Custom Business Owners?

[bamwifey]

   Is it possible to make my own family, start them in a business, and then turn them into NPCs so that I can visit the lot using other sims?

   I want every business owner in my new neighbourhood to be made by me, but it turns out you can't play another sim and visit their business, because the game says that the lot is already being played. 

   I tried using Simlogical's cat teleporter to turn the business owners into townies, but it just crashed my game.

[Marhis]

You can't visit a home business with other sims: your issue depends on the zoning of the lot, not the type of sims.

Community business lots are normally visitable by your current playing family, business owner and employees will act pretty much like NPCs.

[J. M. Pescado]

You cannot visit a Home business, ever. You CAN visit a community lot business, but only when the owning family not saved on it.

[Marhis]

Dang! That's true, I always forget one can save the game in business lots.

[bamwifey]

Thanks Pescado.  Now I just have to redo all my businesses.  I curse my own stupidity.