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For any type of business to succeed, those who are self-employed will have to suffer through the most tyrannical boss imaginable. He will demand long hours and 100% attention to every detail. You, the business owner, will have to be that tyrant. Some will win, but any who do grab that brass ring will have to go above and beyond the performance of the average wage earner. That isn't a big deal for some people, but there are other factors that make the so-called American dream not appear all that attractive.

Let's begin with start-up costs. I know a woman who started a small corner store a little over a year ago, and she told me the other day that she is finally starting to bring home a paycheck. After a brief reflection, it all started to make sense. The first credit in the ledger every month is going to be rent, and that comes after the cost of shelving, the product itself, paint, and one's precious time. Large profits usually coincide with even larger risks, and that leaves the owner many thousands of dollars in the red before even opening the door. Yes, I get it. It does take weeks, months, or even years before most ventures appear to be worthwhile. Wow!

Start-ups are just the beginning. Has anybody here priced insurance lately? Most reputable large employers pay a significant amount of their employees' insurance, and that's a very important detail. Hospitalization will cost the typical individual $5-600 a month, and for a small business owner there is really only one optiion in the beginning: pray for good health and roll the dice. I'm also acquainted with a semi-independent real estate rep, and he tells me that he pays about $1000 a month to keep his family properly insured. Numbers like that will cut into the profits really quick! Then there are employees.

Just what type of business is this going to be? Will the employees have benefits, or will there be a revolving door next to the time clock? We have already taken a look at insurance, but even without the bennies, the worker's social security contribution has to be matched by the employer. There are exceptions, but they really do defy the reasoning behind starting a business in the first place. Yes, one can go it alone and take on the full workload. Let me get back to my friend with the small store. She works seven days a week and puts in approximately seventy-five hours. She told me once that she IS the most demanding boss that she's ever worked for. That's par for the course; otherwise the business never

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