So, what is the secret "Recipe for Success" that will help small-scale entrepreneurs succeed? 
Perhaps breaking out of the idea that there's any one particular formula is a good start. Let's face it - good business is closer to an art form than a hard science. Sensitivity, intuition, and (of course) creativity are all key to starting and maintaining something valuable to people. 

That being said, everybody loves a great "unlikely" success story, and blogger Tim Ferriss has seventeen (!)  of them in this excellent post "Six-Figure Businesses Built for Less Than $100: 17 Lessons Learned." "

Check it out! It's full of great fodder for generating solid advice aimed at DIY'ers.