FORTUNE Small Business:

What's the right business for me?

A corporate employee looks for a venture that fits his experience and personality.

By Elaine Pofeldt, FSB senior editor

(FSB Magazine) -- Dear FSB: I've worked in the corporate world for more than 25 years, doing hardware and software development. I have thought about starting a business but I haven't found the right one. Where can I get started exploring business ideas that make sense? --Isaac Champagne, Naperville, Ill.

Dear Isaac: Finding a business that is a good fit can be far more important in the long run than almost any other factor in the success of your business. Verne Harnish, the CEO of Gazelles, an Ashburn, Va., consulting firm for fast-growth companies, recommends that you take the advice of Steve Jobs and "Follow your heart, not your head." Rather than lock yourself into what you have been doing in your corporate career, ask yourself what you love doing. "Unless you have a passion for a business, it will be hard to sustain yourself during the inevitable tough periods," says Harnish.

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For more ideas, be sure to check out our Ultimate Resource Guide. "Six Steps for Creating a Super Startup" and "Startup Resources" should be a good place to begin your search.

Readers, let us know what you think. How did you get the idea for your business?

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Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.