Have you ever watched the Indy 500? Billed as the "greatest spectacle in racing," it is one of the most famous motor-sport events in the world. The beginning is always dramatic. The audience cheers when it hears, "Gentlemen . . . start your engines!" These four words announce the start of something big.

According to the Center for Women's Business Research, "There are 10.4 million women running successful businesses in the U.S. Of those 10.4 million, 85% of them are running businesses out of their home."

As a small business owner, I am constantly being asked how I did it. How did I start my own business? How did I know where to go and what to do? How did I learn about licensing and permits and tax regulations and incorporating and vendors and everything else that goes into owning and running a business?

The very first business plan I ever wrote was praised by the Small Business Development Center counselors and loan officers and immediately accepted and forwarded to the local SBA representative for approval. And no, I didn’t use canned software.

So, you've been thinking about getting out of the corporate rat race for years, and starting your own home-based business. But your old friend FEAR keeps reminding you about how good you have it - paid vacation, benefits, a good steady paycheck... Still it's hard to leave your kids every morning and let someone else shape their lives for 10-12 hours a day. It's hard to give up the dream of being in control of all of your time.