Overestimate your costs, and you'll never raise enough money to get your business off the ground. The challenge is finding information that's credible and reliable. People in the business. Your future competitors probably won't want to assist you, of course, but entrepreneurs outside your geographic area are often more than willing to help. Sources of supplies.
Suppliers are another excellent resource for researching start-up costs.
However, Allen warns against relying too heavily on the first few suppliers you contact. That can make a significant difference in your start-up costs. Depending on the industry, trade associations might give you sample start-up cost worksheets and financial statements, names of established business owners and suppliers in the industry, market research data and other useful information. Suppliers' associations are good resources, too. Yes, you have to do the legwork yourself, but your volunteer counselor can point you in the right direction and suggest resources you may have overlooked.