I am currently in the process of launching my own business for the second time.  

What Not to Do

The last time I tried to go out on my own, it was not a conscious decision.  At the time, it was the best way for me to make a living in a new town.  I felt desperate about finding work.  I had a feeder network that thankfully kept the marketing going, but I still believed I had to take on any job that came my way. (This is a very common entrepreneurial problem  visit this site for more on this topic http://www.e-myth.com/) .

In addition to being a CPA, my real niche was small business accounting software implementation and support.  This was in the early days of PC automation and I was in Atlanta, so there was more Peachtree Software business than I could handle.  I was very successful in finding and generating business, but when it came time to bill for my work, I was a disaster.  

Turns out I was suffering from this all-too-common ailment, that of being a “Solutionist Professional”, which is beautifully described by my friend, Ed Kless, in this posting on www.versage.com .  I really wanted to help every client I came across. I knew I had valuable tools that would help them get better - whether they could afford me or not. Therein lies the problem.  

I ended up running one of the most successful not for profit businesses in Atlanta.

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