We now hand you over to Zoltan Gorodetsky, formerly employed at Simbrokes bookmakers in Regras Gorge, who is going to show you how he went about setting up his first business and how he found some early pitfalls.

"Greetings. I'm Zoltan. We may have met before. I have been a 'legitimate businessman' for many years and in my time, I have managed to raise some money through different means and it is now time to put that to use. They say you have to speculate to accumulate and I think it is time to see if I can make more money from spending money by setting up in business on my own.

"Whether you wish to run a business from home or buy some commercial real estate, it is a simple case of letting your fingers do the walking and using the telephone or your home computer to contact the local Chamber of Commerce and let them know.

"Every good business requires a plan and I plan to make lots of money. Ha ha. Seriously, my first step is to look at how other people are making money. Bluewater Village is a nearby shopping district attached to Regras Gorge. So, I go there. I hope to find out how those businesses operate and make money ... and then send some of my boys over to offer them "protection". Just kidding.

"This is the 1-2-3+ Gym. It has a gym, an area for people to work out, a swimming pool and a hot tub. It also has a bar, covered by the attractive new awnings. This is an example of a venue that offers an experience for a fee. People pay on an hourly basis for the privilege of being here and using the facilities.

"I used the computer, checked up on Real Estate and found this business is for sale and is within my means. I could have found this from the telephone as well. Not everyone has enough money as I do and there is no bank to give you loans. Motherlode Kaching Family Funds could help you out. They don't ask for any of it back either.

"This is imaginatively titled as 'The Corner Shop'. This is a retail outlet where you can buy goods from your wholesaler and sell them for a profit. It even has a grill so you can feed your customers and perhaps persuade them to stay even longer. Even though there was nothing on sale, there were a lot of customers. It definitely has potential and is reasonably priced.

"Club Dante is owned by the latest of the Landgraab dynasty. This is a service industry, providing entertainment and drinks to the clientele. Unfortunately, it's not for sale. Not yet anyway. I'm sure he could be persuaded if the price was right or his arm was twisted ... literally.

"I was able to meet Malcolm Landgraab IV, who owns the club. I tried to ask him if he had any business tips but he just brushed me off, and went off and hired one of the patrons to tidy the place up.

"'Just Flowers and More' is a crafted goods outlet. A budding florist - deliberate pun - is able to use the station near the counter to prepare bouquets and then put them out for sale on the stands, sell them immediately to some invisible buyer (delete them) or take them home. I am considering this place for Ivy, who is my girlfriend. I think she would like it. She has the right name to be a florist. However, I don't think she has green fingers.

"Yes, this will be the first business. Ivy will love it."

Every business requires a sign that allows you to open your lot for business or close it when you have had enough and want to call it a day. It also allows you to call your employees in early and also to send them home.

The Electrono-Ticket machine is what allows you to run a venue industry. This is where the patrons buy tickets to enter, following which they automatically pay the fee hourly. You can turn the machine off to perhaps encourage a lot of people to turn up. Then you can turn it on later, perhaps. You can also set the ticket price at this machine and also give individual sims free access for the remainder of the visit. Customer loyalty is very important so the happier an experience they have, the more likely they will be to return and even pay a higher price.

If patrons do not like what you have to offer or feel they are not getting value for money, they won't pay and will instead leave.

Let us go back to see how Zoltan's first foray into business started out.