Driving forward: Jack and Diane look for new ways to get their small-business dreams moving. Will franchising be the right direction?(Real Life)

LAST MONTH, I INTRODUCED YOU TO Jack and Diane (not their real names), a couple in their 40s who, in years prior, couldn't afford a Subway franchise and instead started a venture manufacturing and distributing golf apparel. The business had grown but was not financially rewarding. And splitting work that required the energy of three people between the two of them was taking its toll. A decision had to be made.

Changing Lanes

The windshield wipers spank the glass as Jack maneuvers through the rain so typical in the Pacific Northwest. Jack's burning desire to leave his career as an advertising sales representative is about to undergo a trial of wills. Jack and Diane are making a comfortable living with their "real jobs," but their fledgling homebased golf apparel business now needs full-time attention to prosper.

Jack tests the water: "Do you think you might want to leave your job for the business?"

"No. Do you?" Diane asks. Jack decides he can't forego his lucrative lifestyle, and now, a few years later, all that's left of their start-up is a box of golf shirts in the garage. Rest in peace, newborn business.

This story is repeated across the nation. We dabble with businesses while trying to hold on to what we have. Typically, the great rewards come only to those who take on great risk. Trying to build a business while maintaining a day job reminds me of the difference between the chicken and the hog. Although they're both essential in providing the ingredients of the all-American breakfast, the chicken can run away afterward, while the hog is truly committed.

However, Jack and Diane are much smarter than the average chicken, and a little genius can supply a subtle change in a direction that works.