Business success is defined by starting with selling every unit with a gross margin of 50 percent or maybe more, building a patent and other intellectual property, and continuous product improvement. What Are Critical Success Factors (CSF) and How They Can Make Your Business Success Measurable Critical success factors are usually known as common to many entrepreneurs or businessmen that assist management in measuring whether they are on course in achieving their goals. With services, running the business often suggests cloning yourself, since you would be the intellectual property and the competitive advantage. You have no shelf life, so you can’t generate income while you sleep. Recently, I read a post published by Deborah A. Bailey saying 5 questions you should ask yourself before going into business. [1] It is pertinent to answer these questions before rushing into any venture. Little business owners and professionals desire a way of gauging their success, but the benchmarks f