Pre-business Checklist 

The final step before developing your plan is the pre-business checklist. You should answer these questions: What services or products will I sell? Where will I be located? What skills and experience do I bring to the business? What will I name my business? What equipment or supplies will I need? What insurance coverage will be needed? How much money, if any, will it cost to start my business? Will I need financing? What are my resources? How will I compensate myself?

Your answers will help you create a focused, well-researched business plan that will serve as a blueprint. The plan will detail how the business will be operated, managed and financed. To help you generate creative ideas visit these Web sites:

• Creative Education Foundation - http://www.creativeeducationfoundation.org

• National Collegiate Inventors & Innovators Alliance - http://www.nciia.org

• Junior Achievement – http://www.ja.org

After you have developed your idea, here are Web sites to keep your business moving along:

• JA Titan – test your skills in running a business in this ultimate business simulation – http://titan.ja.org

• Entrepreneurship Education - http://eweb.slu.edu/youth_entrepreneurship.htm

• National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance – http://www.innovationtools.com