We're finally realizing our Eliza Doolittle dreams by opening a modest flower shop.

Many people dream of breaking free from The Man by starting a business. Sims are no different. The Sims 2: Open for Business expansion pack gives your Sims the ability to start and run a business. It's satisfying, but after a while, Open for Business is all about work. And that doesn't sound like - or is - much fun.

To start a business, you buy a community lot or set up shop in your home. You can create any number of businesses; you're only limited by the types of objects that are available to you. We bought a small space downtown and turned it into a flower shop and espresso bar. Besides selling prefab plants, we also invested in a flower stand that allowed our Sims to create and sell their own arrangements, all while improving their skills in that craft.

Using the special business tools located in the upper-right corner of the screen, you purchase merchandise and set prices for your wares. You spend most of your time working the store, developing skills. Running a store is a lot of work, not a lot of play.

As your business becomes more popular with customers, you earn stars; once you gather enough, your business rank goes up and you can choose from among different perks such as cheaper wholesale prices or an automatic boost in reputation.

Compared to other Sims expansion packs, the gameplay in Open for Business is harder to master. It took a while to figure out how to open or shut the shop (you need to buy an open/closed sign) and how to set prices. And while the first few sales are exciting, the thrill soon goes away. After, this is work, not play.

The bottom line. Open for Business may add an important dimension to your Sims' existence - but it's about work, not fun.

COMPANY: Aspyr
CONTACT: 512-708-8100, www.aspyr.com
PRICE: $34.99
REQUIREMENTS: 1.2GHz or faster G4 or Intel processor, Mac OS10.3.9 or later, 256MB RAM, 2GB disk space, 32MB or faster
Radeon 9000 or GeForce FX5200 graphics card
Lets you build a business from the ground up. Finally, you can follow your Sims to work.
A little more complex than other Sims games. Dull.