In between Army and Merchant Marine I started a couple of businesses. One evolved into a computer and software store where we built our own IBM compatibles XT to 386 from scratch and installed very small Lantastic type business systems add out version of Mail Box Etc. and Copy Quik. Wrong end of the wrong county nothing was close like an Office Depot back then. We figured ten years before they would move close enough it was eleven. One didn't have to drive 60 or 70 miles to get a case of paper or an ink cartridge or someone to fix their computer or expan their abilities. Total personal outlay was $10,000 each for me an one partner. I did sales and intro to computers he built, installed and maintained them. Just as you said a ton of sweat equity and many long hours. Over 110 or so businesses later from a vdeo rental place to a sawmill and a bank and what became a huge mail order house the giants came. I sold out and made my first and only profit. My partner kept the clients and grew them into Penta's and Windows and beyond. We sold the mail box, business supply, copier part off to another home grown start up. Most of those clients are still clients of my ex partners The secret was noticing they couuldn't afford to hire employees the start up costs of insurances etc for them in that state were prohibitive involving a $5,000 deposit to the State for liabiity and injury costs of workmans comp. But for a third or less the price one network of two computeres one cash register the other for supplies, stock inventory and they did weekly monthly quarterly annual etc reports, tax preparation all of that automatically. Enter the new item or service on one. Take the money and adjust inventory on the other. I don't know of anyone besides us who went the SBA route and we didn't make the minimum requirement of $300,000 in annual sales and one or more newly immigrated foreigners. Government really didn't give a damn about actual small businesses so SBA for a US Citizen was a dead end. Last I heard the expartner sold out his client list, store front closed he moved to his garage and then to a separate builidng by the house I went sailing and then to working on ships. But we kept two families fed and then some extra people from time to time. To keep it legal he married the only clerk we hired and ther rest were two high school computer literates. who set up the businesses with their new systems inventory entering etc. For me it paid for six plus months on a tall ship sailing and scuba across he Pacific, the divorce lawyer ha ha and my own liveaboard sailboat when I wasn't on a tanker or freighter. I was forever glad we didn't qualify for and get involved with the government assistance. But found out the sequence for those immigrants was easy loan and business purchase followed by a planned bankruptcy which qualified them for another loan and that's why you see all of one type running motels etc. US citizens not wanted where SBA was concerned. We made it on our own. And I had time to write a series of manuals, self publish and sold that off as well for a second profit. Herb is correct but the pioneer sort of independent spirit with all the regulations is probably a thing of the past.