[winnie_05]

My boyfriend is wanting to start his own business with his friend building his own computers and selling them.

Could anyone tell me how he would go about this?

[earle1998]

The first thing he needs to know is his market. Is he in an area where there is a market for his product?
A good first step is to contact the Small Business Administration (SBA) in your area. They can tell you about markets, funding a small business, the pros and cons. Look up www.sba.org . That's a good place to start.
Good luck!

[RecordProducer]

Originally posted by winnie_05
Could anyone tell me how he would go about this?

He better be sure himself and have a clear picture of what he's going to do as well as have big experience in the given field. 80% of small businesses fail within 5 years.

[karatekid]

I recently started my own business (a yr and a half ago). I'm currently making very little money at it. Many small businesses do fail. The key is to have a passion for what doing and budget well. My business is growing-slow but sure. You must be prepared to work another job for awhile. I do not have a staff or partner so that helps. Do not give up.

[droopydad]

I'm in the process of starting a business with some family members and other associates. The previous posts are a must. The SBA is great for starting out, you can get advice from SCORE also. Most states have govt. offices set up to help emerging businesses, especially in the high tech. sector. One thing I have found to be true is that business does always follow the same rules as the rest of nature. It would help your friend greatly to have a niche in the market to concentrate on, there are so many other companies already doing the same thing as your friend wants to do, in order to increase the chance of success, there has to be something unique to set his product apart from the pack. It's a long hard road to success for sure, it may entail setbacks, but if your friend can perservere and roll with the punches, the rewards are worth it. Don't forget to collect contacts and set up possible alliances along the way, there's a never ending business world waiting to help with whatever problems may be encountered. Good luck with your friend and his dreams.