Question:
Are there any here?
Joel and I are looking to start our own business and would like some pointers.

Answer:
What specifically is it that you want to do?

And no, I'm not a business owner; I'm a first-year business major as of right now, so I'm not entirely sure of how useful I could be, though I'll try.

Actually, I'd advise you to take classes if you can afford it.
Answer:
I can hlep if you want. My husband built up his own business for 7 years of which we sold in 2006 and we have recently bought another business and we are currently looking at a property investment option too.
Answer:
The most complicated thing is choosing between LLC, Inc., etc. Everything else is really an optional thing to be "educated" on, but I would check into the classes as well. It's possible to do it without any education, but you can make a lot of mistakes that might otherwise be prevented.
Answer:
Keep records.
Hire qualified people to do things that you don't know how to do or cannot do.
Answer:
i have an 'S' Corp. [shrug] there is a lot to it. You have business licenses, state & federal taxes, withholding, etc. if you hire someone for $30k/yr it'll probably cost you $45-50k in taxes & benefits, etc. all things to think of.
count the costs as it were.
Answer:
Originally Posted by Nate Hire qualified people to do things that you don't know how to do or cannot do. Such as lawyers and accountants. Otherwise you'll be so busy making sure that you can work that you'll have no time to work.