Would I do it all again? probably not but hindsight is a wonderful thing. Been at it since I was fifteen, I didn't know any better then and sometimes wonder if I do now, and yes it gets into your blood (oil I guess). Started small, grew big then downsized, now on my own, pushing sixty and still working over seventy hours a week. My mate is a bricklayer, can put all his tools in a bucket, only works a fraction of the hours that I do, has NO overheads, goes home when it rains and has loads of money but spends most of it down the pub (wish I had the time).Wonder how he feels when he sees another million bricks lined up ready to be laid? I recon if you calculate what I actually take out for myself then I'm on less than the minimum wage and that's with my also long suffering wife doing all the paperwork (she won't go to my pighole office at the workshop either). That said though, I'm my own boss with my own business my pride and self esteem,I'm nearly always busy and hardly ever bored and if I want to stop and have a tea break or whatever then I do. I must say that in the main I have really enjoyed most of it and still learn something new every day and I meet loads of different people. Would I do it all again? tough question! probably train as a solicitor or a dentist or something similar on ninety pounds an hour minimum but one thing I know for sure is would I want to look back now and ask myself why I did'nt do it when I could have.... NO
Colin.