Opening a business in any market can be a difficult but rewarding experience. In Russia, the experience can be even more rewarding as the market potential is vast, and a new business often may be the first of its kind and offer previously unavailable products. However, the pitfalls and barriers to opening new businesses are severe and require a sustained effort with good local partners. This paper discusses several important areas of opening a business for the practitioner in Russia in the year 2000 and beyond.