Start Here · Phase 1

Formalize. Protect. Scale.

Your business is already established, popular, and selling. This playbook puts a strong back office under a strong name, so you can grow into new venues, new buyers, and new clients with confidence. This is not a test launch. It is formalizing what already works, and scaling it.

First built for: Bruce G. Lee (Garrett), Old Skool Cakes, Orlando, Florida
Your coaches: Tadar Muhammad & Gina Muhammad, MGM Investment Solutions
How we work: One phase at a time. One step at a time.

This page is Phase 1 only, and it runs in one clear order: Start Here, then Journey Ahead, then Plain Words, then Read It First, then Open the Assessment, and finally Next Steps. Read all the good information first — the roadmap, the plain words, and the decision help in Read It First — so you understand your direction and your goal before you answer anything. Only then do you open the assessment, right before Next Steps. The assessment is the form itself, and it closes with two final questions — your direction and your goal — both answered right there in the form. There is no separate decision or goal section. Garrett and Old Skool Cakes are the first business coached through it. Every business that follows starts the same way, and builds its own plan from its own answers.

Introduction

Built on Invisible Currency

This playbook rests on three of the currencies from Invisible Currency: relationships, access, and alignment. They are why the phases are in this order.

Relationships

The reason people buy. Your community already trusts your name. Customers come back, word spreads, and we coach as family because that trust is real. We protect it by doing the back office right, with no shortcuts that put your name at risk.

Access

What trust opens. Trust gets you invited. A license, insurance, and clean papers get you through the door: at The Cookout Orlando, and at the next venue, caterer, or wholesale buyer after that.

Alignment

What keeps growth together. One name and one plan, the same everywhere: Sunbiz, bank, tax, license, and insurance all match. When everything lines up, new work adds income, not confusion.

In short: relationships earned the business, access grows it, and alignment holds it together.

What success looks like

  • One legal business name that matches everywhere: Sunbiz, bank, tax, insurance, and license.
  • A licensed kitchen base in Orlando, and your own DBPR food license.
  • One simple packet you can hand to any venue or buyer. The Cookout is one of many places, not the only one.
  • A protected name you can keep building on.
Our starting point for Old Skool Cakes: for planning, we assume there is no active Sunbiz business registration and no current county license, and we know the old fictitious name, G18000065434, expired December 31, 2023. So the first step is always the same: verify before we file anything, in case something is still active under a different name.
Please read this first: this playbook is general information only. It is not legal, tax, or licensing advice. Confirm the food-license type with DBPR and tax choices with an accountant before filing. Fees shown were checked in November 2026; confirm the current amount on the official site before you pay, because fees change.
The journey ahead

The road this assessment leads down

This roadmap comes early on purpose — before Plain Words, before Read It First, and before you answer anything — so you can see the whole journey first. This page is Phase 1. After you have read everything, you will open the form below, which closes with your direction and your goal. The four stops after Phase 1 are the road ahead, shared by your coaches one phase at a time.

Your roadmap: Phase 1 and the road ahead, in one view

Read this top to bottom. You start at the top, in Phase 1, and that is the only phase on this page. Its three steps are shown in full. After it, the road continues through four more phases — shown by title only, so you can see the whole journey. Your coaches share each later phase with you when the one before it is done.

Phase 1 — you are here — on this page, work it now Later phases — not on this page; your coaches share each one in order
Start hereBefore Step 1: read the introduction (Start Here) above. Plain Words and Read It First come after this roadmap, before you open the assessment below, which is Step 1.

  1. Phase 1 · Decide

    3 steps · On this pageYou are here

    Pick your structure on purpose, not by accident. Your assessment answers, ending with your direction and your goal, are what your coaches build everything after this from.

    1. Step 1: Read Plain Words and Read It First below, then complete the assessment — all 13 questions, in the form. There are no wrong answers, and “Not sure yet” counts.
    2. Step 2: At the end of that same assessment, answer the direction question — sole proprietor, LLC, or not sure yet — and then the goal question, in your own words. The direction and the goal are the last questions in the form, not separate sections on this page.
    3. Step 3: Follow the Next Steps at the end of this page — submit the form, then confirm your direction and goal with your coaches.

    Milestone — Phase 1 is done when: your assessment has been submitted, and your direction and goal have been confirmed with your coaches. They then send you the next phase.

  2. Phase 2 · Register

    From your coaches
    The next phase on the road. Your coaches send you its page after Phase 1 is done — assessment submitted, and direction confirmed with them. Its steps are not on this page, and it is not linked from this page.

  3. Phase 3 · Get Licensed

    From your coaches, in order
    A later phase on the road, shared by your coaches when you reach it.

  4. Phase 4 · Sell Ready

    From your coaches, in order
    A later phase on the road, shared by your coaches when you reach it.

  5. Phase 5 · Protect & Grow

    From your coaches, in order
    The last phase on the road, shared by your coaches when you reach it.
Finish — the end of the roadRegistered, licensed, and ready to sell, with a protected name — reached one phase at a time, each one shared by your coaches.
Words in plain language

We assume you know nothing. That is fine.

Every word in this playbook, explained simply. If a word below shows up in any step, this is what it means. Come back to this section any time.

Sole proprietor
You are the business. There is no separate company. You and the business are the same in the eyes of the law.
LLC
Short for Limited Liability Company. A separate company that you own. The company runs the business, which helps keep business problems separate from your personal money and property.
Fictitious name (also called a DBA)
DBA means “doing business as.” The public record that links a brand name, like Old Skool Cakes, to its real owner, for example Bruce G. Lee doing business as Old Skool Cakes. It is a name tag, not a company, and not a license.
Sunbiz
Florida’s official state website for business filings. LLCs and fictitious names are filed and checked there.
EIN
Short for Employer Identification Number. A free tax ID number from the IRS for the business, like a Social Security number for the business. It is used for bank accounts and tax forms, and it keeps your personal Social Security number off forms you hand to buyers. It is not the same as a business license.
IRS
Short for Internal Revenue Service. The federal government office that handles taxes and gives out EINs.
Registered agent
A person or company with a Florida address who agrees to receive official mail and legal papers for an LLC. Every LLC must name one.
Annual report
A short yearly update an LLC files on Sunbiz to stay active. It is due by May 1 and costs $138.75. Filing late adds a $400 fee.
Sales tax registration (Form DR-1)
Signing up with the State of Florida so the business can collect sales tax on taxable sales and send that tax to the state.
Business Tax Receipt
The city or county local permission to operate, paid yearly. It used to be called an occupational license. It is not a state food license.
Commissary
A licensed shared commercial kitchen where food can legally be made, with a written agreement. It is your legal home base for baking, storage, water, and waste. Home kitchens are not allowed for this kind of selling in Florida.
DBPR
Short for the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. The state office that licenses food businesses and inspects them, including bakeries that sell to the public and to other businesses.
Food license
Your own permit from DBPR that says your business may legally make and sell food. The kitchen’s license belongs to the kitchen. It does not cover your business.
Inspection
A visit from a state inspector who checks that food is made and stored safely. Your business must pass inspection before selling under its new license.
COI
Short for Certificate of Insurance. A one-page proof from your insurance company that shows you carry insurance. Venues and buyers ask for it before you sell.
Additional insured
A person or business added to your insurance policy for an event, so your policy also covers them there. Some buyers require this by name.
W-9
The IRS form that gives a payer your business name and tax ID, so they can pay you correctly and report the payment the right way.
Vendor packet
The small set of papers a serious buyer asks for before you sell: signed agreement, W-9, insurance certificate (COI), and food license. One packet, ready to hand over, is the goal.
Trademark
A legal claim on your business name or logo, filed with the state (or the federal government), so another business cannot use the same name in the same line of work. A Sunbiz name filing is not a trademark.
Wholesale
Selling your products to another business, a store, cafe, or caterer, which then sells them to its own customers.
Claim
Someone saying the business owes them money or caused them harm.
Partner
Another person who owns part of the business with you.
A simple way to remember the layers: Sunbiz says the business exists. The city and county receipts say it may operate there. DBPR says it may sell food. Insurance and the W-9 say a buyer can work with it safely. Each paper does one job.
Read it first · Before you open the assessment

Read it first

Do not open the assessment yet. Read all of this first, so you understand your direction and your goal before you answer anything. Below is everything the form asks, how your coaches read your answers, the choice between sole proprietor and LLC, what it costs, and the questions to ask yourself.

Tell us where you are. Honest answers set the goal. There are no wrong answers. Your answers are what your coaches use to build your plan. We do not guess the plan first and fit you into it. Read this whole section first, think it over, talk it through — then open the assessment in the next section.

What the form will ask you

Here is everything the form asks, so you can think it over or talk it through before you answer:

  • Business name and your name.
  • How often do you sell, and where do you sell? Markets, events, direct orders, or a mix.
  • Who helps you bake, deliver, or sell? Nobody, family, paid help, or a mix.
  • Where do you bake now? In your own words: at home, at a shop, at a shared kitchen.
  • Do you have a separate bank account for the business? A bank account used only for the business, not mixed with personal money.
  • If the business owed money or faced a claim, what personal things worry you most?
  • How much can you put toward setup now, without hurting the business? Setup means the cost of getting the papers, licenses, and insurance in order.
  • In the next year, what do you want most? More venues, wholesale, a storefront, hire help, or keep it as it is.
  • In three years, what do you want this business to be?
  • Do you ever want to bring in a partner, or sell the brand one day?
  • Which direction would you like coaches to help you explore first? Sole proprietor, LLC, or not sure yet.
  • Your goal, in your own words: what you want this business to be, and by when.
How coaches read it: more venues, wholesale, hiring, a lease, or selling the brand all point one way. Staying small and solo, with tight cash, can point the other way. The decision help directly below shows both, plainly, before you answer the direction and goal questions in the form.
Your decision, before the goal question · In the form

Sole proprietor or LLC?

You are the business, or you own one. One common misunderstanding first: a fictitious name (a DBA) is only a name tag. It does not create a business, does not protect you personally, and is not a license. Underneath the name tag there has to be a real owner. You choose who that owner is.

Question
Sole Proprietor
LLC
What it means
You are the business. No separate company.
You own a separate company. The company owns the business.
Start cost
$0 to start, plus $50 if you file the name (for example, Old Skool Cakes).
$125 to form on Sunbiz, plus $50 for the name if it differs from the LLC name.
Every year
No state annual report. Renew the fictitious name every 5 years.
Annual report $138.75 by May 1. Late fee is $400. We calendar it together.
If something goes wrong
You are personally responsible. Business debts and claims can reach personal money and property.
Generally, claims stay with the company, if you keep separate accounts and records. It is not a magic shield, and insurance still matters.
Taxes
Business income on your personal return. Simple.
Same by default for one owner: income passes to your personal return. An LLC does not automatically lower taxes.
Growing
Harder with banks, landlords, and wholesale buyers. Harder to add a partner or sell.
Looks established. Easier to hire, lease, add a partner, and sell the brand.

Short term

Sole proprietor wins on: lowest cost, fastest start, least paperwork.

LLC costs you: more money up front, and a yearly filing.

Long term

LLC wins on: protection, credibility, and room to scale.

Sole proprietor risk grows as sales grow: more sales, more exposure.

Over 5 years, state filings only: about $50 to $100 as a sole proprietor, about $680 to $730 as an LLC. County, kitchen, license, and insurance costs are the same either way. Think of the LLC’s yearly $138.75 as rent on the wall between the business and your personal life.

Five questions to ask yourself

  • Do I have personal savings, a home, or other property I need to keep separate from business risk?
  • In the next year, do I want wholesale or vendor work with other businesses?
  • Do I plan to hire anyone, or work with a partner?
  • Can I comfortably pay $138.75 every spring and keep one yearly deadline?
  • Do I want a business I could one day sell or hand to family?

Mostly “yes” answers point to the LLC. Mostly “no, not yet” answers point to starting lean, with a written note to revisit the LLC when the first “yes” arrives.

Coaches’ note for Garrett: because Old Skool Cakes is already established and the goal is to scale, the LLC is the stronger match. But the choice is yours. If cash is tight, we can start lean, with a written date or event that triggers a switch later. Know this first: switching later means a new EIN, a new bank account, and updated license and insurance papers.

Known state fees, at a glance

ItemCost
EIN (IRS)Free. Never pay a website for an EIN.
LLC filing (Sunbiz)$125, then $138.75 each year for the annual report (January 1 to May 1). $400 late fee after May 1.
Sole proprietorNo Sunbiz company filing, no annual report. About $50 in state filings to start (the name filing).
Fictitious name$50, plus the newspaper’s charge, either way. Renews at $50 every 5 years.
State filings over about 5 yearsAbout $50 to $100 as a sole proprietor. About $680 to $730 as an LLC.
Florida trademark$87.50 per class.
Same either wayCounty and city receipts, commissary rent, DBPR license fees, food handler training, and insurance. Each office or provider quotes its own price.

What to bring to our first meeting: photo ID, any old business papers you still have, your menu (every item you want to sell), where you bake now, photos of your logo, labels, or packaging, and your questions. Bring them all.

Family rule, and it protects everyone: no sale through Unique Touch Hospitality Group until the license and the vendor packet items (signed agreement, W-9, insurance, and license) are actually in hand. That rule stays, even for family.
Open the assessment · Right before next steps

Open the Assessment

You have read it first. Now open the assessment and answer in the form. The form is the way you answer your direction and your goal: both are in the form, as its last questions. There is no separate decision or goal section to fill in.

The assessment is 13 short questions, all in the form below: your business name and your name, nine questions about where your business is today and where you want it to go, one direction question, and one goal question at the end. Words are explained inside the questions, and “Not sure yet” is an honest answer wherever it appears. Fill it in right here:

Easiest way to open it: if the form below looks blank, cut off, or does not load, use this button — it opens the same 13-question form in a full tab, where it always loads.

Open the assessment in a new tab

You can also fill it in right below on this page. Scroll down inside the page — the full form is shown, ending with your direction and your goal.

Loading the assessment form… If this stays blank, use the blue button above to open it in a new tab.

When you submit the form, go straight to Next Steps, the final section below.

Final section · Next steps

Next steps

All of your answers — assessment, direction, and goal — come in through the Google Form above. There is no separate goal section on this page. Phase 1 ends with these three steps, in this order. Nothing comes after this section.

What happens after Phase 1

Phase 1 ends with these three steps, in this order. Nothing else is owed, and there is nothing after this section to go and find.

  1. Submit the assessment in the form. Send in the assessment through the form on this page, if you have not already — including your direction and your goal, the last questions in the form. Your answers are what your coaches build your plan from.
  2. Confirm your direction and goal with your coaches. Talk through the direction and the goal you answered in the form with Tadar and Gina, and confirm them together. Phase 1 is not done until this conversation has happened.
  3. Receive the Phase 2 link from your coaches. Only after Phase 1 is done — assessment submitted, and direction and goal confirmed — do your coaches send you the link to Phase 2, Register. Phase 2 is a separate page. It is not linked from this page, on purpose, so no one can click ahead before Phase 1 is finished.

Finish Phase 1, talk with your coaches, and wait for the Phase 2 link from them — there is nothing to hunt for here.

A word to close

You are not starting over.
You are building on what you already earned.

Your customers did not come by accident. They came because they trust your name, they love what you make, and they keep coming back. That trust is the real foundation of this business, and everything in this playbook exists to protect it and help it grow.

Relationships earned the business. Access grows it. Alignment holds it together.

So take this one step, then the next. One phase at a time, one step at a time — and you will not take them alone. Your coaches are in the room with you, and the business you built is worth doing right. Let’s formalize it, protect it, and scale it, together.