Q & A

If you're sitting at your desk, working very hard for your boss, you might be asking yourself: Am I ready to opt out of the rat race and dive into my own business? Lisa A. Mainiero, co-author with Sherry E. Sullivan of The Opt-Out Revolt: Why People Are Leaving Companies to Create Kaleidoscope Careers, points to three questions you should ask yourself before taking the entrepreneurship leap.

1. Are you ready for bigger challenges than corporate life can offer you? If you're bored at your current job and the prospects for promotion seem bleak, maybe it's time. "You have to evaluate your set point," says Mainiero. "How much will you take? How much of your life and your soul are you going to give away to this corporation?"

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2. Do you have a need for greater balance in your life? Do you wish to integrate your life and your work in an entrepreneurial career? And this doesn't just mean parents balancing a family life. An entrepreneurial career, while challenging, allows you to be in charge of your own schedule--meaning you can work on your kids' schedules, care for your elderly parents or simply take a yoga class on a Wednesday morning. "Single people need balance, too," says Mainiero. "Balance is broader than what most people think."

3. Are you seeking authenticity in your life--i.e., are you aching to follow your passion? Examine your leisure activities--what you really love doing--and think about starting a business in that arena. Says Mainiero, "If you can find a way to turn your passion into your destiny, then you can make everything happen."