Deciding to set up your own business is an exciting and liberating experience.
 To be free of the binds of the daily grind to the office, politics, the corporate ladder and management control the only real option is to break free and set up by yourself.
 With your own business you are starting an exciting venture from scratch, building slowly at first, then scaling up to the point where you can become wealthy and free to spend your time where you want.
 So, how to start? The first and most important decision is what niche to start your online business in.
 You have two main avenues to go down, either mainstream high volume sites that will appeal to a large audience, or a niche, "long-tail" businesses that will appeal to a very small group of users.
  Decide whether you are looking for a business that will grow and become your career, or simply a site that will earn you a little extra cash while you pursue you main avenues elsewhere.
 A common mistake of new entrepreneurs is to try to do too much.
 Instead, accept the fact that your first site is a learning experience and will be far from perfect.
 Use it to test an idea out, and be prepared to scrap it and start again a few months down the line.
 There really is no substitute for just "having a go".
Your second decision will be to decide on a niche.
 Again, decide what you want from the site.
 If you are going to have this as your flagship business then you won't impress your prospective new girlfriend when you explain you run an online porn site! On the other hand if it is simply a site you would like to set up and watch the cash flow in, then stick to the golden three money makers on the web.
 Sex, Gambling/Casinos, or ways to make money for your customers.
  Whatever you do, research your site, look at competitors, learn the basics, and then just get started.
 With some patience and a little sprinkling of good luck you will be on your way to your own business.