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Originally Posted by geekchic9  |
I'm not one of them, but I like the site. Thanks for the link!
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I'm thinking of doing something similar, except by calling it the "Personal BA." I've contacted the owner of the "Personal MBA" site and told him about it, that the list of books will come from 2 colleges that use "Great Books", which are classics, instead of textbooks. The goal of the site is to expand the mind through a structured program without the cost of a private college education.
However, frankly, a lot of it is still in the air. I'm just not sure really where to start. Should I register my business with my county? How does affiliation with Amazon work? What about donation buttons?
Thanks for any feedback.
Edit: Sorry if this is in the wrong section.
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I think this post is in the right section, but I'm guessing you'll also need to start a thread in the technology section. Since you're planning to do this online, you'll need a domain name, a server, the ability to create a website, run forums, accept donations/place ads/whatever other monetization you desire. Do you have those skills? If not, that might be a good place to start. (There are tons of people in the Technology section who would be happy to help you get started.) Or see how much it would cost to get a geek to do all that for you. With luck, you might get someone to accept a share of the profits, rather than straight cash.
You can register your business if you wish. (In Colorado, at least, it's done at the state level rather than the county level, but that may be different in Texas.) It's really not the most critical step. A few months or years down the road, if it's still working out and you're still interested in the project and are certain you wish to continue, you can always register a business at that point, and "buy yourself out". The one exception is if you plan to create a non-profit, which I would seriously consider. As CEO of the non-profit corporation, you're still entitled to a salary, so you can still make money on the deal. But you get significant tax benefits as well as easier access to start-up cash, and I think this has a good chance of getting a 501C3 (the form to register as non-profit) approved -- you're expanding the literary base of our country, and since you're not charging thousands of dollars to do it, you're extending the benefits of an English degree to people who otherwise couldn't afford it. Anyway, but before people will donate to you, you have to get a corporation set up and registered as a non-profit, so that would come first.
If you've talked to the person who runs personal MBA, and he's cool with you doing this, ask him for advice. He's started a very similar business from the ground up; he presumably has good ideas on the subject. Otherwise, I'd start with getting a website set up, and as specific questions arise, post them here or PM people who have business experience.