The best place to start with your research is a retail trade or industry association. You may need to contact several for your lines, but they are a wealth of information you'll need to make better... (more)

It's not clear what form you�re talking about, as this is a business that requires a number of different forms. There's a lot that goes into starting a freight broker business,... (more)

Study what interests you most. Choose the area that attracts you. That can be as simple as looking at which subjects and classes you'd like to be in. Try to spread it out; sample different areas to... (more)

There's no set formula for something like this. Here's what I'd suggest, but I may be wrong, so ask others as well: a short proposal, including an introductory paragraph that reminds the reader of... (more)

Don't worry about form or format. Worry about valuation. To calculate your valuation, divide the money you're asking for from investors by the percentage you're offering to the investors in return.... (more)

Yes, you ask an excellent question, but not one for which there is some simple formula to answer. You have to answer it, though, or accept a lot more risk than you'd like.   Don't... (more)

I have an example you can use, with a lot of illustrations, on the following website, free: http://planasyougo.com/example-initial-sales-forecast-for-a-restaurant/ That should give you at least... (more)

Checks are a good place to start. You may also look to join a chamber of commerce or some other kind of business cooperative that offers credit card services to its members. That way, you may... (more)

Yes. Job fairs are an excellent way to profit because you can get income from both sides--from companies wanting to appear at the fair (booth space rental) and job seekers (tickets). That said,... (more)

As my mother always says, "If you don’t ask, you don’t get." If the pipes are damaged, the ceiling is leaking and the drain is clogged, ask the landlord to fix them before you move in.... (more)

Lily, You have made excellent steps toward getting your business started successfully. Finding a mentor who is a good fit is, as you are finding, not always an easy task. There is a terrific... (more)

Yes, you do need to do research. Initially, it is basic market research. Who are your target buyers? What is their demographic profile (age, sex, income level)? Where do they live (most r (more)

Why not start a small, home-based business while you're earning your MBA? The biggest challenge for business owners day-to-day is simply learning what it takes to run a business profitably on a... (more)

First off, congrats on your new venture! Clothing is a very lucrative business to be in, especially if you have a fabulous line that can be marketed to the same demographic segments that major... (more)

Industry associations are great for this type of information. Look there first or talk to some business owners in the industry (you’d be surprised at how much information people will share with... (more)

Every state and locality has different regulations for corporations and LLCs. You'll definitely need to contact someone in your locality for that information. As far as selling, you'll need to... (more)

Some good places to start would be people, then businesses, then nonprofits, then geography. That list is not exclusive, but helps you segment. In terms of people, will you work with tax... (more)

First off, you need to be fairly specific about your product and the type of audience you are targeting before you get into any market research. Most research is qualitative--meaning you’ll get... (more)

Network marketing is simply a distribution system for products or services, where you are paid to both sell the product/service and to recruit more direct sellers. Short-term income is made from... (more)

Go through your friends first, get your customer base up and running, and then invest in an office "on the ground." There is less risk through existing businesses--and you may also be... (more)