As often happens when the economy goes sour and unemployment is on the rise, many people get serious about putting their back-burner dreams of starting a business into motion. It's no surprise, therefore, that the number of articles in the press about this latest wave of "accidental" entrepreneurs is on the rise.

Each year, an average of 1 in every 25 American adults -- about 7 million men and women -- makes an effort to start his or her own business. In an average year, only about half (or 3.5 million) of these men and women actually get their businesses off the ground. I personally suspect that in the current down economy, the number of American adults following through by starting a new business has gone up significantly.

While it's good news that more people are starting their own businesses, the bad news is that many of these individuals have no idea what is involved in starting and running a successful business. Starting and running your own business is a completely different animal than working for someone else. This ultimately means that many of these new businesses are already doomed to failure.

So, what can an accidental entrepreneur do to increase his or her chances of success?

One of the most important decisions you'll make is the kind of business to start. According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), the best sources for new-business ideas include:

• A spin-off from your present occupation
• A hobby or special interest
• An answer to the question "Why isn't there a...?"
• A shortcoming in the products or services of others
• A new or different way of using ordinary things
• An observed need
• A technological advance or changes in society or social customs

Next, you have to make sure that there are enough potential customers for your product or service willing to pay the prices you'll need to make a profit and build your business. You might have the greatest, most amazing, new-product idea, but if no one is willing to pay you the price you need to get for it, then your business is doomed. This step requires a lot of research -- you can't simply assume that if you build it, the customers will come. Doing this correctly involves at minimum:

• Creating a profile of your ideal customer
• Determining the features and benefits of your products or services
• Determining why your potential customers would rather buy from you than from the competition
• Deciding where you will sell your product or service
• Researching how much your potential competitors currently charge for their products and services
• Determining how much you will charge for your products
• Estimating your total annual sales
• Getting a feel for the growth potential of your business

Finally, you've got to have enough money squirreled away to both keep the bills paid until your new business begins to generate cash, and to give your new business enough momentum from the start to reach escape velocity -- that is, to fly up up up, instead of to come crashing back down to the ground. According to the SBA, the number one reason for business failure is a "lack of capitalization," that is, the business owner didn't have enough cash to keep the business flying after startup.

Many of today's greatest businesses began their lives during economic downturns -- some of which were even worse than the one we are experiencing today. With the right idea, the right customers, and enough cash to jumpstart your company's growth, there's no reason why your business can't be among them.