Hindsight: What Nine Entrepreneurs Wish They'd Known

Tony Corke, founder of Chaparosa Grill
Age: 39
Industry: Restaurant
Number of employees: About 100
When it all began: 2001

What he would change, if he could: Chef Tony Corke knew he wanted to create a unique restaurant that would suit the warm California climate. So he introduced California cuisine with a Caribbean twist, bringing his knowledge of Caribbean cooking to his menu. But the England native now says he wished he would have taken advantage of more multicultural opportunities.

"If I'd known I'd be opening up a restaurant, I would have been a bit more diligent and gained hands-on experiences in other cuisines," says Corke. Though he did get the chance to learn about cooking in Italy, France and the Caribbean, Corke says he regrets not going to Japan when he had the opportunity.

	Tony Corke

Gordon Logan, founder of Sport Clips
Age: 61
Industry: Men's hair care
Number of employees: About 80 corporate employees
When it all began: 1993

What he would change, if he could: Logan's biggest regret is loosening his grasp on his company during the initial stages of franchising. "I would have had more control over the franchising process by not going through a third party. We went into franchising with an unrealistic model. Now we have a more realistic model, but it's taken a number of years."

Logan also says he wished he had consulted more in the beginning stages with his board of directors. "They ended up being a great sounding board." The Georgetown, Texas-based business now boasts 484 stores across the country.

	Gordon Logan

Jonathan Shook and Vinny Dotolo, co-founders of Carmelized Productions, Inc.
Ages: 26 and 28
Industry: Catering
Number of employees: eight full-time and about 50 part-time
When it all began: 2003

What they would change, if they could: Despite their love of cooking, Shook and Dotolo say catering wasn't their first choice for a business. But they fell into it, with no start-up money. "That is the worst way to start a new company. We had to make choices on what we could spend the little bit of money we had on. Because of that, we chose not to spend on Web sites or any other standard marketing tools. We got lucky that our food rocked and we got jobs because of it." Now, the duo will receive plenty of publicity thanks to their docu-series on Food Network called 2 Dudes Catering.

	Jonathan Shook and Vinny Dotolo