Young At Art I'm a teenager who wants to start an accessories business.

Question: I'd like tostart a homebased retail business. I'd make and sell beaded andstring bracelets to vendors such as Claire's and AfterThoughts. I'm only 17 years old and lack a business background.How do I start?
Jennifer Jackson
Via e-mail

Answer: Because you'rethinking about selling to vendors, we checked Claire's Web site and noticed it sellsbracelets for $2 to $4. The company probably buys products at about20 percent of what it sells them for, so you'll need to figureout whether selling your bracelets wholesale will cover the cost ofmaterials and the value of your time.

You're not likely to sell as many bracelets retail as youmight wholesale, but you can charge more per item. Most communityzoning restrictions won't let you run a retail shop out of yourhome, but you can sell retail at crafts fairs and via a Web site,as an increasing number of craftspeople are doing. Start withJanice West's book, Marketing Your Arts and Crafts (SummitPublishing Group).