With the economy ill (to put it kindly), is the time really right to start your own business?

The St. Petersburg Times helps you answer this question with ten tips you should consider before taking the self-employed plunge. In addition to offering advise in such areas as child care, estimated taxes, retirement and insurance, they also advocate careful planning:

Devise a plan of attack. Before venturing too far, make sure a market exists for your product or service. Writing up a business plan can help you determine whether your idea is workable. The library has books about how to write business plans for free.

Source:  St. Petersburg Times