It's unsexy -- but whenever you start out on a new venture... you really want to come up with a business plan, of what your business goals are, and what product you are trying to createm and how you will market it. The Small Business Administration (
www.sba.gov) should be a great jumping off point.
Having a business plan will save you a lot of money and heart and headaches in the long run.
Research the industry you want to get into and find who is already doing it, and see where they failed, and where they succeeded, basically, learn from other people's mistakes. There might even be user's group type meetings you could attend to meet with real people. Most folks are usually willing to share their knowledge.