Successful entrepreneurs are really not so different from you and me. They demonstrate an indomitable work ethic, a belief in their own vision and a drive to do what is necessary to succeed. What separates the successful from the also-rans is a willingness to learn as much as possible before plunking down any of their hard-earned money. RELATED: Make The Right Choice Part II: Choose A Quality Franchise! So how do you join their ranks? Choose good mentors, who can guide you over the bumps and avoid some of the pitfalls on the road to success. One way to connect with a mentor is to select a good franchise, whose system comes with long-term training and guidance from people who teach you how to run the business, stand by you all along the way and have your back for the long run. The key is to select the right franchise. To find your way to the right match, you have to commit the time to learn everything you can about your potential new business. The good news is that this learning process is within everyone’s grasp. One of the first steps in the process is to interview yourself. What do you really want to do with your career? This process can be a lot harder than it seems. But the sooner you pinpoint your goals the better you can figure out how to get there. After you make some honest decisions about your strengths and your weaknesses, your personal goals and your skills, you must commit to doing a thorough due diligence of the market and the franchise businesses that interest you. You want to do a thorough examination of every business you consider, which will take time, likely, several months.