About Cost to Start

Most "start a business" advice skips the bit you actually need: how much money you need, and which rules you have to follow before you take your first customer.

Each guide here covers one business type in the UK. You get a realistic cost range, a line-by-line breakdown, the registrations and licences that apply, and the mistakes that cost people money. Every figure links to its source and every guide shows the date it was last checked.

I learned this the hard way. I tried starting with no money and tried to bring too many people in too early. These guides are what I wish I'd had.

How the guides are made

Research and drafting are done with the help of AI tools. Every guide is fact-checked against official sources such as GOV.UK and HMRC, and read and approved by a person before it goes live.

Spotted something out of date? Email hello@costtostart.co.uk and it will be fixed.