Need professional help to open new dessert shop?

Question

Where can I find a professional personnel who can guide me through the steps/plans of starting a business of my own?
How do I borrow money from the bank?
Do I need to have good credit and alot of money in my bank account?
Do I need to apply for a food liscence?
Do I need to a health inpection liscence?
Where do I go to apply for the business name?
How can I find the right location, do I need to find a real estate agent?

Answer 1

The best routes to take are to research the process of starting a business as well as the industry you're interested in.

I recommend checking out the SBA, Entrepreneur, The Start Up Journal & Nolo. All 4 are great informational resources for the new/small business owner. I posted links for you in the source box.

Associations may be a good avenue to explore. These organizations will address many of the thoughts, questions and concerns you'll inevitably have as well as many you haven't anticipated yet. See the source box for some relevant links.

Research, research, research – this cannot be stressed enough. Read as much as you can about the industry. Here are some book titles that are relevant:

* How to Open a Financially Successful Bakery by Sharon Fullen, Douglas R. Brown
* The Baker's Trade: A Recipe for Creating the Successful Small Bakery by Zachary Y. Schat
* Baking for Profit: Starting a Small Bakery by George Bathie
* Specialty Shop Retailing: How to Run Your Own Store Revised by Carol L. Schroeder

There are plenty of free informational resources out there. Check the source box for links to articles.

To protect a business name within your industry, you would apply for a trademark.

Trademarks can be names of products or services, logos, slogans, packaging and even sounds and smells. In essence, a trademark can be almost anything that is used to identify a particular product or service. Registering a trademark grants the owner exclusive rights to the mark within the specified industry.

Of course, it's necessary to research the mark comprehensively prior to filing to ensure that there is no possibility of infringing upon another party.

This entails searching the pending & registered Federal and State trademark files as well as the US National Common-Law files. Then, if clear, you can decide if you would like to file for a Federal or a State trademark.

To register a trademark, that's done either through your Secretary of State for a State trademark or the US Patent & Trademark Office for a Federal trademark.

If you are only conducting business in one state, then a State trademark is most appropriate. If you conduct (OR are planning to conduct) business in at least 2 states OR between the US & any other country, you can file for a Federal trademark.

Hope that helps! I wish you much success & happiness in all your ventures!