Small Business: Startup
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 our business cannot bring in any money — we need equipment that can only be bought with a loan. If I get it, my company will create new job opportunities that will be beneficial for our economy. However, with that said, all banks remain ignorant. What is the best way to take out a loan for my business?
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?
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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?
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 grant to help. I have tried searching the Internet, but there are scams all over the place.
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?
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, and what should my expectations be of him or her?
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?
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 am looking for a new job right now – should I be worried about this? Would a judge ever uphold such a sweeping contract, in spite of my signature on it?
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 the business with my own money when gas was $4 a gallon to save customers money and time. Everyone thinks the idea is great, but no one is using it. I quit my job as a dealership service manager to start this business. What advice do you have to get it going?
For retailers that don't want the overhead of stockpiling merchandise, drop shipping can be a cost-saving option.
Mike, Queens, NY
I started a home-based wholesaling business six months ago and got four credit cards totaling $18,000. I was scammed out of $10,000 and invested another $4,000 into a Web site and advertising. Now my cards are almost maxed out, and I need the cash or credit to purchase merchandise. Business people tell me it takes a few years before turning a profit, but I've worked like the devil these past six months to finally get the contacts and deals I've been searching for, only now I don't have the cash or the credit. Is there anything I can do?
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Arson. Scrappers. Blackouts. It's part of business for the last tenant in Detroit's Packard Plant. More -
Inventing is the easy part. Marketing? Trickier. Experts tell how they'd advertise 5 hard-to-tout products. More -
Every restaurateur knows about Cursed Locations, the addresses where no venture survives. More -
Detroit's churches are plowing millions into redeveloping local housing and businesses. More -
Winepod attracted a wait list of eager buyers and millions from investors. Then came the recession. More
