Re: I come seeking advice
I don't have military service, so I can't advise you on that realm. I did own my own business for a while.
The money was great...when the money was great. When it wasn't, it was HORRIBLE. I also fell into a trap early on in my business owner career; I saw all this money in my bank account and thought I was rich. Then, I came to the shocking realization that I had bills to pay. (Sounds stupid, I know) But there are so many hidden things you don't realize are going to come up, and they inevitably come up right after you buy that toy you wanted.
Working for myself was very rewarding, but it was also very stressful. Not only do you have your family to worry about, you have employees to worry about. Your vendor relations. Lawyer, accountant, insurance people. The amount of time it takes to RUN a business takes you away from the nuts and bolts of the business...which is what you enjoy and why you got into the business to begin with.
Nothing makes you appreciate a regular paycheck like owning your own business!
That said, under the right circumstances, I would do it again in a heartbeat. Obviously I would do some things differently with the experience I have.
So, I guess I'm taking the long way around to telling you to go for owning the business. If you do, mine the previous owner's experience for everything you can. He's probably dealt with just about every problem you're going to come up against and knows how to deal with it.
Marshall
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