Four Ways To Get Products Sold

1. Direct person-to-person sales: face-to-face, via the web, at shows or through direct mail

2. Through manufacturers' representatives, brokers, distributors, wholesalers

3. At retail stores

4. Indirect sales via customers and other sources of referrals and promotions

Four Helpful Marketing Resources On The Web

• Competitive Intelligence - www.fuld.com

• Master List Plus database at Hoovers' On-line - www.hoovers.com

Legal Checklist

• Check availability of your business name and register it

• Get needed licenses: local business, state and federal, if required

• If selling products, obtain seller's permit - also known as Certificate of Authority and Resale Certificate. Note: States define products differently; word processing can be a "product"

• Obtain needed trademarks, copyrights, and patents. Some states offer trademark registration

• Check your zoning and homeowner restrictions

• Register business name, form a limited liability company (LLC), incorporate, or file statement of partnership

• Obtain and employee ID number with form SS-4 if you have employees, are a partnership, or are incorporated

Consideration In Deciding How To Organize Your Business

• Cost to start

• Cost to maintain

• Effect on business image

• Risk to personal assets and future earnings

• Your goal for your business's size

• Need for outside financing

• Amount of government regulation

• Impact on your taxes

Five Ways To Name Your Business

1. Your own name - if you have a reputation or plan to grow on

2. Your name with a tag line or motto

3. A name that communicates a primary benefit

4. A name that describes your specialty

5. A made-up name that suggests what you are or how you do it

Where To Check If A Business Name Is Available

1. Local phone books; call information for recent listings

2. Local courthouse and state office registering business names

3. Internet yellow pages like www.switchboard.com - and www.anywho.com

4. Trademark search using a specialized database - www.uspto.gov/main/trademarks.htm (federal only) or better yet, an attorney specializing in trademarks and patents

The What And The Why Of Having A Mission Statement

• State your purpose, goals, and strategy for reaching your goals

• May be as short as a sentence

• Helps describe your business

• Helps to define your focus and stay focused

• Helps you make decisions

Next Page