I spent a little more time thinking about this. My situation is easy enough to analyze because it already happened and here I am. If I could go back and change things that I did, knowing that 4 years later I would be where I am then I would plan. In 1999 I was hired as a corporate employee (not for the first time) for a very good salary. Had I known then that I would take a different path in 2003 that would lead me on my own. Here's what I would have done. 1. I would have worked my arse off at that job and maybe even another to get at least $50,000 in the bank. If you think I'm joking guess again. You'll wish desperately you had it for 1000 reasons all of them good. I would have then parcelled it out to cover my own life and health insurance (About $600 a month for a family of 5). My cost of living. Capital expenses and purchases and maybe a few other minor things. 2. I would have taken some community or university courses on general accounting and management. Only one class on each topic or possibly a highly rated class that covered both. 3. I would have incorporated in 1999 and not done a thing after that. Then in 2003 I would have been able to show I was a corporation for 4 years and any loans or checking accounts that I needed would have been much easier to negotiate. If you listen to anything I say this one is very important. 4. Don't even think about employees until you are making and banking 200% of what you plan on paying them. Strange things happen and you don't want to jerk around good people. 5. In 1999 I would have started planning my office. Where I wanted it to be in relation to where I lived (yes you might move, you'll have to deal with that). How I wanted it set up. What lighting needs would I have? What electrical needs would I have to meet the power consumption of my equipment. Would I have enough equipment in a small enough space to create abnormal conditions for heating and cooling. 6. In 1999 I would have started developing a business plan. Establishing a framework for the services I was going to offer. The product I was going to sell. The {Fill In Blank} that I would make people pay money for. 7. Lastly, if you stay in your current home and plan on working at home will your current home meet your needs? Can you build on an office on the side or back (that's what I did, remember that $50K plan on $3000 to $20000)? If you move be forward thinking pick a home that is large enough to house your family (even if you don't have one now) and your business. In general if I h