Adapted from the upcoming book THE WALL STREET JOURNAL COMPLETE SMALL BUSINESS GUIDEBOOK (Three Rivers Press, Dec. 29, 2009).
本文节选自即将出版的《华尔街日报小企业完全指南》(THE WALL STREET JOURNAL COMPLETE SMALL BUSINESS GUIDEBOOK )一书(由Three Rivers Press出版, 2009年12月29日)。
Starting a business is a lot like becoming a parent. Not only do you have to prepare for your start-up emotionally and financially, but you have to be committed to its constant needs until it's mature enough to hum along on its own. And even then (much like a child) it will always need you in some capacity, no matter how old it gets.
创业很像当父母。你不仅要在感情上和财务上为自己的企业做好准备，还必须满足它持续不断的需求，直到它足够成熟可以自行运转。即便到了那个时候(很像长大的孩子)，它仍然总是需要你投入一定的精力，无论它有多么成熟。
Here are five questions to ask before you start your own business:
在你考虑自立门户之前，不妨问问自己以下五个问题：
1. Am I passionate about my product or service? 我对自己的产品或者服务充满热情吗?
Let's face it: the start-up phase is stressful. You will find yourself questioning whether you've made the right decision, especially when the hours are long and the initial profits (if any) are lean. As the business owner, you're also chief salesperson for your company. Your enthusiasm for your product or service— whether it's hand-knit sweaters or top-notch tax preparation— is often the difference that hooks customers, lands deals and attracts investors. It's unwise to start down the path of entrepreneurship unless you've got a zeal that will get you through rough patches and keep you interested long after the initial enthusiasm has faded.
让我们直面这样的事实：创业初期你会面临压力很大。你会发现自己在不断质疑是否做出了正确的决策，尤其是在工作时间很长、但最初的利润却很少的情况下。作为企业所有人，你还是企业的主要销售人员。你对于自己产品或者服务──无论它是手织毛衫还是一流的税务服务──的热情常常是抓住客户、取得合约以及吸引投资者的与众不同之处。除非你抱有能够帮助自己度过艰难时日并且在最初的热情逐渐消退之后的很长时间里仍能保持浓厚兴趣的热忱，否则开始创业之路将是不明智的选择。
2. What is my tolerance for risk? 我容忍风险的程度如何?
Whether it's quitting your day job or signing a lease on a new space, nothing about starting a business is for the faint of heart. Just ask Ina Garten, who bought a specialty-foods store called The Barefoot Contessa in East Hampton, New York, in 1978 and has since branched out into cookbooks, television and a line of products. Garten tells aspiring entrepreneurs that you have to 'be willing to jump off the cliff and figure out how to fly on the way down.' Even with enough passion to launch a thousand ventures, you could find any number of circumstances hastening your failure: a location that turns out to be less than ideal, a problem with city or state zoning boards or a kink in the supply chain that can't easily be ironed out. There's no guarantee of success, or even a steady paycheck. If you're risk-averse, entrepreneurship probably isn't the right path for you.
