Blog Posts by Laura Sherman

Part four of a series – The Yahoo Smart and Simple Guide to Starting a Business.

• Part one: Is it time to start up that startup business? and Part 1- Goals, Values and Ideas and Resources for Goals, Values and Ideas
• Part two: Build a winning business right from the start and Part 2: Defining your business concept and Resources for defining your business concept.
• Part three: Funding, Fraternity and Family and Part 3: Ownership, Funding and Family and Resources for funding and ownership

Once you pick your company name, and throw yourself into branding it, it is hard to change the name. Not impossible, mind you, but changing midstream can be confusing for your clients, and potentially expensive for you. It is best to pick the right name right from the start.

Do make sure a pun will continue to be funny for years to come

There are some funny business names, ones that make you laugh when you first hear them. However, there is a fine line. Will you and your clients find it funny

[Part two of a series – The Yahoo Smart and Simple Guide to Starting a Business. Part one is here: Is it time to start up that startup business? and The Yahoo Smart and Simple Guide to Starting a Business: Part 1- Goals, Values and Ideas and Resources for the Yahoo Smart and Simple Guide to Starting a Business: Part 1- Goals, Values and Ideas]

Now that you’ve made the decision to start up a business, you must pinpoint your product or service. If you’re an entrepreneur, you are most likely confident that you can make your idea work, but success for startup businesses lies in the details, so let’s take care of some of them.

Since you are the boss, basically the CEO of your company, you get to call the shots, right from the start. But even though I’m the first to suggest that people push their comfort zones as far out as possible, you must be true to yourself and not force a round peg into a square hole.

Radical innovation or safe increments?

One of your first decisions will be whether to