The goal of The Cutting Edge is to provide industry-specific information to the entrepreneur who is developing, producing, or selling an apparel or sewn product or a service. It consists of seven modules that can stand alone to provide information on specific business aspects, or used together as a primer on starting or growing an apparel or sewn products business. The Cutting Edge was developed to complement general small business and entrepreneurship resources rather than replace them.

What it is
The Cutting Edge is an online business resource that takes advantage of the Internet to present information from a variety of sources - short video clips from guest entrepreneurs, interactive summaries, and links to web site resources. The aim is to actively engage readers in the subject matter by applying the concepts and principles in the context of their own business or prospective business. Whenever possible, readers are pushed to think about how the information relates to them specifically.

What it isn't
The Cutting Edge is NOT a complete guide to starting a business or exploring an entrepreneurial venture. It should be used in combination with other resources that provide in-depth information and recommendations for business start-ups. For example, the Small Business Administration (www.sba.gov) and Small Businesse Development Centers (www.sba.gov/sbdc) in each state provide excellent step-by-step guides to:

• writing a business plan,
• registering for the appropriate licenses,
• and identifying funding sources.

The Cutting Edge identifies these resources rather than repeating the generic business start-up information.

The Cutting Edge is NOT a substitute for legal and accounting information. Every start-up or entrepreneurial venture requires advice from professional legal and financial advisers. The Cutting Edge will highlight the issues, discuss the considerations you should be making, and recommend when legal or financial advice is appropriate.