For most of human history, individuals have owned the means of production and have been independent producers of goods and services. With the exception of government, large-scale employers and corporations are relatively modern developments that became major players in commerce and the economy in the 19th and 20th centuries. Today’s knowledgeable worker can opt out of working for someone else—working independently as a consultant or contractor, using the Internet to start a small, highly specialized enterprise with a global reach, or utilizing a franchise business model to buy a business in a box. We’ll take a look at all of this as well as what it takes to be successful as an entrepreneur.