Here's a link to the Small Business Association. There's lots of good info for start-ups. Start-up funds, if needed, are virtually impossible to obtain on this type of business through regular channels. States often have special program money available, if you meet their criteria. SBA also has a micro-loan program that may be appropriate. Even if you don't require financing be sure to do all of your due diligence just like you were going to apply for a $1M loan! That means a professional business plan, etc. Again, help is available on the SBA site. Established small businesses are going down in large numbers this year. It takes a sizeable amount of financial backing to ride through a couple year recession. Most small business failures are due to lack of financial planning. To have a chance you should prepare by stashing two years of operating expenses. On average, a small business does not show a profit for five years. Food related businesses are especially failure prone. Target markets are fickle & tastes/fads change with the wind often leaving the small business owner unable to react quickly enough. Many owners hang on by their toenails for too long & end up in severe personal debt because it's so hard to accept the failure. Unfortunately, as a banker, I've shut down countless small businesses & taken everything they own in the process including homes & a lifetime of savings. It's ugly. Really ugly. Be sure this is what you want & go into the venture prepared. An internet business will not have the startup costs of a brick/mortar store but it's going to cost something...I really suggest phoning SBA & chatting with a loan officer. They'll be a wealth of information & help you with that business plan. If you'd like, you may email me thru GW & I'll give you a suggestion for somebody to phone at a non-profit for information & assistance with start-up. I have nothing to do with the organization other than knowing they'll give you good solid advice & assistance. Once upon a time, in another life, my DH was an Emeritus Board member & then served as their CEO. They are the largest non-profit community loan fund in the country & a phone call to these folks could well save you a lot of heartache down the line. I LOVE candy! Whatcha going to make??? Best of luck! /tricia Here is a link that might be useful: SBA

This is what happens to you when you try to do things right. If you want to have some more fun, call your mortgage company and tell them that you are going to start a business in your home. (If you take out a business insurance policy, the mortgage company will, of course, find out that you did that, because they require insurance to be in force as a condition of your mortgage.) There are probably provisions in your mortgage that prohibit turning your home into a place of business. Your city officials may have something to say about it as well, even though you won't have any sign or other exterior evidence of "a business." Before you call anyone else, read your existing homeowner's policy over VERY carefully. You may well find that there are loopholes that could allow occasional business use of your home. It's not like your husband is going to put up a big sign and turn your house into a full-scale business. (Zoning wouldn't even allow that, of course, unless you already live in a commercially-zoned area.) Many of the things people do are probably in some technical violation of a mortgage, insurance policy, or local zoning rule. I'm not saying this is okay, or that people just should ignore these types of things, but there is a reasonable threshold of common sense you have to consider. My position at this point would be that what your husband proposes to do is on a very small scale. If it really takes off and he has customers showing up every day, he'll probably want to take this out of the home into a proper commercial location anyhow.

Did that for years and loved it! What a happy business! I agree with everything said here, except for the investment: I started with much less! I started out with 8-10 approx. beautiful bouquets as samples, a design book that the gal can use to choose her bouquet, colour samples, etc, with accompanying floral chart (for your reference) detailed order form which I made on the computer (there may also be a sample of that in your design book)...mine was the "Inspirations of Love" design book..nice glossy pages, photos, and an accompanying marketing guide (you could probably google the name of the book), and MOST importantly, a reputable supplier of all your flowers, silk or fresh, and your mechanics (bouquet holders, wires, etc). Print up your own business cards, book your craft shows (I did other floral crafts such as centre-pieces that were suitable to the show: ie: Christmas, Spring, etc) and display your bouquets and have a generous supply of cards available. Have a draw box offering free Groom/Groomsmen boutonnieres with a Bridal bouquet purchase (or whatever), and draw a name. With the other names, give them a call and ask if they'd like to have a floral consultation with you! I only had to do a few shows and bookings before all my weddings were word of mouth. If you have a quality product and a sincere desire to chat with your brides and offer other suggestions about the wedding when they ask (and they will!), you'll have a very nice business. Be enthusiastic for them....if you love your work it'll show. I've had brides cry when they saw their beautiful bouquets, corsages, cake-toppers, etc collected together and displayed on my buffet. Nearly brought me to tears many times! Oh! And don't make the mistake of OVER offering. I overheard one gal who was in my business saying to one bride that she'd order this or that flower or ribbon and show it to her for her approval, etc, etc, etc...NO. If you have a sample of the wedding colours, the flowers she wants, the ribbon type (sheer, wired, satin, width etc) that she requests, etc, as well as the shape of the bouquet (this is where the book comes in handy), assure her that she'll have the bouquets of her dreams, as well as all the corsages, etc....and deliver on your promises. I never made those "cookie-cutter", 'colour-by-number' types of bouquets one sees in all the stores...be original....you'll gain a reputation and a loyal following! Sorry I was so long-winded here....this still excites me! Wish my hands could work that magic, still..... Enjoy and Good Luck!

Here is the recipe for scones that I used. It comes from a National Trust Traditional British Recipes book I bought from the BBC.. Measurements have been converted to US. (Only to be eaten with a large hat on, a cup of tea, and listening to the English national anthem of course.) Scones: 1 cup flour 1 tsp baking powder One half stick butter (I used low fat) One half cup brown sugar One half cup raisins 1 egg One quarter cup milk (again, low fat is fine) Milk to brush the tops Preheat oven 450. In large mixing bowl, sift flour and baking powder and gently combine. Rub in diced butter w finger tips until like breadcrumbs. Add sugar and raisins and combine evenly. Make well in center of mix and slowly add milk and egg (already mixed together) Stir mix w fork to make smooth dough. Knead slightly to make ball and put on floured surface. Roll to about 1 inch thickness and cut into circles w cookie cutter etc. Put on greased baking tray; brush w milk. Bake 15 mins. Also works if you add nuts, cranberries etc� (but less English that way!) Serve warmed up and cut in half, with butter then dollop of strawberry jam, and some type of whipped cream on top. Yum. Oh, and DH is a fully trained professional Dignitary Protection person... It's like having my own body guard. :-)