Startup Plan
$149
A clear plan and a name shortlist, before you spend real money.
- A working session on your idea and your plan
- A name shortlist, checked before you commit
- Credited in full to the Launch Kit
Your name here
Coming soon
ClosedOpen
For anyone starting a small business
From an ideato open for business.
A name you can stand behind, a brand that looks established, and a business customers can find, call and pay. All in your name, with a first look before you pay anything.
Starting at $149. Everything in your name, and month-to-month after launch.
The name
A name you can stand behind.
Before you order a sign or a single card, you’ll know where your name stands.
We check it before you commit and show you plainly what we found, so you choose with the facts in front of you. If something is in the way, you find out now, not after the labels are printed.
- A fact check, not a legal opinion
- Want a trademark cleared? We’ll point you to an attorney
Your BusinessBakery
- Your Business
Checked · you decide
The brand
A brand that looks established from day one.
A look that makes a brand-new business feel like it has been around for years.
Your logo, colors and voice, ready for everything from a business card to a storefront window, and you see it before you commit.
- Sharp at every size, on screen and in print
- The files are yours, in writing
YBCup sleeve
YBYour BusinessTote
YBYour BusinessYour Name · OwnerBusiness card
Your
BusinessBakeryWindow decal
BusinessBakeryWindow decal
Your brand · open me
One look, everywhere
Sharp at every size
Found and ready
Easy to find, ready to get paid.
When someone searches for what you offer, your business shows up looking ready, and you’re ready for them.
A website on your own domain and a listing on the map under the same name as your sign. A business line and an email address at your own domain, so customers reach the business, not your personal cell. Payments work the way you sell: in person, online or by invoice.
- Your domain, registered in your name
- Every account in your name, at the provider’s price
bakery near me
YBYour BusinessBakery · Open nowCall
Business lineNCNew customerCalling…
Your Business$18.50✓ Paid
@hello@yourbusiness.exampleEmail at your own domain
YB
In person, online or by invoice
Pricing
Two ways to start. One plan after.
Starting at $149. The Launch Kit is priced in writing after your free consult, and you see a first look before you pay for it.
The Launch Kit is for sole proprietors and owners who already have an LLC. You pay the State and your own providers directly, at their price, with no markup from us, and we show you every outside cost before you commit. Need an LLC first? Any owner can file their own with the State of Maine; the filing fee is $175. We don’t file LLCs or give legal or tax advice, and we’ll point you to a licensed attorney or CPA whenever you want one.
Startup Plan · credited in full
After opening day
Set up right, and kept that way.
The official pieces get done right, in your name, and the dates that matter never sneak up on you.
Your free federal tax ID gets done with you, never for a fee, and your private details stay yours. After opening day, Cipher, your AI business partner, helps you stay on top of new customers and deadlines. You stay in charge: nothing goes out in your name without your OK.
- A reminder before each date that matters
- A heads-up when an official-looking letter asks you to pay
Your BusinessBakery
ClosedOpen
Coming upAnnual report, due June 1It’s on your list.
Opening morning · Open
A reminder before each date that matters
Who it’s for
Different businesses. The same first steps.
Three common starting points, and what opening day looks like for each.
An online shopHandmade goods
The first-choice name turned out to be in use before a single label was ordered. The shop opened under a name the owner can stand behind, taking orders online and in person.
A consulting practiceOne person, going solo
Established from the very first email. Clients find a site that explains the work, reach a business email at its own domain, and pay invoices online.
A therapy clinicA new practice
When people nearby search for care, the clinic comes up under the same name as the sign on the door, and new patients reach the business line, not the owner’s personal cell.
How it works
From an idea to open, in four steps.
- 1A free 15-minute consult.Tell us what you’re starting and when you’d like to open. You’ll leave knowing what you need, what you can do yourself, and when a lawyer or CPA should weigh in. Book it
- 2A Startup Plan, if it helps.One working session that turns your idea into a clear plan and a shortlist of names. $149, optional, and credited in full to the Launch Kit.
- 3A first look, before you pay.You see an early look at your brand and website, built from your own words. If you like it, we agree one price and a target date before any work starts.
- 4Launch, then ongoing help.We open the doors with you, with everything in your name. After that, the same monthly plans as our website care keep things current, from $50 a month. Month-to-month, cancel anytime.
FAQ
Questions, answered plainly.
Do I need a lawyer to start a business?
Not to start. Plenty of owners set up on their own, and any owner can file their own LLC. We don’t give legal or tax advice. When your situation calls for it, like more than one owner, investors or a trademark, we’ll point you to a licensed attorney or CPA, and you decide.
What does it cost to start a business in Maine?
It depends on how you set up. An LLC is $175 to file with the State of Maine, plus an $85 annual report due each June 1, starting the year after you form. A sole proprietor using a business name registers it with the town or city clerk for a $10 fee. The federal tax ID (EIN) is free from the IRS, and we never charge for it. You pay the government directly, never through us.
Who owns my domain and accounts?
You do. Your domain and every account are set up in your name, and we manage them only with your permission. If you ever leave, everything stays with you.
How long until I’m open?
Plan on weeks, not months. The biggest factor is how quickly your words and photos come in, and we agree a target date with you before work starts. A few steps, like State filings, run on someone else’s schedule, so we never promise a date we don’t control.
Does the name check mean my name is safe to use?
Not by itself. It shows you what we found when we looked, so you decide with the facts in front of you. It isn’t a legal opinion or a trademark clearance, and we’ll never call a name safe. If you want that answer, we’ll point you to a trademark attorney.
What happens after launch?
Everything stays in your name and keeps running. The same monthly plans as our website care, from $50 a month, keep your site live and current and include Cipher. Month-to-month, cancel anytime.
What kinds of businesses is this for?
Any small business that’s just getting started: a café, a consultant, an online shop, a studio, a clinic, a cleaning service, a maker. We’re based in Maine, and the State fees on this page are Maine’s.
The founder
Anyone can plug in an AI. Nobody can download years of industry knowledge.
You don’t get a login and a help article. You get Charlie Cott, who has stood where you stand, tells you what to fix first, and picks up the phone.
10+
years in software sales, service, operations & marketing
$15M+
in career software sales
1000s
of owners set up on software
Cipher
his own AI partner, built to run CottLabs first
Let’s get you open.
Start with a free 15-minute call. You’ll leave with a clear next step, whether or not it’s us.
A first look before you pay · Everything in your name · Built in Maine