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I did want to start my own business and I did it. I opened a shop and ran it for about 7 years before I decided to close and return to my career. It was a great experience and I had a lot of fun. I did not make a fortune but neither did I lose a fortune and the experience was something I would not have missed.
All that said, it can be a difficult and risky decision and as my accountant told me when I first opened, if you are not making money after the initial opening period, you don't have a business, you have a hobby : ) so give it a lot of thought and planning, seek all the advice you can and take care. Especially in your senior years, you don't want to lose your savings, your security and your shirt!
I think I'm like a great many people who think it would be great to have one's own business. But, one has to get over the fear of going it alone, have a plan, a backup plan, resources to pay the bills for several years while getting the business to a sustainable profit, getting through the government regulations, getting through the banking/loan system, and the knowledge that the majority of small business fails within a few years...........
Just too daunting for me, and I'm not enough of a risk taker to chance it................ I give a great deal of credit to those who have tried it, regardless of outcome.
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