brewery or taproom: TTB registration and the Brewer's Notice, excise tax, licenses in Texas, California and Florida, and dram shop law.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start a catering businessWhat starting a catering company takes in the US: a permitted kitchen, California county catering rules, caterer alcohol permits in TX and FL, OSHA logs.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start a food truckWhat starting a food truck takes in the US: plan check, LA commissary rules, the new Texas state license, Florida preemption, NYC permit caps and zones.Updated October 3, 2026

Other local businesses

• How to start an auto repair shopWhat opening an auto repair shop takes: BAR, FDACS and Michigan registration, ASE and EPA 609, used oil, OSHA brake rules and Texas tax on parts and labor.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start an auto detailing businessHow to start an auto detailing business: California's car wash registration and $150,000 bond, the NYC license, wash water rules, IDA and garagekeepers.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start a law firmHow to start a law firm: IOLTA trust accounts in Texas, Florida and California, CTAPP, malpractice rules, entity and firm names, fee sharing and ad rules.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start an accounting or tax practiceHow to start an accounting or tax practice: PTIN, EFIN, enrolled agents, AFSP, the FTC Safeguards Rule, California CTEC and new CPA routes in TX and CA.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to become a real estate agent and build a businessHow to become a real estate agent: pre-licensing hours and fees in Texas, California and Florida, choosing a broker, buyer agreements and first clients.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start an insurance agencyHow to start an insurance agency: California's new 12-hour course, Florida and Texas licenses, carrier appointments, premium trust rules and Medicare.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to open a veterinary clinicHow to open a veterinary clinic: premises rules in California, Florida and Texas, DEA registration per location, X-ray registration, OSHA and AVMA data.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start a pet grooming or boarding businessHow to start a pet grooming or boarding business: state licenses in Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, zoning, insurance and staffing.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start a daycare, preschool or tutoring centerHow to start a daycare, preschool or tutoring center: Florida, California and Texas licensing, ratios, background checks, subsidies, COPPA and insurance.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to open an event or wedding venueHow to open an event or wedding venue: assembly occupancy, Florida farm buildings, NYC and Chicago licenses, alcohol rules, county caps and insurance.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to start a photography businessHow to start a photography business in the US: registration, sales tax on prints and digital files, copyright, model releases, drones and first clients.Updated October 3, 2026
• How to open a retail storeHow to open a retail store in the US: seller's permits in five states, local licenses, FTC pricing and label rules, gift cards, the lease, ADA and margins.Updated October 3, 2026