Get your career unstuck! Susan Urquhart-Brown, former SF Chronicle Columnist and longtime OPEN EXCHANGE lister, offers individual coaching. This article is an excerpt from Susan's forthcoming book, The Accidental Entrepreneur: A Guidebook of Practical Wisdom.

There's a mystique about the word "entrepreneur." People say, "I'm not an entrepreneur. I'm a downsized executive who has a small consulting practice," or "I'm an independent contractor." I ask, "What's the difference?" Part of the mystique is thinking that the only kind of entrepreneur is a person who has a brilliant idea and starts a business using venture capital, and the fledging enterprise becomes the next Microsoft.

Not true. An entrepreneur is someone who organizes, manages, and assumes risk for a business or other enterprise, according to the Random House Dictionary. In other words, an entrepreneur is—or can be—you.

However, it takes more than money to keep your venture growing and healthy. You need a passion for what you're doing, persistent drive, and the confidence to keep up with marketplace trends.

Choosing your own business fit is one of the most creative and difficult aspects of going solo. In addition to thinking about whether your idea is marketable, consider what type of work reflects your passion and promises personal and professional fulfillment. Such a business will thrive because of your enthusiasm and commitment.

Here are two common approaches to becoming a SoloPreneur: (1) You want to be your own boss, but you don't have a clear idea of what business to start; and (2) You want to start a business based on your expertise, but you're afraid of the financial risk. However, if your business fits your unique skills, talents and interests, and you have a solid plan, you can be successful either way.

(1) Andrea was ready for a major life/work change. Knowing only that she wanted to be her own boss and live in the country, she quit her corporate job and moved to a small town in Northern California. Her business idea grew out of her frustration with being unable to find a good pair of shoes at local stores. She decided to fill the market void by opening a women's shoe store.

Although Andrea had no prior retail experience, she did have a background in corporate sales and marketing. She combined this savvy with the need for stylish women's shoes at affordable prices. After three years, her store was so successful that she sold it and opened a new store in another small town closer to her home in the country. Andrea did not start with a brand-new idea, but she did fill a market need that fit her skills and interests.

(2) Carol was a single mom and a talented illustrator and graphic designer. She always wanted to be an artist, and had worked in the graphic design field for corporations and agencies since college. Over the years, Carol managed to do freelance projects after work and on weekends. But she was afraid to freelance full time because she felt she needed to be very confident that her income would be the same or increase after going solo.

However, her freelance projects began multiplying to the point where she had no time to be with her family. After a year of around-the-clock work on the job and freelance projects on top of that, she went solo. It was a difficult and scary decision for her. Yet after only one year on her own, Carol had more work than her old job and part-time freelance work provided, combined. And she loved working at home and creating designs that conveyed her customers' messages colorfully, artistically, and effectively. What worked for Carol was careful planning and slowly building up a customer base in a field in which she already had expertise and contacts.

Both Carol and Andrea created successful businesses, even though sometimes they were scared and some of their friends thought they were crazy.

You can do it, too.... Start planning, create your time line, and pick a starting date. Even the most confident entrepreneurs ask for help when they need it. In my experience clients come to me not just for a plan but to help keep them on track, keep their focus and build their business....

© 2004 Susan Urquhart-Brown