LeAlpe, there is an excellent thread here about this topic. Lots and lots of first hand info from those of us doing it.

Thanks Liberty.

LeAlpe- research is critical to starting a business, and archinect is a smart place to start. There is a search box at the bottom of the main forum page that can help you find all the topics that have already been discussed. Feel free to rejuvenate any of the old threads if they interest you. If you don't find the specific nuance your looking for, then make a post with all the relevant information...

You'll find that the inhabitants of archinect respond best to intelligent and well written posts by users that have made an protracted effort to contribute. You seem to be making lots of simple posts asking a very broad question and not giving enough info about why you have that question. Take some time to join some of the ongoing discussions, show some personality, and have fun around here. Then if you have a specific question about, hmmm: 'how much working capital is required to launch a practice' or 'I have a potential lead on a project, but I don't know how to get the client to sign a contract', we will respond.

and no, there is no archinect user's manual with this advice.

Good luck.