When you move to Los Angeles, what are you going to do for money? Are you going to get a job at a cheap postcard printing shop? Will you try and break into the entertainment industry? Or will you start your own small business? If you're thinking of going the small business route, the Los Angeles Public Library (www.lapl.org) has created a guide to help you learn all about owning a small business and get you started on the road to success. Here's what you can expect to learn from it.

The Getting Started guide isn't about giving advice to people who are thinking about opening a business. It's up to you to decide if it's worth the effort and the risk, to determine which niches would be your best bet to aim for and what products to sell. Lead weights or stuffed animals, it's all the same to the guide. What it's meant for is to show you the steps you need to take in order to set the business up, such as licensing, advertising, and which books you should read to learn more about running a business.

The guide is divided into four sections: getting started, organization, business taxes, and licenses and permits. Getting started lists a number of popular books that give advice on how to start your own business, gives tips on naming your business, and outlines how to choose a location. If you chose Ted's Vacuum Truck Services as a name, for instance, the guide will tell you how to get it trademarked and registered and which factors to consider when choosing a location for it.

In the "Ways to Organize Your Business Section," you'll get an explanation as to what the differences are between sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited liability companies, and corporations is so that you can decide which model is best for your pneumatic conveying business. All the types are taxed four ways from Sunday, and you'll learn how much of a cut you'll owe the federal, state, city, and county governments in the "Business Taxes Section."

And finally, trademark registration in Canada is different from trademark registration in the United States. The same goes for obtaining business licenses, sign ordinances, zoning permits, health permits, vendor registrations, liquor licenses, and so on. The "Licenses and Permits" section will tell you what the state and the city require of certain types of businesses and how to get the right permits.