Start software consulting firm?

Can someone please guide me on how to start a software consulting firm? Top of my head I have following questions.

1) Can I start in any state?
2) what are my initial costs?
3) I want to employ consultants after starting the firm. Is that OK if my company doesn't genertate revenue for few months/years?
4) Do I need to contact a lawyer for any specific details?
5) where should I apply to start this business? Organization?

Thanks
mitwa

1) Yes
2) It all depends on how you structure your organizaiton. It can be as inexpensive as setting up a 'Doing Business As' (DBA) or 'Assumed Name' {see the local governemental authority in your area for costs} to setting up a formal company that could cost several thousand dollars in initial processing fees for state recognized naming, legal fees, web site setup, banking fees and maintaining an office presence in the state of your chosing.
3) Your best bet will be to employee people (especially in the early days) on a 1099 (USA IRA code) basis instead of hiring them as full time employees.
4) NO - there are many ways to start a companies these days. I have even heard some adds lately for some web sites that can do a lot of the setup for you at very resonable fees.
5) My best advise here is to read a book called "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" (should be avaliable in your local library). Then, since you and your employees of could actually be travel all over the country and/or world, set your company up in Nevada!

Also:

There are a number of books and websites available for entrepreneurs. The best that I have found (I currently run four small companies) is the Start Up Nation and Entrepreneur Magazine (see links below).

Some questions you need to ask yourself:
* do I have the financing to start this idea?
* do I have the knowledge (that is where the two links come in)?
* are there other small businesses in my area (non-competitors) that I might be able to link with to create a master mind group (a group of individuals {can be as small as two or as large as you want to make it} that meet/talk about how to grow their companies - a way to bounce ideas off of others in your area with similar challenges as yourself)?

Other items that you will need to work on (Start Up Nation has a lot of information and help available):
* Business Plan
* Advance Quality Plan
* Failure Modes and Risk Assessment
* Inventory of skills, talents and resources that are currently available
* Well thought out and written design idea - this could include patents and/or copyrights if needed (for those, you will need to check with your countries government to see what the local laws contain)


Good Luck