The Weekend Entrepreneur These weekend warriors launched successful businesses in their spare time. Find out how you can put your free hours to work, too.

Online exclusive: If you're planning to start a weekend business but don't have tons of money in the bank, check out the low-cost startup ideas at www.entrepreneur.com/lowcostbusinesses.

So you want to start a business, but don't think you have the time? Think again. All you need to get started on the path toward your dream business are inspiration and determination... and maybe a few extra hours a week. Meet three entrepreneurs who used their off hours to launch and grow successful businesses--and get some tips on the dos and don'ts of starting a weekend business of your own.

Filling a Need
After buying their first home, Debra Cohen and her husband faced the unenviable chore of finding reliable home improvement contractors. Fed up with blindly picking names from the Yellow Pages and waiting for contractors who didn't show up, it occurred to Cohen that if she and her husband were having trouble finding contractors, other homeowners in their community must be facing a similar predicament. This bleak reality sparked the creation of a unique service that has since expanded into a profitable cottage industry across the U.S. and internationally.