The city of Highland, Illinois, is a quaint, small town in the heart of the Midwest with everything you would expect—great schools, active parents, an attractive town square, and even a locally-owned theater. But without the support of the town, that theater was in jeopardy of closing for the second time in just two years.

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re not living a success story just yet. And there’s a reason for that. Too many would-be entrepreneurs are lacking a vital trait that would enable them to be successful. If I had to choose one quality that increases a person’s chances at success more than anything else, it would be taking action.

Are you tired of working in a cramped home office space? What follows is a collection of crazy, creative home offices that may help you come up with a solution.

Going into business with a friend might seem like the perfect way to start your business. You can combine your resources, draw on each other for support, and have fun working together. After all, you really enjoy spending time together, so why not bring those good feelings into your new business?

There are a lot of reasons why it may not be the best idea to go into business with a friend.

I think one of the biggest problems with the whole Facebook Home conversation is that too many people who don’t like Facebook want to review it. Home is not for non-Facebook users, so it doesn’t make much sense to say ‘I hate Facebook, but here’s what I think of Home.’

Google has yet to reveal how it plans to make money from the self-driving vehicles it has been developing. Will it manufacture the cars? Develop an operating system to power the cars?

No, I think the answer is much simpler.

My initial reaction to the death of Steve Jobs was that Apple was headed for failure. However, the more I follow Apple and study Steve Jobs, the more I think that while Jobs could not live forever, Apple certainly could.

So, you’ve decided to start a company. You’re certainly not alone—many people have been down this road before, and there are some proven steps you need to follow if you want to do well.

Maybe you’re tired of working for someone else, or you want to reap greater rewards for your hard work, or you want to determine your own future. Perhaps you just have a killer idea you know is going to be a game-changer. Entrepreneurs are not backseat drivers. They’re active participants by nature—they like to explore and learn new things, and build amazing products out of nothing. They’re not necessarily brilliant people with exceptional industry knowledge and business know-how. They tend to seek out challenges. Throughout the lifetime of every business, there are crises and disasters: whether they involve management, finances, customers, employees, or marketing—they will happen. The ability to improvise quickly and knowledgeably is mandatory.

I’m very excited to announce the start of a new series here on VentureBreak, entitled Start Up Your Startup. The series, which will probably be upwards of 25 posts or so, will cover practical insights for turning your idea into a successful business.