Starting a For-Profit Business

Applies to for-profits unless otherwise noted.

Sections of This Topic Include:

Feasibility Study -- "Should I Really Start a New Business?"
Guidelines and Checklists for Starting Your New Business
Business Incubators
Buying a Business
Buying and Financing a Franchise
Financing a New Business
Laws and Regulations Regarding Your New Business
Useful Resources

"Should I Really Start a New Business?"

If you're the type of person that conventional wisdom calls the "entrepreneur", then you might be very eager to "roll up your sleeves and just get started". However, conventional wisdom also suggests that most new businesses fail within the first five years. If you truly want to start a business that will succeed for the long term, then there really is some preliminary thinking that you really should do. If you have not read the following document, then do so now. The following will help you think about:
- Whether you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur
- What alternatives exist to starting a new business
- If your finances are ready for starting a new business
- Whether there is really a need for your new service/produuct
- What type of business are you starting?
- What skills and resources do you need?

You don't have to decide these matters in detail at this time. But you should be aware of them and "plant them in your head" to think on as you have time.
Preparation for Planning a Business Venture

Guidelines and Checklists for Starting Your New Business

The following links provide a variety of perspectives on the activities involved in starting a new for-profit business. All links are to rather basic information that you could review in a timely fashion.

Basic Checklists, etc., to Start Your Planning

Start-Up To Do List
SBA Steps for Starting a Small Business (fairly basic)
FAQ for Success in Entrepreneurship and Starting a Small Business

More Comprehensive Sources of Information to Round Out Your Planning

SBA - Starting Your Business - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) (extensive!!!)
Before You Start Your Business (also includes well-designed subtopics)
How To Start a Small Business (covers business ideas, plans, facilities, financing and legal forms)
Starting a Small Business -- 101

Business Incubators

Business incubators are usually facilities that help businesses share resources as low-cost means to getting started.
What is business incubation?
Business Incubator Development Program

Buying a Business

There are certain advantages to buying an already established business. See

Buying and Financing a Franchise

Franchises - Pros and Cons
pros and cons
many articles and other resources from www.franchise.org
many other articles and resources from franchisedirect.com
About Franchising Guide

Financing a New Business

About Financing for For-Profit Organizations

Laws and Regulations Regarding Your Business

The laws and regulations that your business must follow depend very much on what state you live, the legal form of your business and the nature of your product or service. Consequently, there is no comprehensive, up-to-date checklist of laws and regulations that you can "walk through". However, the following links will give you a good sense of what laws and regulations to find out more about. To identify the laws and regulations your business will have to follow, contact your state's Attorney General's office.

Law-related topics in the library

As noted above, the laws and regulations that your business must follow depend very much on what state you live, the legal form of your business and the nature of your product or service.
Advertising / Marketing Laws ("truth in advertising", etc.) Basic About U.S. Law
Basics (basic introduction to the legal system)]
Business Contracts (if you enter into a contract with suppliers, lawyers, etc.)
Employee Law (major topics and laws, employee contracts, at-will, noncompete, etc.)
General Resources (sites with multiple areas of legal information)
Lawyers (getting, using, power of attorney, etc.)
Nonprofits (additional information for nonprofit organizations)
Intellectual Property (patents, trademarks, copyrights)
Enterprise Law (starting organizations, legal forms of organizations, etc.)
Telecommunications Laws

Useful Resources

There are many online resources that provide free materials and information for entrepreneurs. The following link is to many other links that will help you get started.
Megalist of Resources for For-Profits
Basic Guide to Management and Supervision
Basics for New Managers and Supervisors to Manage Themselves

For the Category of Entrepreneurship (For-Profit):

Recommended Books

Starting a For-Profit Business

Starting New Ventures for a Current Business