open new business

Dolphin1,

I know when I open my business 1 1/2 years ago it was a no brainier for me. I love photography and computers. So I mesh the two together. My first question to you is, what is your passion? What do you enjoy doing? What hobbies could you turn into a small business? What sort of money do you wish to invest into the business? What is your background (any college degree - marketing, accounting, art, etc). Do you plan on doing your own advertisements (fliers, ads, web sites, etc)? Remember when starting even a small business you need to look into Federal ID Number and other forms of paperwork for the tax purposes. Word of mouth is great for getting your name/business out, but it's only one way to advertise. You will also need to pick a name once you figure out what you wish to do. Create a Business plan (that is to make sure you dont go into the hole and actually make money), Financing Your Business , Choosing a location (in home or out of home), Do tons of research once you figure out what you wish to do. A link you might want to look into: http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=99336,00.html

Just some questions I asked myself.

Joni Lochtefeld
Unique Creations
Photos, Photo Montages,
Day Care Cameras
www.uniquecreationsvideo.com

I believe PhotoMom may have mentioned this, but what type of business are you looking at....something from home or a retail location?  Are you looking for something with a minimal or sizeable investment?  Are you ok with putting in tons of hours or do you want something more part-time?  Same with income...do you NEED a real income, or just extra cash?

Like the previous poster asked, what are your hobbies or what are you good at?

Lots of creative minds here, so give us a bit more info :) 

Jessica
~ Mommy to Luke and Shawn

As most of you my first passion is my kids. So with that I want a business that will benefit any family. I did consider photography, however it would be geared more toward kids bday parties. I had thought about the Old time photos that you only can get at amusement parks & the kids can get dressed up & have fun, along with other things to do. There aren't many places we can have our kids bday parties at that doesn't cause more stress on us than what its really worth. So on that note, I guess I need feedback if that is something that could work & if anyone would be interested in it.