Scary as it might seem to be getting advice on anything from the government, most governments go really out of their way to produce all sorts of easy-to-understand material on starting your own business. Encouraging you in business is a great way for them to both strengthen the economy and increase tax revenues.
Depending on your area, you might find that local government agencies are also keen to give you help and advice, and might even have some kind of 'small business centre' that you can visit.
Mentors are usually volunteers who think it would be nice to offer local businesses help and advice. They often have years of business experience, and can be really useful - if you find one, hang on to them.
Always willing to help and sadly neglected in our 'wired' age, you really should talk to a librarian. Libraries generally contain all sorts of business books and resources that they'll be able to point you towards, and they'll be more than happy to do research into obscure areas for you.
Pricey as they might be, lawyers know all about starting businesses - they've almost certainly done it thousands of times over. It can be well worth paying for an hour of a lawyer's time and just asking them every question you can think of.
A less expensive alternative to lawyers, accountants also know their stuff, especially (obviously) on the financial side. If you want your business to be profitable, you should take on board what your accountant tells you - and if you don't have one, you should get one. By the time they've helped you navigate through all the tax mazes, they'll almost certainly have made their fee back for you anyway.
If you think your business would be an attractive proposal to peo! ple who back businesses for a living, then you can try going to a 'business incubator' or some other kind of investor with your idea. If they like it, they'll often have a quick process set up to get your company up and running as soon as possible.
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