Starting a Business

[Ed Skinner]

     I'm looking to start a business. My initial needs are incorporation, a 
company name and a nominal web presence. I'm in the thinking stage and 
working on cost estimates and a startup plan.
     Is there anyone in this group who:
1) has done this recently and is willing to share their experience, or
2) does this professionally and is interested in assisting (professionally)?

     At this point I have a business name I like and the *.com domain is 
available along with the domains of a couple of easy misspellings. But one of 
the common misspellings is already taken and, worse, it belongs to a company 
in the greater Phoenix area. Is that a problem?
     What sort of incorporation would be best? A "subchapter S" incorporation 
was suggested. The business will be consulting-oriented but there will be 
some "pack and ship" physical products as well.
     Initially, the web presence will be no more than a dozen simple pages 
(which I will craft myself). This will probably be hosted very simply (such 
as at register.com for $14.95/month plus three email mailboxes). Eventually, 
however, it'll move to a more capable hosted site and include apache-based 
custom interactive pages (again which I will either write or, more likely, 
use an open source package).
     Suggestions/comments are welcomed.

-- 
Ed Skinner, ed@flat5.net, http://www.flat5.net/