Take the guesswork out of product development and sales with these tips from folks who are doing it.

By Susie Boghosian and Jinny Fleischman

* Is there a team of folks who can be relied on to help the project as it gets going? Any new venture makes additional demands on the organization that need to be supported internally. Among those who have to buy in are membership, marketing and administration.

* Do you have the funds to invest in a business, or do you have a source of donor seed money to get the business up and running?