A year ago Jenna Doughton wanted to shake up her life. She had a satisfying job as a personal shopper at a major retailer and a tight circle of supportive friends. But as her 30th birthday came and went, she knew she wanted more. She wanted her own business.

"I kind of sat down and re-evaluated my life," she said. "I wanted to have more free time. I got my real estate license and was going to do that, but my heart wasn't really in it. I just wanted to be in control of my own existence. I was thinking of all the things I could do and what would make me happy."

Four months ago she took the plunge, venturing out into the world of entrepreneurship, applying for a business license and registering the name of her personal shopping business (Jenna Doughton Life Stylist) and quitting her job. Over the past two years she saved enough money to live comfortably for six months with no income while building a business. She knew she'd likely never have the chance again.

"I knew I had to do something now or I never would. One day I just woke up and said, 'I'm going to put my two weeks in,'" she said. "It was scary for me. It took me a year to decide to really make that change because I did have a good job."

Only a handful of her customers from her previous job have made the switch to paying her for her time. Before, she was paid a salary and made most of her income from commission on clothing sales. Now, for a fee, she'll come to your home and organize your closet, assess what wardrobe pieces you need, discreetly donate or sell your unwanted clothing and fill the holes in your closet. During her business' soft opening, she's grown to between 25 and 30 customers. It's a big drop from the 300 regulars she served when she worked for commission, something that at first made her nervous.

"My first week, all of my friends were calling me and asking how much I was making. It's a bit overwhelming," she said. "People want to cheer you on, but it's not instant success."

It wasn't the only aspect of running her own business that she found overwhelming. She knew how to be a personal shopper, but the nuts and bolts of being a businesswoman were totally foreign to her. Her friends in business recommended she sign up for free business counseling with SCORE, an organization of retired businesspeople who volunteer to help the next generation of entrepreneurs. It is sponsored by the Small Business Administration and aims to grow and nurture small businesses like Doughton's.

SCORE connected Doughton with retired financial consultant Jerry Bartholomay. They meet regularly at the SCORE office downtown to discuss the direction her business-planning is taking and what steps lie ahead. By having her business license and a general idea of what she wants to do, Doughton is already ahead of the game compared with some of her peers, Bartholomay said.

"You have to go back to zero and talk about the original idea. Of course we get a lot of dreamers on that. Or people who have the money but no plan. It's just burning a hole in their pockets," Bartholomay said. "I'm very proud of Jenna. She's worked very hard and she's come a long way. She's thought the whole thing out very carefully."

Together, Doughton and Bartholomay have plotted and replotted her business plan, decided what type of business it would be (she chose a limited liability company), and created a to-do list for her company that includes things she never thought of like insurance, accounting and a bank account designed for small businesses.

"I walked into SCORE for my first appointment and I realized how helpful this would be," Doughton said. "I was kind of scared to ask people what a business plan was because I've been (working) in a business for 15 years and know what to do for the job, but I was embarrassed to admit that I wanted to start my own business but I had no clue about that kind of stuff."

Next month, Doughton will launch her first marketing campaign. As the shopping season gears back up ("Summer isn't really a shopping time. It's hot, people are kind of lazy and not shopping," she said), Doughton is preparing to launch a Web site and mailers to former and prospective clients. SCORE counselors are on hand to double-check her work and point out any potential snafus. And she has worked most of the kinks out of the day-to-day operation of her business. She has also finalized the list of services she plans to offer in the first year. She plans to expand that list next year and within three to five years, grow her business to include other employees.

"It's fun," Doughton said. "I have my ups and downs and then there's those days when it's really scary because I walked away from something that did pay the bills. But I have to remember that I left because I wanted something that would make me more happy."