Essentials for Entrepreneurs
Expect to work long hours. But of course, you can take off whenever you want ... right.
Be passionate about your business. If you're not, you might as well stay a wage slave or downshift your lifestyle.
Don't mistake a hobby for a business. A good chunk of your time will be spent doing the unfun things--filling out paperwork, finding new customers.
Buy an existing business. Finding such opportunities is easier than ever through the Internet, and it gives you a good head start.
Do your homework first. Starting a vineyard, for instance, involves picking the right site, equipment, and time frame--not just seeing Sideways over and over.
This story appears in the April 3, 2006 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.