Best places to start a small business

The details and planning required to start a small business can seem overwhelming. That's why many would-be entrepreneurs never manage to take the small business plunge. Fortunately, taking care of the details -- getting a business license, obtaining permits and other related matters -- is actually fairly easy. Then, once you have your basic infrastructure in place, you can spend your time focusing on what entrepreneurs do best: making money. One quick note: We won't cover deciding whether your business should be a sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC or corporation. Many entrepreneurs, especially those starting a side business, begin as sole proprietors, but the decision regarding which legal entity to form is one you should make only after consulting with an accountant or financial professional.Here's a quick-start guide to starting your own business: Determine your business name. While branding, unique selling propositions and business-identity considerations are important, keep … [Read more...] about The quick-start guide to setting up a small business

Last Updated Mar 2, 2011 5:38 PM EST There probably is no town with the low rents, good schools, loose regulations, good infrastructure, moderate taxes, strong markets and a skilled labor force that would make the ideal place to start a new business. But if perfection doesn't exist, there still are some places that are better than others. Like these three representing the best-of-the-best-of: Austin, Texas. This is Kiplinger's pick for the best city for small business for the next decade. The personal finance magazine lauds the capital of the Lone Star State for its community business support programs, educational opportunities and homegrown venture capitalists. To those advantages, I'd add moderate costs, low taxes, and upwardly mobile can-do spirit. And Austin slipped through the last recession almost unscathed. I live in Austin, and my house is worth more than when I bought it in 2007. Not many cities can say that. Sioux Falls, South Dakota. This state ranked ahead of all others on … [Read more...] about The Best, Best Places to Start a Small Business

Last Updated May 3, 2011 12:18 PM EDT Today Save the Children released their 2011 State of the World's Mothers report. Norway again tops the list as the best place to be a mom, with Australia the runner-up, and Iceland third. The bottom three countries? Guinea-Bissau, Niger, and Afghanistan. If you're an American woman contemplating motherhood, you're in a mediocre place, as the U.S. slipped from 28th to 31st this year. In the bottom tier of countries, crushing poverty and lack of access to food and basic healthcare lead to soaring rates of maternal mortality -- death of a mother related to complications during pregnancy or childbirth -- and mortality of children under age 5. Save the Children focuses on the plight of women and children in the developing world. In Afghanistan, for instance, only 14% of births are attended by skilled health personnel. (If more American mommies knew that, perhaps we'd think twice before lobbing playgroup insults at each other depending on whether we … [Read more...] about Best and Worst Places to be a Mom