Starting a New Business

Starting a Business? Get Set Up Right the First Time.

Domain name, business email, a simple website, your Google listing, and the cards in your pocket. We set it all up in your name, so you can open the doors and get to work. Real people, a text away.

Everything in your name

Every login written down

Free call, no sales pitch

Opening checklist

Example

Domain nameyourbusiness.com, owned by you

Business emailyou@yourbusiness.com

Logo and business cardsDesigned and printed

WebsiteOne clear page with a call button

Google listingClaimed, verified, and filled in

Facebook and InstagramPages set up to match

Call, text, and book buttonsSo people reach you in one tap

Google review linkReady for your first customers

Every login written downHanded to you in one list

Books and invoicingSet up before the first job

Open the doorsThat part's yours

You're on the map

Google listing verified

Where to Start

What Does a New Business Need Online?

Five things, in this order: a domain name, an email address at that name, a simple website, a Google listing, and a way for people to call, book, or pay you. Everything else can wait until you're open. These are the mistakes we get called to clean up later.

You haven't opened yet and want it done right

You've been working from a Facebook page and a Gmail address

You bought a business and inherited a mess of logins

You're great at the work and have no time for the tech

Megan Dornbusch and Nicole Stone of Central Lakes Digital holding a laptop and a phone

"Nobody opens a business because they love setting up email. Hand us that hat and go do the work you're good at."

Nicole & Megan

Central Lakes Digital

Someone Else Owns Your Domain

A nephew, a friend, or the last web person bought it on their card. Now you can't move it or renew it.

We set up every account in your name, so you own all of it.

A Free Email Address on the Truck

It works, but it doesn't look like a business, and it's tied to your personal inbox.

We set up email at your own business name.

Nobody Can Find You Yet

No Google listing, no website, so the only people who know you're open are the ones you told.

We get you on Google with a listing and one good page.

Ten Logins and No Idea What They Do

Hosting, domain, email, Facebook, Google. Each one signed up for at 11 at night.

We set them up, write them all down, and hand you the list.

Been Googling These at Night?

what do I need to start a business online

how to get a business email address

how to set up a Google Business Profile

do I need a website for a new business

how to buy a domain name

new business logo and business cards

one page website for a new business

how much does a small business website cost

how to get my first customers

new business marketing checklist

set up a Facebook page for my business

website and email for my LLC

What We Set Up

How Do I Get a New Business Online?

Start with the name, then the email, then one page people can find. You don't need a big website or a marketing plan on day one. You need to look like a real business and be easy to reach. We set up the pieces below and you pick the ones you need.

Your Domain Name

We help you pick one that's easy to say and spell, then register it in your name, on your card.

Domain

You own it

Business Email

An address at your own business name that works on your phone and keeps work apart from personal.

Email

Phone setup

Logo and Look

A clean logo, colors, and type you can use on the truck, the shirts, and the website.

Logo

Brand colors

A Simple Website

One clear page to start: what you do, where you work, and a big button to call or book. Add more when you need it.

One page

Phone-first

Your Google Listing

Claimed, verified, and filled in with hours, services, and photos so people nearby can find you.

Google listing

Maps

Facebook and Instagram Pages

Set up to match the rest, with your hours, contact info, and a first few posts.

Facebook

Instagram

Cards, Signs, and Print

Business cards, yard signs, flyers, and door hangers. We design them and get them printed.

Business cards

Signs

Every Login in One Place

You get a list of every account and password we set up, so you're never locked out of your own business.

Logins

Handoff

Books and Invoices

Bookkeeping set up from day one: your accounts and categories in order and invoices ready to send. Already behind? We'll clean up what's there.

Bookkeeping

Invoicing

What we don't do: taxes and the legal side. File your LLC and keep your accountant for tax work. We set the books up and keep the online side running.

Megan Dornbusch of Central Lakes Digital working on her laptop

Megan Dornbusch

Loves building websites and content funnels

Nicole Stone of Central Lakes Digital working on her laptop

Nicole Stone

Loves lead generation, Google Ads, and Meta

Who You'll Work With

We Know What It's Like to Start One.

We're a small business too, just the two of us. We both set up domains, build sites, and fix the tech, so whichever one of us you text already knows your business.

Stuck on a step at 8 in the morning before you open? Text (218) 203-8085 and one of us will help.

★★★★★

What Clients Say

From the People We've Set Up.

lakestjoseph.com

Camp Lake St. Joseph website homepage

"They helped us transition our camp website from an old outdated site to a new beautiful site with all of our updated information, remodels, and really helped us match the feel of our camp to our website! It is absolutely amazing what they are able to do!"

Max BurleyCamp Lake St. Joseph

bitcomarine.com

BITCO Marine website homepage

"Nicole and team did a great job on our website! They are very knowledgeable and helped us get a lot more traffic to our site. Highly recommend their services!"

Adam HoltenBITCO Marine

How It Works

From a Name on Paper to Open for Business.

01

Free 15-Minute Call

Tell us what you're opening and what you already have. A name is enough to start.

02

A List and a Price

What you need now, what can wait, and what it costs, in writing before we start.

03

We Set It Up

Domain, email, website, Google listing, and print. You look it over before anything goes live.

04

You Open, We Stay

We hand you every login and stick around for changes, questions, and whatever comes next.

Free 15-Minute Call

Tell Us What You're Opening.

Pick a time and Nicole or Megan will call you. We'll tell you what to set up first, what to skip for now, and what it would cost for us to do it.

15 minutes, by phone

Monday to Thursday, 10 to 3 Central

You talk to Nicole or Megan

No pressure and no sales script

Rather text? Send it to (218) 203-8085 or call. A real person answers.

Nicole Stone Megan Dornbusch

Free 15-minute call

By phone · Times in Central

Calendar not loading? Open it in a new tab or text us at (218) 203-8085.

Questions

What New Owners Ask Us.

Still not sure where to start? Text us and we'll point you at the first step, even if you never hire us.

Updated November 2026 by Nicole Stone and Megan Dornbusch, Central Lakes Digital.

What do I need to set up first for a new business?

A domain name, an email address at that name, a simple website, and a Google listing, in that order. Add a way for people to call, book, or pay you and you're ready to open. Social pages and ads can come after.

Do I need a website before I open?

A small one, yes. One clear page that says what you do, where you work, and how to reach you is enough to start. It gives Google something to show and gives people a reason to trust you. You can add pages as you grow.

How much does it cost to get set up?

It depends on which pieces you need, so we quote every setup and you get the price in writing before we start. When you're ready for ongoing marketing, our monthly plans start at $900 a month.

Will I own my domain, website, and accounts?

Yes. Everything is registered in your name and you get every login. If you ever stop working with us, it all stays with you.

Can you help with my LLC, taxes, or business license?

No. That's a job for the state, an accountant, or an attorney. Get the business set up on paper first, then we'll handle the online side.

Can you design a logo and print business cards?

Yes. We design logos, business cards, signs, and flyers and get them printed. See our print and design page.

Can you help with bookkeeping when I open?

Yes, the setup and cleanup side. We get your bookkeeping started the right way, with your accounts and categories in order and invoicing ready to go, and we can clean up books that have gotten behind. We don't file taxes or give CPA-level advice, so keep your accountant for that.

I already bought a domain or started a website. Can you take over?

Yes. Bring whatever you have. We'll sort out what's worth keeping, track down the logins, and finish the rest.

When should a new business start running ads?

After the basics are in place. Ads work better when there's a website to send people to and a Google listing with a few reviews. Once those are up, Google Ads can bring in your first customers quickly.

Once you're open: show up on Google, get more customers, collect your first reviews, and hand us the tech headaches.