I am thinking about starting a consulting business in Ca. I would be helping construction type businesses with their Air Quality Registration paperwork. I am wondering if I just need a fictitious business name statement? Will I need to be bonded for this type of business?

Thank you.

Some of the things you need to think about are capitalization, marketing (including branding and internet presence), incorporation, business planning. A good place to get free consulting for your startup is the Service Corps Of Retired Executives (SCORE) (http://www.score.org/index.html). You can enter your zipcode to find a SCORE office near you. A good place for getting incorporated and trademarking your business name is Legalzoom (http://www.legalzoom.com/), which you've probably heard of through their radio ads. Regarding bonding, depends on your state; you can find a local lawyer through the American Bar Association's website (http://www.abanet.org/legalservices/findlegalhelp/home.cfm).