Before anyone starts a business they should do some serious research and planning. A good business plan complete with projected financials is needed. I taught in the business college of a university for years and we helped people write business plans both as class projects under the supervision of the professor or faculty would act as a consultant to a business. You could check with universities in your area to see if they do this. We charged a nominal fee for the class project however consulting fees for faculty were more. The Small Business Administration website has a wealth of knowledge. Check that out. There are also templates available for business plans. I agree with being as debt free as possible before starting a business because you will incur debt in starting and running a business. Your bills for supplies, rent etc. will come due before people pay you for your merchandise/services. You need a way to manage cash flow. Also check to see if SCORE (senior corp of retired executives) is available for consultation. Your chamber of commerce should be able to guide you to some resources as well.