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Small Business
Learn before you leap
May 11, 2000: 10:37 a.m. ET

When starting an e-business -- or any other business -- experience counts
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - Dear Jane: My sister and I want to start an e-business that would lend small amounts of money to business owners. Do you think we need experience before we do this?

You will be so much more successful if you have experience and know exactly what to do and not do. You don't say where you live, but there are thousands of micro loan programs active around the world. (These programs lend small amounts of money, usually under $25,000, to entrepreneurs who have a tough time obtaining credit elsewhere). I would suggest finding the one closest to you and making an appointment to meet with the managers.

Some micro credit programs are operated by banks, others by trade associations, economic development organizations and international groups like the U.S. Agency for International Development.

You may be able to work jointly with the program to put the application process online. Or track the progress of the loans and payments made for the group managing the money.

Always learn as much as you can on someone else's time and dime -- before starting any new business venture.

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Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.