In addition to talking with someone at the SBA, SCORE, or small business development center, you may want to talk with someone at your state department of commerce in the international trade division who is knowledgeable about exporting. If you plan to primarily shop for military families living abroad, you won't have problems with mailing. If you plan to shop for others who live abroad, you will have to deal with Customs declarations and numerous fees, most of which will be paid by your client before they can claim their goods. It would defeat your purpose if a client's order spends months in impound before reaching them. Therefore, you will need to be knowlegeable about how the system works and how to best serve your clients.

You could also find a SCORE or SBDC in your area. They are free to use and know your local rules and regulations.  Plus, they can help you research your idea to see if it has merit or where it needs to be tweeked.

Hi, Our site does have great resources for finding a mentor in addition to information about home-based businesses. Check out these Steps to Starting a Business to help get you started, as well.

Hello, Great to hear you've decided to take the plunge. The best place to start before looking for a mentor is the SBA site. It has tons of guides and self evaluation tests to determine if the business you're thinking of is viable. Frankly there's so much info on the site that you'll have a pretty good idea on what direction you'll want to go after examining just a few of the basic topics. Start with "Starting a Business" the reading helps you understand more of what's required and prepares you to undertake the task of learning and sticking with it. Good Luck