Launch, Fund, and Protect Your Design Business...

Whether you’re a freelancer, a design startup, or a growing design studio, the right support services can make all the difference. This curated directory of services for a design business includes everything you need to officially launch, manage, and protect your creative brand, from business registration and banking to funding and legal support.

Stylish Black female consultant in blazer writes notes while phoning a client at a MacBook‑filled desk in modern studio office.

Business Start-Up

Register, license, and structure correctly with services for starting your design business from day one with platforms that simplify business formation and compliance.

SBA logo: white “SBA” framed in red‑and‑blue brackets beside the words “U.S. Small Business Administration” on dark‑blue canvas.

U.S. SBA

Find federal, state, and local license, permit requirements, and government-backed loan programs for Small Businesses.

Blue italic “SCORE” word‑mark with wing‑shaped double tick—national nonprofit network of volunteer business mentors.

SCORE

Access free expert small business mentoring, business templates, and startup guidance for entrepreneurs.

Bold navy “SBDC” letters under red star arc and red word “America’s,” tagline “Small Business Development Centers” below.

America’s SBDC

Offers free business consulting and low-cost training for small businesses in every U.S. state.

vAlt text: Navy blue acronym “MBDA” below three geometric arrows—sky blue, red, and teal—pointing upward, captioned “Minority Business Development Agency.

Minority Business Development Agency

Federal agencies help minority-owned businesses grow through contracts and capital.

White “uspto” rectangle and bold uppercase title “United States Patent and Trademark Office” on blue field—official government seal for IP.

USPTO

Register your business trademark, patent, and copyright for your name, logo, or slogan to protect your brand legally.

Grants.gov logo with red and orange swooshes above the domain name in blue.

Grants.gov

The official U.S. government portal for federal grants. Find, apply for, and track competitive funding opportunities.

Internal Revenue Service (IRS) logo in black and white with scales and eagle motif.

IRS

Apply for your free Employer Identification Number (EIN) online to start your business legally.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics logo with a rising arrow and stylized red and blue star.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

A vital source of economic and labor market data that can help entrepreneurs make informed business decisions.

Business Banking

Choose from full-service traditional banks or modern online banking tailored to freelancers and small creative design businesses

Lili logo in a vibrant blue script font on a white background, conveying a friendly and approachable brand identity.

Lili

Mobile-first banking built for freelancers—includes automatic tax savings, expense categorization, and invoicing features.

Chase for Business logo with blue octagon emblem, representing financial services and banking solutions for creative entrepreneurs.

Chase for Business

One of the most recognized national banks offering great in-person access, integrated invoicing tools, and same-day QuickAccept™ payments.

Bluevine logo with bold blue text and abstract “b” icon, representing online banking and financial tools for small business owners and creative entrepreneurs.

Bluevine

Online business banking with no monthly fees, unlimited transactions, and earn interest on balances.

Novo logo with a modern blue and black wordmark, featuring a stylized "n" icon on a white background.

Novo

An online-only business banking platform designed for freelancers and entrepreneurs—integrates with Stripe, QuickBooks, and Shopify.

Business Crowdfunding

Tap into community-driven funding to support product launches, new service lines, or innovative design-based ventures.

“Kickstarter logo in chunky navy and lime lettering—representing reward‑based crowdfunding for innovative design projects.”

Kickstarter

A leading platform for creative projects—ideal for launching new products, books, tech, or apparel with visual storytelling.

“Indiegogo logo with bold black uppercase text framed by an open square—signifying flexible funding for creative startups worldwide.”

Indiegogo

Flexible crowdfunding for startups and entrepreneurs with perks and pre-orders for backers.

“Patreon word‑mark with stylized orange ‘P’ monogram—symbolizing membership‑based funding for designers and creatives.”

Patreon

Build a sustainable income stream by offering exclusive content and memberships to your creative audience.

“Fundable logo—solid black uppercase word‑mark emphasizing equity and rewards crowdfunding for design‑driven businesses.”

Fundable

A crowdfunding platform tailored to startups, combining rewards-based and equity-based funding.

Business Financing

Access capital with funding tools, startup grants, and small business loans for design entrepreneurs and freelance designers.

“Fundera logo – orange rising‑chart icon and ‘fundera by nerdwallet’ word‑mark.”

Fundera

NerdWallet’s loan marketplace offers side-by-side comparisons of financing options, including SBA, invoice financing, and equipment loans.

Sans-serif blue word-mark “Accion Opportunity Fund” beside triangular icon of orange, navy, and aqua shapes forming an upward arrow.

Accion Opportunity Fund

Provides flexible small business loans and business coaching for underserved entrepreneurs.

“Hello Alice logo – running blue rabbit with star constellations beside bold text on cyan background.”

Hello Alice

Discover funding opportunities, grants, pitch competitions, and personalized growth tools for small businesses.

“Kiva logo – green lowercase ‘kiva’ with tagline ‘Loans that change lives.’”

Kiva Microloans

Get up to $15,000 in 0% interest loans for small businesses through a community-backed funding platform.

Business Legal Services

Protect your design business with trusted legal services for forming LLCs, managing contracts, securing trademarks, and safeguarding intellectual property.

“LegalZoom logo—overlapping blue ‘Z’ icon above bold black ‘LEGALZOOM’ text.”

LegalZoom

One-stop-shop for forming an LLC, registering a trademark, and accessing custom legal documents.

“Rocket Lawyer logo with bold red ‘R’ inside a circle and uppercase word‑mark.”

Rocket Lawyer

Create legal documents, get affordable access to attorneys, and handle incorporation and trademarking.

“Stripe Atlas logo – dark‑navy ‘stripe’ word‑mark, thin divider, and orange‑gold triangular icon with ‘Atlas’ text.”

Stripe Atlas

Designed for startups and freelancers, this service helps you form a U.S. company, open a U.S. bank account, and handle tax filings.

“FindLaw orange word‑mark in friendly sans‑serif font.”

FindLaw

A trusted source for legal information, including startup law, contracts, intellectual property, and employment law.