Health Insurance costs can be shocking

Many times The biggest surprise for many self employed individuals when starting their own business is the high cost of individual health insurance.

Monthly Premiums for individual health insurance policies can easily exceed $500 a month (depending on your state of residence), and that's assuming a pre-existing condition doesn't disqualify you.

Diane D'Agostino-Smith, who started a life-coaching consultancy out of her Rowlett home, bought an individual policy through AARP's "health care options" program and pays $540 a month. Before that, she purchased coverage through the National Association for the Self-Employed.

Bob and Cathy Dammeyer's 3-year-old frozen-drink distributorship spends more than $6,000 a month for coverage for the couple and their four full-time employees.