Now, just because you have some exclusive items it doesn’t mean you can gorge people on prices. Keeping your prices low is your number one way to attract customers, and it’s no real sacrifice on your part. The profit margin on gifts and collectibles like figurines, ornaments, jewelry and home accents is huge, so you’ll definitely be better off to keep your prices low and attract more customers.

There are some very good business opportunities out there for smart people looking to sell giftware online or offline. For example, you can buy your inventory from www.globalspecialtygifts.net at wholesale prices, then markup your prices a bit to make a profit.

If you want to take advantage of this tremendous market get started now and then you’ll be ready for holidays and any special events. However, offering a varied inventory of high-quality giftware and collectibles, fine jewelry, and exclusive giftware will all but guarantee your success at any time of year. After all, birthdays happen every day, as well as anniversaries and other special days. No matter time of year, demand for quality gifts is always there. When you’re trying to make a profit, isn’t that bottom line?

Author Opal R. Gilbert is president of O.R. Gilbert Enterprises and runs Global Specialty Gifts. For more information or to shop for these unique and exclusive products visit www.globalspecialtygifts.net . Contact Opal R. Gilbert by email at lendingog@aol.com Telephone No: (212) 685-1729; toll free: (888) 241-3267. Also, ask about fantastic business opportunity.

4. Are you a “water-cooler person” at heart? When you become a business owner, your days of taking a long lunch or chatting with guys around water cooler are over. Can you make transition from “worker bee” to boss? It can be lonely.

On your own, you’ll be making countless decisions every day -- from mundane to critical. And, you alone must shoulder daily ups and downs that come with running a business. However, it can also have tremendous rewards in that you are building something from scratch. So, if you believe you can weather isolation and roll with punches, you might be a good candidate for owning your own business.

5. Can you create an organized environment? Where you work is certainly important. You’ll need an acceptable work space and right office tools in order to be creative and successful. Even more important, however, is how you work.

For example, you can have an incredible sales presentation with latest technology that will wow clients, but if you’re constantly late for meetings and lose important documents, you’ll probably also lose business. Ask yourself if you can flourish in an environment where creativity and operational systems are equally important? Many entrepreneurs make mistake of thinking company will simply “run itself” if they just come up with great ideas and business leads. They pay scant attention to details of building a business. Too often this is a recipe for failure.

To be a success, you must combine your fantastic ideas and business tools with solid planning and organization.

Success for any new business is never guaranteed. There are too many variables, and many factors will be totally out of your control. But you can avoid making a costly mistake by asking yourself, honestly -- before you take plunge: Do I have what it takes to run a business? The answer should tell you if new “American Dream” is right fit for you.