If you've ever dreamed of leaving your corporate job to start a business of your own I highly recommend that you read Escape From Cubicle Nation by Pamela Slim. This book is inspiring, motivational, and utterly practical. It provides a well-organized tour of all the elements that must be considered when making a significant career change -- emotional, financial, and social.
The book starts with a discussion of why you might want to leave the corporate world -- a section that might seem unnecessary to employees who have survived reorganizations, outsourcing, burnout, and layoffs. But the author wants you to be very clear about what you want to do and why. She also helps her readers confront the fear that if they leave their jobs they'll end up "living in a van down by the river." Pamela Slim became a life coach after leaving her corporate career and this part of the book in particular feels like being professionally coached through this major decision.
While the author's writing style is lively and funny she is also down to earth. Section 2 of the book is called "The Reality of Entrepreneurship" and it includes a reminder that hating your job is not a business plan. She walks the reader through the tough practical steps of defining a clear vision and creating a financial strategy as well as business and marketing plans.
Section 3 is about looking your finances in the eye and making the practical side of this momentous decision work for you. She urges the reader to eliminate debt before making the leap and to have savings to last at least 6 months. There's also excellent advice on shopping for health insurance and other benefits that you will now have to find on your own.
Section 4 guides the reader through conversations with family and friends to reassure them that you are not crazy and to enlist their support in your new endeavor. It also includes a valuable chapter on how to know when it's time to leave the corporate world to start your own business. Hint: it's after you've done a great deal of soul searching, planning and testing.
I believe this book is essential reading for anyone who is considering leaving a corporate job to start their own business. The combination of inspiration, motivation, humor and practical advice is unbeatable.