Yvonne Said:

Has anyone taken these online classes at Arizona State University (business majors)?

We Answered:

I haven't taken those two, but i have taken other classes like COM316, FAS332, REL374, etcetera and they're generally a lot easier than in person courses. have you tried ratemyprofessors.com yet? that usually gives a decent overview of the course...

Bessie Said:

How do i create an online business?

We Answered:

It depends on what you want to get into and what you would want to do. I have a range of websites and blogs but they might not suit something that you would want to do.

Email me at info@dsm-publishing.com and ill give you some free tips of where to start your own business from.

For overhead costs you can easily start with just the cost of a domain name and hosting and an autoresponder.

Brent Said:

Do I Have to have a business license for my online graphic/web design business?

We Answered:

First, you don't get business names copywritten, you get them trademarked. You can goto http://uspto.gov for all the details. Second, licensing depends on the state in which you will start your business, in your case, by starting an online company you would look up licensing on the website for your state. In Michigan our website is Michigan.gov. But, in general the one license i know you need is a Sales Tax License as well as a Sales Tax ID (EIN). But all in all when you identify your states website just search for licensing and all your questions will be answered. Good Luck.

Tanya Said:

Starting an online business, wondering if I have to register as an LLC or something?

We Answered:

I incorporated my podcast as an LLC, in retrospect it was kind of uncessesary. The biggest benefit to an LLC as opposed to a good old propretorship is liability protection. If your LLC gets sued, the plaintiff can't go after your personal assets, i.e. your house. That is not the case with non-corporate entites. If you're not concrned about that, you can certainly just claim everything for the business (including losses, which you can write off) on your personal tax return.

FYI, I incorporated through Legalzoom, the cheapest way to go, and it was still ~$600

Tyler Said:

What are all the steps involved in starting your own online business?

We Answered:

The best routes to take are to research the process of starting a business as well as the industry you're interested in.

I recommend checking out the SBA, Entrepreneur, The Start Up Journal & Nolo. All 4 are great informational resources for the new/small business owner. I posted links for you in the source box.

Research, research, research – this cannot be stressed enough. Read as much as you can. Here are some book titles that are relevant:

* Starting an Online Business For Dummies, 4th Edition by Greg Holden
* How to Start and Maintain A Successful Online Business by Kelly Thornton
* The Complete E-Commerce Book: Design, Build, and Maintain a Successful Web-Based Business by Janice Reynolds

There are plenty of free informational resources out there. Check the source box for links to articles.

Hope that helps! I wish you much success & happiness in all your ventures!