Does anyone have a How to Start up A video game business guide or know where I can get one? It would help ever so much

I do not mean to sound pessimistic, it is not my intention; however it takes more then a book to start a business.

As I am sure you know... you needs ideas, not just any idea, but ideas that count as innovative. You need to make something that will attract people from everything else.

Most companies fail within their first 18 months, mostly because it is such a large task to run a business of your own. It takes a great deal of dedication, and a very strong will to deal with stress.

A book really is not the best approach to starting a business.. in most cases people just kind of do it, and through time and dedication, they gain links, and contacts... and ever so slowly a reputation. Reading a book I think would give some ideas as to what you may expect, however that information can also be found on the internet. Most websites for small companies have a history about themselves.

Good luck,
Kurifu Roushu

Sorry thats the dumbest advice I''ve seen anyone give.
You can never research your business enough. The reason
why 80% of businesses fail is they don''t do their
research. Get on the net, get some books, read as much as you can. Don''t be an idiot and just start something and hope it will work. Thats a sure way to fail.

I agree with Kurifu.

Davaris: Kurifu is talking about books targeted specifically at how to start a company (if any even exist). I agree when he says that they won''t be all that helpful. However, doing research is a necessity. These are two different things. Research would include books about the gmae industry, consumer reports (probably online sources), etc.

There have been a number of articles written in the last couple of years about creating a game development business. If you search the archives of GDNet''s articles, you should find at least 1 or 2. If you broaden your search via Alta Vista, you''ll probably find several more.

Admittedly, articles on the web aren''t going to be comprehensive, but they will get you started.

Starting a business isn''t too complicated, though. Starting a business is pretty easy, in fact. The tough part is running a business in such a way that it makes money for the owners (instead of only pulling money from them) and keeps itself going.

The good news, though, is that business is business is business. So all of the books and articles written about business and management can be applied to your situation, however bizarre and unique your particular angle on things might seem at first glance. So don''t limit yourself to resources that are only game development specific. Branch out a little.


DavidRM
Samu Games

Thanx for all the advice.

I''m sure tidbits from everyone will come in handy for the future. I''ve already read books on areas of game design companies, but I agree with Mr.K that it''s basic instinct to get into business. You gotta basically have the guts.

Just to point out.
My example name for my company is Shinje inc.©

I''m working on a design spec called Project Black Book
Hint: Go to my site and you''ll see it all around.
www.xtremedavid.com

Gonna probabbly start with a big design on the web and see where I go from there...

-------------------------

You know what the difference
is between you and me???

I make this look good.

Been a while since I posted here. Anyway my only advice here is this. Read everything you can about small business, the game industry, your particular game genre, and anything else you think pertains to your situation. The knowledge you gain will be immense and can only allow you to run your business more effectively.

Things to think about before, during and after your first project.

a. Taxes. Reduce these as much as possible and look for ways to not spend any more money but get a larger tax deduction. Start with your car as it is a great way to reduce your income, take a tax break on the car, and make the same amount of earnings in total compensation. Something I learned recently is that SUVs do not fall under the standard guideline for depreciation of vehicle taxes and therefore can be depreciated beyond the 3000 dollar or so yearly limit imposed by the feds. Anyway suffice to say get clear on your tax implication and planning.

b. A second project. You can''t firesale everyone in your company after you complete your first project. You better have a plan to keep the company going sothat you can afford to feed all those families you employ. Each of your employees looks to you to provide that stability whether they know it or not.

c. Focus on Leadership and not Management. Understand management, but in a small company you will hire competent professionals. These type of people can usually handle themselves without micro management. Manage less, Lead more. Be the standard bearer for your company. Preach the vision, get them excited about it, and your crunch time will almost be stress free as a result. It is leadership that takes people through the toughest of times. As a side note, I do caution you that while leadership is very important, leadership can only effectively happen if what the leader is preaching can be done in an orderly and managed way.(note there is no implication that orderly and managed means slowly)

Hope some of this helps.
Kressilac
VP Software Development
VenuSoft Inc.

I happened to come across information like that while researching what could and could not be deducted in an effort to plan properly for the salaries of some of the founders in my company. It is very real to know your tax implications and know them well. In no way is it cheating. The rules are pretty straightforward and you will find that with some research into a tax plan, that you will be able to save lots of money and increase your bottom line. Every answer is not always generate more revenue, though if that is possible I do agree with you, energy is best spent there before on cost saving measures. Taxes make up approximately one third of our monthly expenditures and putting together a plan to minimize that cost is in no way a frivolous spending of ones time. I have seen taxes murder a new company without proper planning.

Kressilac