This message was posted by KGM on AmayaUsers.com. PLEASE DO NOT REPLY VIA EMAIL. Instead, respond to the thread on the WEBSITE by clicking here: http://www.amayausers.com/boards/ultimatebb.php?/topic/2/678.html#000001 Hi there, There is a lot to doing a home business. This is a terrific list but I don't know where to tell you to look - search messages for marketing, business start up etc I would think. There is another Amaya list - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AmayaEMB/ and you are certainly welcome to join us there, too. We have had some long and detailed posting on new business start up and marketing. Search old messages there too. I don't usually give out a lot of advice as I don't have bunches of time but overall, you do need a business plan - you can see a format on how to write one on sba.org I believe which should be the small business administration website. Make your plan and work it. You then next tho need to make sure you can be a business where you are located - at home? We are at home in a large shop behind our house.. but we live in the boonies and only have to have a sales tax license to conduct biz in our county. Whatever the requirements, best meet them as sometimes fines are pricey. Then you need to figure out some kind of accounting system - we use QuickBooks Pro and we started out by buying the book Quickbooks for Dummies lol. Our accountant though has been a hugh help, too. You will never really know if you are making money or not until you keep careful track of all costs and expenditures vs. income. Then you need to figure out a niche. Is there something you 'know' about? Something you have a lot of contacts in? We are 'old car nuts' and have shown dogs, horses and purebred cats plus have 5 kids and 14 grandchildren to market for us lol - which we furnish many decorated garments for them to wear with a pocketful of business cards! So we have a lot of contacts in all of the above and we do fairly well.. So you don't have to have just ONE niche.. :) We know people that I digitize for that do coffin shrouds (little curtain in the top part of the coffin, dogs -coats, leashes towels etc, horse equipment-like stable blankets, fly sheets, halters, leads etc. Others that do some straight sewing and adorn it with embroidery.. You need to figure out pricing - what it costs your material and time-wise to do things. There is more to this than meets the eye - with the cost of your machine and utilities, shop space, etc etc You can -if you are going to do local selling- call other embroidery biz in your area and see what they charge. Most will share info with you.. well maybe at least, some will. Ask on the list though it might not be accurate as if you are in a small town with no great economy or on the other hand in a big city that is doing well.. it could change pricing quite a bit. Whenever I am Not busy - I work on marketing. It is something that will pay over time and keep on paying the more you do it. It is hard sometimes to get motivated to do it when you first start out and are not making very much -if anything. You just have to keep on, keeping on though or you Won't make it. There are a ton of other details but have no time for more. There are excellent books in the library too that are abt small business start up and marketing. Good luck to you! :) Jill =========================================================== The AmayaUsers Mailing List Website: http://www.amayausers.com Discussion Board: http://www.amayausers.com/boards Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://www.amayausers.com/list ===========================================================