8 Vital Training Steps for 'Treps, Pre-Launch Running a business is a marathon, not a sprint. Like a race, entrepreneurs will flop without proper preparation.

Everyone in the startup world has heard the adage: "Launching a business is not a sprint; it's a marathon." But really, the comparison isn't kind to entrepreneurship. A marathon at least has an ending point, a place you know you can reach and then rest. A business just…keeps going. (If you're lucky!) But here's one way in which a marathon really is like a business: Without proper training, you'll definitely fail. Shin splits from the marathon, employees splitting from your business. Stress fractures from running, stress from ruminating. You might even puke from both.

Passion and adrenaline will only get you so far. Way too many entrepreneurs show up at the startup starting line without so much as a stretch, and those folks may barely make it past the first mile marker. Seasoned entrepreneurs and advisers agree: Before you jump into the race and hope to go the distance, you need to go through basic business training. Here, your guide from a wide range of coaches.

Step 1: Train in your off-hours.