Getting Started

SCORE Washington DC offers mentoring, a Women's Challenge Webinar series, and live webinars on starting a business, marketing and other topics to grow. Volunteer mentors are entrepreneurs, corporate managers, and executives.

Name your business: Now that you've determined the type of food business you’d like to start, you need to choose your business name, along with a possible logo and website. When naming your business, keep in mind that the name should be web-friendly. It should be unique but easy to remember.

Pick a niche: Determine the type of cuisine, service, or convenience that you’d like to offer. This decision should be based on your market research.

Create a menu: Create a menu that is informed by your market research and the types of customers you’d like to serve. Consider how you will source the food products needed and the wait time for the food. You may want to create a consistent menu or a seasonal menu. 

Purchase your business’ domain name and web hosting. Utilize a website and social media to inform and attract customers, or if you sell a physical product, you can also expand your sales beyond your local community.