Tens of thousands of new businesses are launched each year in Britain alone. Indeed, the government now estimate that by 2020 well over half of the working population will be employed by companies with a workforce of less than 20 and many of these will be one-man operations. The world of self-employment offers great opportunities for us to live and work the way we want to and, in some cases, can also be a route to huge financial success. Sadly, though, entrepreneurial zeal is rarely matched by a natural inclination toward administration. Starting Your Own Business cuts through the jargon to provide incisive, realistic, authoritative and detailed information that aims to help the novice avoid some of the serious pitfalls that can cripple a busines idea at birth. It is the only business manual that anyone would need to ensure that your new venture gets safely off the ground.