I would like to extend a thank you in advance for your help in answering my question. Hopefully I have directed this to the right place. I have come across an idea that I would really like to pursue. The idea is a product, a very simple homeopathic type "tonic" for lack of a better word, that helps aide with a particular ailment. The ingredients are very simple, natural, but they work well. (For example: if I squeezed the oil out of a nut and added water to it, and packaged it to help aide in cold sores) type of a product. That is not the actual ingredients, or ailment, but it gives you an example of where I am coming from.

I feel like this could be a potential gold mine, but best of all this remedy really works and could potentially be a God send to a certain segment of the population.

I am sitting here thinking, I have no experience what so ever, where the heck do I start.

So my first thought is, I can't imagine I can just mix up this concoction, put it in a bottle label it, and sell it to the public, no questions asked. People ingest this product, there are things to consider. With an over the counter remedy such as this, are there standards/or rules that I have to follow? Such as food and drug administration type of issues, shelf life issues, labels, warnings, etc? If I put this mixture in a bottle, how long is it good for, do I need or have to add anything to it for shelf life purposes, where would I go to find answers to these types of questions. I am thinking there has to be some standards, and that is good, because even though I can mix this up and give it to someone at home, I don't know how long it's good for after it's bottled, whether or not it needs to be refrigerated, etc. So information on making and selling a consumer product that is taken orally.

2nd - After I find out the above then what? Where do you find good advice on how others started, what they did, kind of a step by step guide for this kind of business. From packaging, to selling it to the public, to making a website where people can order it, how do you get it out there, and once you do, what if it really takes off and is selling like hot cakes, what's the best way to mass produce it efficiently, how do I protect what I am selling so that no one else can come in and steal my idea, and put a different label on it, or can I even do that? How good is a patent? Can you patent something with such simple ingredients? How much does getting a patent cost? I didn't even mention managing the business part of it. A good resource for that would be helpful also.

Again, thank you.
Lisa Clemmons