Two excellent sources for locating associations are the American Society of Association Executives and the Marketing Resource Center. By using their interactive keyword search capabilities, you can search through over 35,000 associations and organizations that cover almost every type of business imaginable.

Where can I go to find the Chambers of Commerce surrounding the community where I wish to open my business?

ChamberBiz.com has a very comprehensive on-line Chamber Finder tool that should be point you in the right direction.

What does marketing involve?

Marketing is your most important organizing tool. There are four basic aspects of marketing, often called the four Ps:

• Product: The item or service you sell.
• Price: The amount you charge for your product or service.
• Promote: The ways you inform your market as to who, what, and where you are.
• Provide: The channels you use to take the product to the customer.

As you can see, marketing encompasses much more than just advertising or selling. For example, a major part of marketing involves researching your customers: What do they want? What can they afford? What do they think? Your understanding and application of the answers to such questions play a major role in the success or failure of your business.

What is my market potential?

The principles of determining market share and market potential are the same for all geographic areas. First determine a customer profile (who) and the geographic size of the market (how many). This is the general market potential. Knowing the number and strength of your competitors (and then estimating the share of business you will take from them) will give you the market potential specific to your enterprise.

What about advertising?

Your business growth will be influenced by how well you plan and execute an advertising program. As it is one of the main creators of your business' image, it must be well planned and well budgeted. Contact local advertising agencies or a local SBA office to assist you in devising an effective advertising strategy.

How do I set price levels?

The price of a service or item is based on three basic production costs: direct materials, labor, and overhead. After these costs are determined, a price is then selected that will be both profitable and competitive. As pricing can be a complicated process, you may wish to seek help from an expert.

Are some locations better than others?

Time and effort devoted to selecting where to locate your business can mean the difference between success and failure. The kind of business you are in, the potential market, availability of employees, and the number of competitive establishments all determine where you should put your business.

Is it better to lease or buy the store (plant) and equipment?

This is a good question and needs to be considered carefully. Leasing does not tie up your cash; a disadvantage is that the item then has no resale or salvage value since you do not own it. Careful weighing of alternatives and a cost analysis will help you make the best decision.

How do I find out about suppliers/manufacturers/distributors?

Most suppliers want new accounts. A prime source for finding suppliers is the Thomas Register, which lists manufacturers by categories and geographic area. Most libraries have a directory of manufacturers listed by state. If you know the product line manufacturers, a letter or phone call to the companies will get you the local distributor/wholesaler. In some lines, trade shows are good sources of getting suppliers and looking over competing products.

Why do I need a sign for my business?

There are many reasons, the most primary of these being:

• Signs are the most effective, yet least expensive, form of advertising for the small business.
• A sign is your introduction and handshake with those passing by, identifying your business to existing and potential customers.
• Signs are always on the job for you, advertising 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
• People often judge a business by how it looks on the sign.
• Many merchants increase their business measurably just by adding a good sign. Conversely, many have gone out of business because they simply were not identified well, so not enough potential customers knew of their existence. As one sign industry professional put it, "A business without a sign is a sign of no business."
• We live in a mobile society. According to the United States Census Bureau, 18% of households relocate each year. As your customers move, you need to replace them by attracting new customers.

For additional information, please review the Understanding the Value of Signage section.

Is signage expensive?

• Signage is the least expensive, yet most effective, form of advertising for independent and national retail businesses.
• You pay for the sign once and it works for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for years. Use of other media requires paying month after month and you never have the benefit of ownership. You also have no assurance that you're reaching potential customers.
• From a business owner's perspective, a sign should not be viewed as an expense, but as a capital investment. When you factor in your return on investment, signs are not expensive. An effective sign will most likely pay for itself many times over.
• The price for signage will vary greatly depending upon the size, design, style, manufacturer, and mounting type.

In addition, please review the Understanding the Value of Signage section of this site.

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