What is the most common path to creating and running a successful business? What is the typical route people take?

Well a business degree will not hurt. Marketing stratigies, business development, depending on what state you are in. You must have permits, many documents. If you go to the city and state website all the forms are provided for you that you can download. The small business admin. is the starting point for you if you are just starting out. You need money. That is called an overhead or Capital. You need the services, or product tt you are selling. You need to keep good clean accurate records for you and tax purposes. There is a loss. a break even and a profit margin. Depending on the product or services you are providing you must have contracts with other people for exchange for services or products either you have a brick and mortor a building, or an online service provider, it really depends on what you are offering in exchange for cash, or credit card currency. Much goes into a business. If it were easy all of us would be doing it. This is very difficult unless you have a proven product a target strategy and a target customer base. All those things are important. Marketing of your product, press releases, or what have you. There are many variables. Another program is S.C.O.R.E. these are people who either know business, have had business. or retired business professionals. These programs can help you to get started out. You want a copyright or a patent. You must do searching to see if any one person has the same product and services as you do too. You have competitors. You must find out what rate they are charging and find a niche as to why your product or services are better. There is so much daily work. This is complcated and not just an open door key walk in and start. UNLESS you buy a franchise. Like a Dairy Queen or a Subway or MCDonalds, Jack in the Box, Juice it up is doing well. You need about 150k to get in the door for a good start up franchise. There are grants available for non profit orgs. too that you can check on at Grants.Gov. I hope I have been of help to you. Remember, it will take you a good year to just break even, then make a profit so you will need support until you have a good idea how your product and or services are gainful or not. Good luck We need small business I hope you make it.