I would like to open a shop. Can you give me an idea of what I need to do? -

I have a bit of money and I d like to open an old fashioned sweet shop.I have NO idea how to get started, although my family do, but I don t want to be the only one not knowing what needs to be done?How would I go about getting a place to put my shop?What kind of people would I need to work for me? (Someone to do finance maybe?)And anything else I d need to know to get started.

You need to first have a vision. You said you wanted it to be old fashioned. So figure out what you want in the shop and what types of sweets you want there. If you are making them you obviously need to hire someone to make them and if you are buying them you just need to find a supplier. You need someone to be at the store doing sales (cashiering), it is helping to have an accountant (you should not have one on staff though, I just meet with my accountant once a week and go over the numbers they have been taught are important, he tells me what things we should be doing financially to be more successful), then you want someone to do your advertising. You need to let people know why your shop is different and awesome (why they should go there) and if you are not making sales you will fail, so the sales tasks are the most important in my mind). As far as getting a place, I would talk to a commercial real estate agent to help you find a place. In the area I live, there is a company called Commerce CRG that specializes in leasing and purchasing commercial properties.I also have 2 people helping me build a website and make marketing materials (FYI)Good luck with whatever you end up doing.

How can i tell my friend i cant babysit? -

today my friend asked me to babysit because they are going to a wild party tomorrow but me and my husband planned to do some business that night what should i tell her

Just tell her you can t, that you re busy that night. It s pretty simple.

You shouldn t compromise your evening if you already had plans. If she s a good friend, she won t get ticked if you decline. If saying no makes you uncomfortable, you could always bring a few available babysitters you know of to the conversation, and offer her some options besides you.Good luck! Have fun with your... business. ;)

Start off cooly, like oh I might... I might be able to... let s see.... Then after (you know you really can t) just make up a GOOD excuse and give reasons- always give reasons (more persuasive). Apologise and then do a Maybe next time...I might be able to....just not today...

Something came up. If you cannot watch the baby, then you cannot watch the baby! Do NOT feel like you are obligated to babysit, it s their baby not yours.

do business while you babysit. you can do business any time. babysit.

Very simple. You need to tell her that you had other plans. The best time to have done this was when she first asked but the sooner the better.

Tell her, I m so sorry but me and my husband have planned some things that night, is there anyone else you can get?

oh god. babysit. its not gonna kill you, you ll get other chances to do some business.

I would just tell her your situation. If she s a good friend, she ll understand why you can t babysit.

What did you say when she asked you?Why couldn t you just say Sorry, I can t. ?

that your bussy but also tell her a friend that maybe could baby sit???

tell her you re busy and you cant babysit...

sorry, we have plans.

that you cant?

How Much Does An Actual Patent Cost? Are there any places to have them filed inexpensively? Copywrite Needed? -

I looked up the Patent And Trademark Office. They said.. 1500.00 to 2000.00 to actually patent your product. Is there any cheaper? Also is a copywrite necessary? Or.. Liscense? I would like to sell my product to a angel investor or venture capitolist. I also was told that Richard Brandson invests in helping people promote their inventions and products and also the show that is not in my state Shark Tank. ( Does anyone know about these shows ?) I was told to take a picture of it and have it notarized at a bank to protect people and companies from stealing it and trying to go up against me. ( Also)....... If I do the free search through the Patent and Trademark Office.. On line.. IS that sufficient.? I would like it to be. I don t have the cash to spend on a patent clerk searching also/addition to.Category

You can take all your designs, pictures, drawings, photographs and fully written and unmistakable descriptions of inventions and put it all in a mailer envelope seal it and take it to the U S Post Office and send it back to yourself in a registered mail envelope (this will and can only be used in court forinfringementt if the seal on the registered mail envelope has never been tampered with and opened) when the postal carrier brings it and presents it to you you sign for it and that date on the post office proof of delivery serves as your date of idea origination. Take the registered mail unopened) and put it in a safer than safe place like a safe. Lock it in and forget about it. If in your need to produce your item you can get a contract written up by legalzoom.com called a letter of non compete or a non-disclosure agreement, which too should also protect your interests and be admissible in court if needed when going to subcontractors for their help in going retail. Most importantly: if you end up needing the registered mail envelope for a court appearance, the judge must be the only person to open the U S Post office registered mail encased documents first in order for them to use that proof of authenticity as admissible evidence in your case.

I suggest the first thing you do is to go to the library and find books on how to bring an invention through the patenting process and launching it to the market. ReadPatents and How to Get One : A Practical Handbook http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0��Protecting Your Ideas : The Inventor s Guide to Patents http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0��Patent It Yourself http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0��Patenting costs does not only involve the fees you need to pay USPTO. The total cost depends on how complicated your product is, and the fees the patent lawyer will charge you. It s not uncommon to hear of entrepreneurs spending upwards of $25,000 or even way more to get their products patented. It is NOT cheap -- patent lawyers are among the most expensive out there.You will need to:- research each and every aspect of your product to see if there are any patents out there covering the process or the product- write the detailed product information to describe what should be patented- provide technical detail, relevant drawings, useful background information, a listing of unexpected benefits and desirable advantages, and the relevant prior art for patent text purposesYou can do the whole patenting process yourself, but you first need to educate yourself how to properly do the entire process. Read the Patent It Yourself book.