Start Your Engines Choose the right business for you, and you'll be on your way to success.

Brainstorming and selecting the type of business you will startis key to becoming successfully self-employed. It involvesdiscovering the business that fits you best and finding out whetherthere are enough customers willing to pay good money for yourofferings.

"When clients are trying to decide what kind of business tostart, I have them list what they consider to be their strongesttalents, skills, and educational experiences," explains JeanWall, a business counselor with the University of Alaska SmallBusiness Development Center located in Anchorage. "Ifthey've produced a list of four or five different types ofbusinesses they feel they're interested in, I have them do aself-evaluation to determine how well their current abilities,talents and education meet the needs of the businesses they'veidentified. Personal interest in the ultimate business isimportant, too. The business idea that makes the greatest matchoverall with these criteria is an excellent startingpoint."

As a fledgling entrepreneur, it is critical that you conduct athorough self-assessment in order to find this match. To do so, askyourself a series of personal questions, and jot down yourresponses. For example, what kinds of things do you most enjoydoing? What do you like to do on your day off? What is ityou've always said you were going to do someday? What are thethings you do that others compliment you on? If you could designyour perfect day, what would you do? To what degree do you enjoyinteracting with others? What types of things do you notlike to do? Take the time to note both your strengths andweaknesses, your preferences and aversions.