00
Decide before you file
Business definition and written boundaries, founder record versus firm record, entity and ownership structure, other entities in your name, and the budget rules. Five lessons, two templates.
Self-Help Business Setup Consulting: The DIY Option
Set up your firm the way ESRD was set up
ESRD's do-it-yourself consulting option: a six-month cohort for new and early-stage one-person firms. Entity, identity, federal and state registrations, certifications, the documents buyers ask for, and the AI-assisted operating system that runs the search. Every module open from day one. Twelve live sessions with the founder who did it.
Registration for this cohort is closed. Join the wait list and ESRD will write to you when enrollment for the next cohort opens, or sooner if a place opens.
Already enrolled? Log in to the client portal. Questions about the course: course contact.
Registration opensNovember 8, 2026Closes December 3, 2026. Does not reopen until the next cohort.
Cohort 1December 4, 2026Six months of access through June 4, 2027
Live sessions12 Fridays, 7:00 PM ET90 minutes each, every other Friday, recorded
Next cohortJuly 2, 2027Through January 2, 2028
Who it is for
This course is for you if
- You are forming, or have just formed, a one-person services firm and want it set up completely and in the right order.
- You intend to sell to government and to the primes that serve it, and you want every registration, certification, and document done before the first opportunity arrives.
- You are a veteran founder. The service-disabled veteran verification step is taught first, in the order that avoids the delay ESRD hit.
- You are willing to run your business with an AI assistant under strict rules, and to handle every login, signature, and payment yourself.
This course is not
- Proposal help. ESRD does not help you find, evaluate, or pursue any specific contract, write a proposal, or respond to an RFI or RFQ.
- Legal, tax, or accounting advice. Entity, tax, and ownership questions go to your attorney or CPA; the course tells you which questions to bring them.
- A guarantee of any registration, certification, or award. Agencies decide on their own standards and timelines.
- A manual-process course. If you want to set up without AI, your APEX Accelerator, SBA district office, SCORE, and VBOC offer free help, and we will point you there.
How it runs
Eight modules, open from day one
Everyone in a cohort is at a different step. The whole course is available the day the cohort opens, so you move at your own pace and the live sessions meet you where you are. Each module ends with the templates you need, and every template is yours to keep.
01
Form the entity
Articles, EIN, operating agreement and W-9, bank account and payments, local permits and licenses, the CPA relationship. Six lessons, five templates, one video.
02
Identity
Domain and email, brand, website with legal pages, the capability statement, LinkedIn and a publication. Five lessons, three templates, four videos including the cPanel deployment walkthrough.
03
Federal registration
SAM.gov with the account-email warning first, the DSBS profile, SBA certifications, PIEE and SPRS with the CMMC Level 1 self-assessment, and the compliance posture a one-person firm can honestly state. Five lessons, three videos.
04
State and local registration
Virginia told in full: eVA and NIGP codes, SWaM certification in the right order. A generic version of every step for your state. Local supplier portals, APEX Accelerator intake, boards and commissions. Five lessons, two templates, two videos.
05
Documents every buyer asks for
Business plan, service menu and pricing worksheet, quality manual with SOPs, records and backups, and the obligations calendar that holds every recurring clock. Four lessons, four templates.
06
The operating system
The tracker, the standing rules for working with an AI assistant, the workspace split, triage rules and the dispositioned log, and two search agents you stand up on your own subscription. Six lessons, six templates, two videos.
07
Readiness and what happens next
The readiness checklist, the boundaries of the engagement, and where you go for opportunity help once setup is done. Two lessons, one template.
Live sessions
Twelve Fridays with the founder
Group sessions on Zoom, 90 minutes, 7:00 PM Eastern, every other Friday. Each session follows one module and takes your questions; replays post in the course within a day. Attendance is not required to complete the course.
| Session | Date | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | December 4, 2026 | Kickoff and boundaries workshop |
| 2 | December 18, 2026 | Entity, EIN, operating agreement, bank, local permits |
| 3 | January 8, 2027 | Email identity, brand, website, cPanel deployment |
| 4 | January 22, 2027 | Capability statement review |
| 5 | February 5, 2027 | SAM.gov and DSBS walkthrough |
| 6 | February 19, 2027 | SBA certification, PIEE, SPRS, CMMC Level 1 |
| 7 | March 5, 2027 | eVA, NIGP codes, SWaM in the right order |
| 8 | March 19, 2027 | Local portals, APEX intake, boards and commissions |
| 9 | April 2, 2027 | Business plan, pricing, quality manual, obligations calendar |
| 10 | April 16, 2027 | The tracker, standing rules, workspace |
| 11 | April 30, 2027 | Triage rules and standing up the agents |
| 12 | May 14, 2027 | Readiness check, graduation, what happens next |
Dates may move for holidays or illness; a moved session is rescheduled within the month.
What you leave with
Built and filed
- An entity, an EIN, an operating agreement, a business bank account
- A domain, a company-first website with legal pages, a one-page capability statement at a permanent URL
- SAM.gov active and a complete DSBS profile
- SBA and state certification applications submitted in the right order
- PIEE and SPRS set up with CMMC Level 1 affirmed
- Your state procurement portal and local supplier portals registered
Running
- A business plan, a quality manual, and an obligations calendar with every recurring clock
- A status tracker and the standing rules for working with an AI assistant
- Triage rules and a dispositioned log written before you read a single opportunity
- Two search agents running on your own subscription
- 23 downloadable templates, 12 video walkthroughs, 12 session recordings, all yours to keep
AI-assisted and AI-required
ESRD was set up by one founder working with an AI assistant, and you will set up your business the same way: the assistant researches, drafts, checks, and keeps the record; you make every decision and handle every login, signature, and payment. You will need your own AI assistant subscription that supports scheduled tasks. The person on every form is you. Read how the course was made and how you will work.
Enrollment
December 2026 cohort
$2,500
Six months of access to every module, template, video, and session replay, plus twelve live sessions and the cohort community. Full payment at enrollment by card or bank debit (ACH); Klarna and Afterpay pay-over-time options are offered at checkout by those providers. After six months, stay on for $99 a month, cancel any time.
Because every module is open from the first day, there are no refunds. Read the Enrollment Agreement before you enroll.
Questions
- I am not in Virginia. Does the course still apply?
- Yes. Federal steps are the same everywhere. Virginia steps are taught in full as the worked example, and every state-dependent step carries a generic version with the questions to ask your own state and locality.
- Do I have to attend the live sessions?
- No. Every session is recorded and posted in the course. Attend the ones that match where you are.
- What if an agency is still processing my application at month six?
- Agencies run on their own clocks. The month-to-month extension keeps your access, replays, and community while you wait, and every template you downloaded stays yours regardless.
- Why no refunds?
- The entire course, every template, and every video are available the day the cohort opens. Once you have that access there is nothing to return. Read the full terms before enrolling.
- Is this legal or tax advice?
- No. ESRD is not a law firm or an accounting firm. The course tells you which questions to bring to your attorney and CPA, and when.
- Registration is closed. What can I do?
- Join the wait list. ESRD will write to you when enrollment for the next cohort opens, or sooner if a place opens. Once registration closes, the Enroll buttons on this page take you to the wait list.
- I am enrolled. Where do I log in?
- At esrdglobal.com/learn with the email you enrolled with. Your first login came by email as a set-password link; after that, use the login form. Forgot the password? The login page has a reset link.
- Will you help me win a contract?
- No. Setup is the whole scope. When setup is complete, the course points you to your APEX Accelerator, SBA district office, SCORE, and your state's procurement assistance office for opportunity and proposal help.