Not long ago, I had a dream of opening a bakery/coffee shop.

It was a fabulous idea, as it effectively combines my love for baking with my love for having a good chat over a slice of lemon loaf and cup of coffee.

What more raison d’etre did I need? (See, I sound like a baker already. And a good one.)

But my dream effectively was squelched when I honestly assessed my life patterns in direct correlation to my new business idea. Simply put, I am a homebody. And a night owl. I realized I’d begin filling pastries and baking muffins about three hours later than I usually go to bed. And spending more waking hours away from, than at, home.

I’d be grumpy.

And nobody likes a grumpy baker. Shoots the whole jolly-pink-cheeked-flour-dusted-nose image thing.

On top of that, there was the whole two-step with a business plan and financing. Yawn. (Sorry – did I just do that?) Honestly, all that just sucked the fun right out of it for me.

And so, I remain happily employed. No start-ups on the horizon. But I’m thinking that, should a new idea come to mind, it’s got to be something I can do from home between 10PM and 2 in the morning. And love enough to withstand all the red tape.

Hey, I know my parameters. I’d say that’s 101 in starting a business.

For now, I’ll stick with writing. And baking during writer’s blocks.