One of the most critical decisions people must make in this economy is whether to continue working for others and hope that their job survives, or to strike out on their own, start a small business and take their future into their own hands. For some people, this decision has been made for them. They were laid off and unable to find new unemployment, so decided to try their hand at consulting, freelancing, or perhaps turning a hobby into an income stream. We call these people “unintentional entrepreneurs.”

Starting a small business can be daunting. There’s the business plan to consider. And taxes. And of course, turning a profit can be all important when other sources of income have dried up.

For people who have never contemplated owning their own business before, unintentional entrepreneurship holds and extra element of fear. They are plunging feet first into a whole new world.

Are you an “unintentional entrepreneur”? Luckily, in a time when it seems like some many things we took for granted are disappearing in a puff of smoke, there are tools out there to help unintentional entrepreneurs succeed. But first, it’s time to decide if entrepreneurship, unintentional or otherwise, is right for you.

The Small Business Association (a must read resource for anyone contemplating starting a small business) has put together an assessment tool called “Are you Ready to Start a Business?”

Know you are ready? Then check out Andrew Smith’s Business Plan Blog for more information about the essential first step. And when you are ready to get down to the nuts and bolts of your business, be sure to visit Outright.com and set up your free account. Not only will you have access to the best online bookkeeping service on the web, when you sign up for Outright, you will also get a webpage from Network Solutions absolutely free! (Get started at Outright.com)