Zuki-

Gary nailed it for you...dead on, solid info.

Since that base has already been covered, I'll try and approach it differently.

Assess your lifestyle right now and how much of it you might be prepared to drop if you pursued your own business.

I have worked for General Mills (managing Red Lobsters for 20 years) when I decided to step away. My wife and I had three daughters...all under the age of 10 when this happened. I was making in the high $50's but also working 90+ hours a week, an hour away from home. When I resigned...we had enough money saved up to live comfortably for about six months...so I took a low pressure job helping disabled people with employment issues for about a year to help with the money. This job was key to my successful start up of my music business. I travelled over a 5 county area in midwest Ohio, which took me close to many retirement communites. I was able to visit these facilities while doing my other duties. I started my music business as a part time affair hoping that it would grow to a full time within the first year.

As time went by, the business kept growing, but eventually it got to the point where I had to leave my other job. Now it was all music...all the time.

My wife had also decided to reinvent herself at the same time and had gone back to school to pursue a career in nursing. She already had a degree in music education from Duquesne in Pittsburgh but chose not to stay on that path. She was working 3rd shift at a nursing home while doing school during the day.

The impact of our decisions were significant. It took special effort to make sure the kids needs were being met...and I don't mean food and clothing. It came down to time. The girls would look us in the eye and say they understood that we were busy but we knew they wanted to spend more "fun" time with us. I would take one of them with me to many of my shows, which really helped. (Our middle daughter Brittany could sing several Irvin Berlin and Gershwin songs plus wire my complete PA before she was 9, lol...)We basically "MADE" time...for the most part, it worked out just fine.

In the beginning, we stopped almost all recreational spending like going to movies, going out to dinner, ordering pizza, etc. If it wasn't planned and understood and signed off by both of us...it didn't happen. We knew we were in a high risk period and didn't want to take any unneccessary chances with our finances.

Over time, within 2-3 years, my business grew to the point that things were much different. Pat had graduated with her RN...she's now halfway through her Masters in Nursing at Wright State University here in Dayton. When she finishes she'll either be a Nurse Practitioner or a Nurse Specialist. Either direction will take her salary to the high 70's in this area. For me, I've exceeded my old Red Lobster salary in 3 of the last 4 years. Remember, I was working 90+ hours a hour away. Now, I make my own schedule...take time off when I want it...and usually work about 30-35 hours a week on average.

...It was scary as hell at times. There were some tough times for sure when we both doubted our plan. But thankfully, if one of us was frustrated-the other was up enough to provide encouragement. Patty and I talk often about it. I took gigs that other musicians made fun of me for taking. In the beginning, I wasn't always sure if I was doing the right things for the business. Over time, I kept most of those accounts, dropped a few, added many, many more. My goals in the first 18 months were different than they are now. As a couple, we don't have the number of friends or socialize as much as other couples do but that's ok. We had a plan and so far...so good. We're very proud of what we've done...how we've done it...and that our kids have watched us do it on a dialy basis while manufacturing enough tim for all the important relationships within our family. Some day down the road, each of our kids will realize they ALWAYS have a choice and they they aren't trapped in a unsatisfying job. (We hope, LOL!)


...Think any big change through as much as you can, assess the support level of those around you, look at your finances...etc...

...With proper planning, a very hard work ethic, patience and some good fortune, it should work out pretty well.

Bill in Dayton