Running a business is like playing golf. Avoiding the pitfalls and the ruff is something one should try to do from the start. Yes, you'll run into problems now and then but honing your skills can prevent most of them.

I recently opened a take-out restaurant inside of a very popular amusement park. I had dabbled previously with the fast food business but had never either owned or ran a business of this type. That was my first mistake. If you are starting a business, be sure you know and have experience in the field before you invest your time and hard-earned money. All of these subjects covered for free on www.myownbusiness.org. It is, as I painfully experienced, much easier to open a business you know something about than to open a business and learn that business at the same time.

Many people, I included, get caught up with the glamour and fun of owning their own business and fail to prepare properly. Make sure that you know the business you are starting or partner up with someone you know has the proper experience, almost like finding the right caddy. Make sure that person knows the course well. I, for one, was so ready to hit the course that I skipped the driving range and putting green and my choice in caddy was not the best. I soon found out that my partner had never played that type of course and instead of guiding me through the inevitable pitfalls, he was out learning the game himself. Luckily, we were fast learners but it has cost us money and lots of useless hard work, not to mention great animosity for each other.

If you are planning to don the knickers of a new business, make sure that you first have the right tools. Start with knowledge. Websites such as www.myownbusiness.org can help better prepare you for the course of your endeavor and cut out possible bogies. After all, who doesn't want to beat par?