I can tell you that your own business is not a job, it's a life style.
Expect to spend a lot of time on things that are not directly billable time. Going on estimates, figuring, typing up and sending out bids, scheduling, getting permits, paying bills, doing your billing, scheduling, buying material, screwing around with local, state, and Federal taxes and the innumerable forms and returns you have to deal with, dealing with inspections and inspectors, inevitable call backs for one thing or another, more scheduling, answering your mail, your emails, and your texts, dealing with insurance, organizing your shop, your office, and your truck, repairing your truck and your tools, etc. and more scheduling. Lots of scheduling. Especially once you have employees. You'll find that after working an 8 hour day, you'll start the night shift taking care of those kind of things. And when you get older you won't feel much like working more after an 8 or 10 hour day so you'll either take a day during the week or end up doing it on weekends. Keep that in mind when you figure how much to charge.
I've been at this for many years. Had as many as 14 employees and as few as one. I now have 2 2 man crews, and find that manageable and somewhat profitable. I will probably get out in the next year or so, and by saving....not scrimping, have a decent retirement to rely on. I have no regrets and it has been mostly fun. Dealing with other people's issues....employees, contractors, homeowners..that cost you money can be annoying. But sometimes I wonder what would have happened had I kept that County job I had when I was young...insurance, paid holidays, paid vacations, and a great retirement program....and going home at the end of the day without bringing the job home with me.
