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HI Stacey I am currently in the military and will be ready to retire after 20 years in about 16months. I am tired of working for someone else and would like to start a business form home. I am seriously looking at a business that provides promotional products for businesses, fundraising activities, special events, etc. The product range is endless. The company that sells the equipment is called Press A Print. The equipment consists of a pressing device, that presses an ink imprint on almost any object, and a shirt/material screen printer. It does require financing or if you have the money you can purchase everything for $26,000.00. I think this would be something that I could make into a lucrative business. I like to work with my hands and get great satisfaction from completing a task. I get along with just about anybody and have a great personality. This type of business seems right up my alley. What do you think?

My questions to you :
Do you know anything about this type of business?

Would it be beneficial to put the business in my wifes name?

How do I start accepting credit card payments?

Any other advice you would have would be beneficial.  

Answer
Hi, Ken...

Before you take another step, you need to do a business plan. Doing a plan will show you whether your idea will likely be lucrative, as well as put a strong foundation under your business. As you do it, you'll do a ton of research that will give you the answers to all those questions, and more.

To get you started, consider buying _Streetwise Complete Business Plan With Software: Interactive Software to Quickly Create a Powerful Business Plan Plus a Comprehensive Book (Adams Streetwise Series)_. You can get it easily through Amazon.com

Additionally, go to www.score.org and see if they have any classes about writing plans, or doing the research for a plan, or general start up classes. I don't know where you live, but there may be a SCORE center nearby.

I realize I didn't answer your questions. The reason? I can't -- there's far too much info I don't have, and that I'd need to answer them well and wisely. I guarantee you don't have the info you need to make a decision about this business, and my absolute best advice is to go into this the right way, by doing the research, doing a plan, and learning whether this would be the thing to do or not.

Whatever you choose to do, I wish you all the best luck!

Warmly,
Stacy

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Anastacia Brice

Expertise

My company, Assist University, trains people in every aspect of starting, and more importantly, sustaining, their businesses, while having high quality lives. Additionally, I am a professional business coach. I coach clients to get from where they are, to where they want to be, professionally. All of my clients are small business owners.

Experience

I've worked for myself for more than 18 years, and have owned my own successful company for more than 13--there's something to be said for that, when the majority of businesses don't see a fifth anniversary. In addition, I've trained and supported more than 1000 people to start and sustain their own businesses.

Education/Credentials
I never graduated from University. I'm pretty happy about that--especially in a world that tells us that we need a degree to be successful. :)

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