Let's Get It Started

Step 49: It's time to do one last double-check of what's most impor-tant to you in making a good decision. Take a final look at the narrative you created in Step 8 and ask yourself, "Seriously, does this business provide everything I need to reach my goals?"

Step 50: If the answer to Step 49 is yes, then buy the franchise immediately. Though it's possible to hunt forever and perhaps find something that's even better for you than this one, it's unlikely. If it has everything you need, get onboard and get going so you can start enjoying the fruits of success as soon as possible.

Jeff Elgin is Entrepreneur.com's "Buying a Franchise" coach and has more than 25 years of experience in franchising, both as a franchisee and a senior franchise companyexecutive. He's currently the CEO of FranChoice Inc., a company that provides free consulting to consumerslooking for a franchise that best matches their needs.

This article was originally published in the May 2008 print edition of Entrepreneur's StartUps with the headline: Let's Get It Started.