Classroom vs. crash-course

• Looking beyond loans: Where to find financing now

  Bank vaults have been slammed shut this year to small businesses, but entrepreneurs are pulling cash from other places to get their ventures off the ground.

  Victoria Pavlov
  In the past year, I made two attempts to take out a loan for my startup graphic design business. All banks demand proof that our business is successful and earned money for the past two years. I tried to make them understand that MORE

  Sep 24, 2009 3:56 PM ET
  Posted in: Raising money

• Selling homemade goodies - legally

  Selling sweet treats can be a fast way to make extra cash, but the road to doing it legally is paved with bureaucracy.

  Ana, Dartmouth, Mass.
  I'm thinking about making some truffles (chocolate and peanut butter), putting a flyer together, passing it to friends at work and selling to them. I'm making them at home.  Do I need to get a business license or a food license?

  Jul 23, 2009 3:01 PM ET
  Posted in: Startup

• How to sell your killer iPhone app

  A guide to breaking big in Apple's very crowded market.

  Keeven Kuate Konga, Tempe
  What steps do I take in order to make a big jump in the iPhone application industry? I have found an app designer. I know the basics, but is there any other information other than what's given on Apple's Web site?

  Jun 25, 2009 9:03 AM ET

• How to get your video game into retail stores

  Have a hot idea for an educational software product? Here's how successful entrepreneurs have cracked the market.

  Ernest L. Leisner, Buffalo
  I have created a word game that I would like to transform into an educational video game. I believe it can go a long way to help improve the dismal illiteracy rate in our schools. I have many aspects of a proposal in place and I'd like to find a government MORE

  May 28, 2009 2:04 PM ET

• Trademarks 101: How to protect your good name

  Registering your company's name as a trademark isn't legally required, but it can pay off down the road.

  Nick, Seattle
  I am starting a clothing company and need to copyright the brand name. What is the best way to do this on a tight budget?

  May 13, 2009 12:29 PM ET

• 'Should I hire a business coach?'

  If your company is stalled, a coach could be the catalyst you need.

  Darrin Lugash, Houston
  I have a business in theory, but haven't seen any action in it. I'm working full-time in my former trade while I wait for my business to take off. I'm not sure where to get help - when is it time to hire a business coach? What should I look for in a coach, MORE

  Apr 30, 2009 9:51 AM ET

• Starting a biz: What you can write off

  You don't get a tax break on money you borrow - but the interest you pay on your loans is fair game for deduction.

  Bryanne Goetz, Orlando
  I started a business from home this year. Can I write off the money that was loaned to me to start the company?

  Apr 20, 2009 2:57 PM ET

• 'I signed a noncompete - but now I want a new job'

  Is a court likely to uphold a restrictive noncompete agreement? It depends on where you live.

  Ryan H. from Fort Wayne, Ind.
  When I started my current job, I signed a noncompete agreement without really reading it. After reading it in full, I discovered that it sounds like they're trying to keep me out of the entire Web design industry, anywhere in the U.S., for two years after leaving. I MORE

  Apr 8, 2009 2:10 PM ET

• 'I started a biz - and now it's failing'

  Our experts try to jump-start a struggling auto services venture.

  Eddie Freeman II, Lube N Go Michigan!, Mich.
  I started a mobile oil change business. We change your vehicle's oil at your location, work or home, for $24.95. I am having trouble launching the business - the phone is just not ringing, and I am having no luck with fleet businesses. I've tried word-of-mouth marketing and handing out fliers. I started MORE

  Apr 3, 2009 10:28 AM ET