Must reads? Start up...

I am contemplating starting a small design business. I have several low cost home-based products (think droog-esque) in my portfolio that I want to push further and introduce into the market. I plan on sourcing manufacturers myself and releasing them under a brand of my own. I have other people (not from the design world) who I have talked to regarding business, but i was hoping some of you with your various backgrounds could point me in the direction of some interesting research material that could help me get started (or has helped you) in the right way. I am completely aware that this is a HUGE topic, and not something easy, I am just looking to start gaining a better understanding of business basics. Thanks everyone!

BTW: I’ve really enjoyed the posts so far on the new forums, thanks core

-Nathan

Nathan,

Best of luck with your ambiton. If you hit, the payoff can be huge. Also, this kind of risk taking is the way to pay off in large returns re the design industry in general.
Wth some exceptions, design businesses usualy do better wth real estate investments than with margins. However be careful, the common wisdom is that most new products fail. I have heard numbers that suggest 80-90% don’t make it past the first year. So while the reward can be great, one must prepare for the downside possibilities.