Websignia founder Stephen Jones (at right, cutting ribbon) inaugurates his company's new space. In the process of building his web design firm, Jones said, he struggled to give his employees the freedom they needed to be creative.

Most of the time, the stories we read about entrepreneurs tell of wild, seemingly effortless success: renegade inventors, Internet billionaires and oil-soaked magnates all dominate the headlines, setting lofty expectations for the millions who aspire to join their ranks. In reality, the road toward building a successful venture is pocked with mistakes and challenges that can seem insurmountable. For this week’s column, I spoke with three established business owners who shared the challenges they have encountered and the actions they took to persevere:

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The U.S. Treasury oversees the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, which recently awarded a large grant to the Intersect Fund. Photograph by Steven Damron.

The U.S. Treasury Department’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund announced yesterday that it would disburse more than $142 million to 155 groups throughout the United States that provide loans and financial services to low-income Americans.

One of those groups is the Intersect Fund – we’ll receive approximately $100,000 to strengthen our business training and lending capabilities. This will help us serve more clients and enhance our offerings.

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Starting a business may let you quit your day job, but timing is everything. Photo by Paul Allison

Aspiring entrepreneurs come to me with a range of business ideas, but almost all have the same goal: quitting their day jobs and becoming their own bosses.

While the allure of building a full-time business from a part-time hobby is strong, striking out on one’s own is tricky. It involves not only building a profitable business, but also taking an honest look at oneself. A person’s business acumen, financial situation and risk tolerance all come into play as they ponder the plunge into full-time entrepreneurship.

If you find yourself on the precipice, consider these three questions:

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DiRicheek founder Gretchen Campbell donates a portion of her proceeds to organizations conducting cancer research

After honing her craft for more than 30 years, seamstress and Entrepreneur University graduate Gretchen Campbell has built quite a repertoire.

“If you can wear it, I can make it,” says Campbell, who founded DeRiCheék, a fashion business, in 2004

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