No doubt about it, making the decision to run your own business is usually a tough one. It requires a person to be incredibly dedicated to what they do, and usually to accept a significant period of struggling to turn a profit before the business in question actually manages to make some real money. It is no wonder so many prefer to be an employee, despite its numerous downsides.
When we are close to somebody who is starting a business, it is prudent to expect that they are going to be having a hard time for a while. It may be a passion project, but that doesn't automatically make it easy. Still, there are many ways to be a good friend and support somebody who is facing the challenges of entrepreneurship; we can be a shoulder to cry on, and perhaps even more importantly, we can offer them our custom. More than anything, a new business needs some exposure, and for people to be paying real money for whatever it is that they are offering. That is how it works.