From Being Employee to Being the Boss

I've known my friend Bryan for more than 10 years--really, ever since he entered the work force. Now the 38-year-old is getting ready to enter the world of the entrepreneur, and he's developing wrinkles on his forehead faster than he's building his customer base. No doubt he'll be getting Botox injections sooner than some of his older friends.

Even though he has been hugely successful as a salesman in the high-tech universe, like every other first-time entrepreneur, Bryan's a little scared. He examined a couple dozen businesses that were for sale, by broker and by owner, and decided instead to start his own consulting business from scratch. When looking at businesses to buy, Bryan saw a landscape littered with the shattered dreams of once-young hard chargers like himself. To his credit, Bryan realized the carnage lining his highway of dreams was not the real picture. He knew the millions of successful small businesses were the rule, not the exception.