I’m 42, been doing computer networking work for 20 years. Liked mechanics as a kid, restored a car in high school as well as helped a friend 10 years older than me build his first house. Have always been handy with metal, wood, generally figuring out and fixing anything/everything physical, mechanical, electrical.
Worrying about the possibility of layoffs these days. Maybe a blessing in disguise though. Most of the enjoyment for the work I do now evaporated years ago, along with the disappearance of the decent, respectable executives and management at the place I’ve been working at for many of those years now.
Went halves on my first house a year and a half ago with my girlfriend. It was built in 1890 and I really enjoy the work of rehabilitating it. Rebuilding the double hung windows, replacing/repairing/repainting the exterior woodwork, plaster and lathe walls and ceilings, hardwood floors, upgrading electrical and plumbing, enjoying the basement shop and tools taking shape with each new project.
A couple of thoughts. One, I know the satisfaction you get from fixing up something of your own usually isn’t the same as working on things for other people who are looking to get a job done quickly and economically. I like to learn how to do things right and I get huge satisfaction out of doing a job well. Second, I know I’d be capable of doing great work in renovating, repairing, restoring and finish work but I also know becoming knowledgeable and skilled takes years of learning and practice, and working for and with people with more experience. Not to mention the entire dimension of regulations, codes and permits to master dealing with. I feel like the only way to get to making a modest but comfortable living at that is to start young, working for someone else.
So what do I think might work for me? I think I’d most enjoy buying a house at a time, rehabilitating it and either selling it or renting it out. I live and work in a town packed with college students and colleges. It looks like that should always be a pretty reliable situation around here. I’d also only have to answer to myself when deciding how to do things and how much time, effort and money go into what. I could also be tolerant of myself getting on the job training 🙂
But I don’t know that I’ll have the money to become so independent like that right away. I guess at this point I’m trying to develop a sense of just how valuable/useful I could be working for/with someone else, to start out for a while. I have the impression this is not an easy business to make a living in and that it’s hard to make enough to do more than just survive if you’re working for someone else.
Or am I maybe being too quick to talk myself out of possible opportunities out there? Could any of you see someone like me being of enough value working for someone else to make it worth both our while? Have I given you enough of a sense of who I am and what I’m about for you to develop some thoughts, opinions or advice?
Does it seem strange for me to put this out here like this? Thanks for your time 🙂
-John
Edited 12/16/2008 4:23 am ET by JohnPJackson
Replies
keep your day job and follow plan A:
<<<<I think I'd most enjoy buying a house at a time, rehabilitating it and either selling it or renting it out. I live and work in a town packed with college students and colleges. It looks like that should always be a pretty reliable situation around here. I'd also only have to answer to myself when deciding how to do things and how much time, effort and money go into what. I could also be tolerant of myself getting on the job training :)>>>>>
and stick around here for alll the questions that arise
hey... did you do the computer networking for the DeWalt contest ?
I agree with that Muslim fellow.
If you fear lay off but still have your day job for now then cut your pay in half. Save at least half for now. Pay bills in an order of importance, when you run out that's all you can pay this month. Practice, starting in January, by only spending what you've saved so far. Stay up late every night worrying how your going to get anyone to call you about work.Have your wife ask you every morning as she leaves for her job if your not going to do anything why don't you at least clean up the house.
In this economy, at this time it's going to be hard to find much work. While others will say if your good at what you can do you'll always be busy, that's truly BS! The best of us no matter how good don't stay busy 100%.
That said being a handy man is valuable. And being flexible with your rates might help a lot. But the best advice is to find a unique single thing and push it hard.
Here the guy that stays busier than anyone I know has turned out to be the weatherstrip guy. All he does is weatherstrip and install an occasional door. With this downturn lately he said, theres been a lot of break ins, he might have to hire help.
I wouldn't do anything else but it's not a "roads to riches", kinda occupation.
Edited 12/16/2008 9:09 am by jagwah
Construction is a wonderful career, for some people. But the bloom can fade from the rose pretty quickly when you have to do it to make money to pay the bills. That's a whole different ball game than working on your own house when you feel like it.
You mention working with and for people that don't impress you now. Doing work for others - whoever called you - is often as bad. You might want to believe that you have the option of walking away from a particular customer, but that option is not always available. When the bills need to be paid, sometimes you get stuck gritting your teeth and sucking it up.
Getting business now is not easy. I've heard more people talking about needing work than ever before. Newspaper advertising doesn't mean the phone's going to ring. Phone books are expensive and slow to bring in clients. Buying and fixing houses is not easy either. You need to get the right one at the right price (not an easy task) and be able to get it done and SOLD. College students don't typically buy properties. They usually rent them and tear them up.
Those are the negatives. On the positive side, if this is what you really want to do, then do it. It may be hard to get started, so if you recognize that and prepare for it, it can work. When I first went out on my own after working for a company (in a different field) I pared my expenses back to almost nothing, and it helped a lot. Overhead can kill you. You don't need a 30K truck and all the fun stuff that goes with it. You can work out of a home office.
You write well and can communicate ideas well. Those are worthwhile skills either for yourself or for somebody else. I think you might have some potential in sales or a customer service situation, again for yourself or others. Do you have the technical knowledge too?
Nobody here has seen your work, or knows how well or how fast you do it. Both are important considerations. If you do it well, but slowly, you can't always charge enough to make it worthwhile. If you don't do it well, you don't get too many chances to do it better.
There's lots to think about. With the economy the way it is, I would keep the day job and get into construction on a part-time level. You will find out fast how much you enjoy doing it and how good you really are. You will also learn how the market is in your area when you get out there a bit.
Good luck, and let us know how you make out.
Don K.
EJG Homes Renovations - New Construction - Rentals
In addition to the comments that others have made, you need to think about the costs that are associated with being self employed. These include a variety of insurance products, the other half of your social security, bookkeeping time and costs, advertising and marketing, vehicle and mileage expenses, tools, supplies......
And make no mistake, those costs are big. For most people starting out in this industry, they are more than 50% of your gross.
And you should also understand that a self employed handyman/carpenter rarely works an actual 40-hour week -- and certainly not 40 billable hours. About a fourth of your time will be spent with marketing and sales. Another fourth (assuming you work for yourself and by yourself) will be spent with material acquisition and handling.
And don't overestimate your skills. If you don't know how to remove a load bearing wall, and don't know how to tie the roof in for an addition, then you shouldn't call yourself a carpenter. If you don't know how to build/install a walnut fireplace front and mantel, then you aren't a trim-and-finish carpenter. This is not to say that your skills aren't valuable -- but it does reduce the level of demand.
As for your thoughts of buying, renovating, and selling a house or two, this is not the time. Although you can buy on the cheap, selling is almost impossible in this economy. I know of a couple of realty folks who have applied for food stamps. You might be able to rent, but that's not a money-maker, it's only an equity-build. And you can't pay your own bills with equity.
As others have said -- keep your day job, at least until these tough times clear up.
Sorry this may have been rough, but that's how the outlook is in this industry.
True, not the time to sell a home. But a good time (relatively speaking) to own rentals.
The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of a mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one. --Wilhelm Stekel
i'd disagree with that ...
<<As for your thoughts of buying, renovating, and selling a house or two, this is not the time. Although you can buy on the cheap, selling is almost impossible in this economy. I know of a couple of realty folks who have applied for food stamps. You might be able to rent, but that's not a money-maker, it's only an equity-build>>
if the OP has the money & time to invest in buy , renovate, rent and hold property... now is absolutely the best time to buy
our demographics are still requiring more housing to take care of the new family groups that come of age every year
and rental property is going to fill that need
even with falling prices , the cheapest house in our town is still around $250K
but some areas , there are real bargains in homes for sale... almost " name your price"Mike Hussein Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
I agree that if the poster has enough savings to buy a couple of rental units -- without compromising his/her overall savings and retirement plans -- then this is a good (probably great) time to buy. But I stand by what I said regarding rental income -- in general it is not enough to pay your bills. It's usually enough to operate the rentals, with a modest return on the investment. And if you use that modest return to pay your bills, then you aren't "making money". (The exception is in a large number of units.)And I stand by what I said regarding selling -- this is not a good time to try to make money selling houses.FWIW, I am in a desirable area of a 'bedroom' community to Raleigh -- one of the fastest growing cities/counties in the country until this past year. And there is a nice three-bed/two-bath across the street that has been for rent (empty) for almost a year. And it's monthly rent cost is very reasonable.Not only has the economy hit the dumps, but large numbers of immigrants have made the exodus back home. Which leaves LOTS of the lower end of the housing market empty, including many rentals.I wish it was better. Its not.
Politics is the antithesis of problem solving.
I'd like to respond more directly to your question about 'being of enough value working for someone else to make it worth both our while'.
I think the other respondents have really given you some good info especially regarding the challenges in having it be worth YOUR while. Its a tough times out there.
Putting that aside, regarding whether you could make it worth someone else's while - I am optimistic that you could, based on my experience. I'm also in my 40's and about a year ago I quit the IT field to join a very small company doing primarily additions and remodeling. I had similar DIY background in construction as you describe. I think my employers would agree that I have been quite valuable. I've led significant improvements in accounting, estimating, and have created a website, and I'm not too bad on the job site either. I am still something of a novice, but my boss can count on whatever I do being done right, if not a little slowly sometimes, whether it has been timber framing or hole digging. The key to my 'success' has been having the good fortune to find the right situation with quality people that have a progressive attitude about improving their organization, and being flexible, versatile, and reliable to be able to contribute in a variety of ways.
So in summary - times really are tough in this industry, and will likely get worse before they get better, but if you can be patient, and avoid leaping into it unless and until you can find the right situation, there could be potential.
Hope this helps . . .
Try hitting enter about every five lines or so, makes for much easier reading, unless your eyes never blink. (:-)For those who have fought for it Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know.
you've been in computer work for 20 years ........this makes you a pro at it........
Carpenters are a dime a dozen right now and we all know (or soon will) where the housing market is going. regardless you be a noobie, and an old noobie to boot.
If you are a security driven person with family responsibilities ...... don't be crazy
If you are a free spirit and enjoy life on the edge......jump on in, if you starve it's you only not your poor kids........
sounds like mid life crisis to me......lots of guys get it.
Sit on it a while and the fog of desire will clear for you.
Agree.
Get up at 6:00, no shower, put on dirty clothes, drive to jobsite by 7:00. Chug coffee and go to work cleaning mud out of trenches or tie frozen rebar, or climb an icy ladder. Rip pants and open a gash in your leg in a nail.
9:30, toes and hands frozen, go to the bathroom on your 10 minute break in a frozen box with pee on the floor. Spend the rest of your break trying to warm up in the truck. Move a unit of plywood around jobsite. 11:30 take a 1/2 hour lunch with the former convicts and non-English speakers on the crew. Tell rude jokes and try to fit in by telling of recent time in jail.
12:00 listen to a guy that's 20 years younger tell you to hurry up. Smash cold thumb with hammer. Concrete truck shows up but pumper doesn't. Start wheelbarrow concrete around site. Sweating profusely, remove jacket.
2:00 no break, too much work to do. Hurt back shoveling concrete. Spend afternoon building a frame to cover concrete. Plug in heaters and hope concrete doesn't freeze overnight.
3:30 get in truck. Feel the pain. Don't stop for groceries on the way home, too filthy to go in store.
4:30 get home, shower and lay on couch. Feel the pain.
6:00 wife wakes you up and says to make dinner and get your filthy clothes off the bathroom floor. Do laundry. Put duct tape on ripped pants. wonder where jacket is.
9:00 go to bed. Feel the pain. fall asleep
10:30 wife wakes you up for play. Too tired maybe tomorrow. Feel pain.
6:00 AM get up and wonder how you ever left networking.
Cynical Old Bas***d
In a nutshell....absolute! Been there.
Somehow reading what you said brought everything back.
But about the frozen box, I'll add...
Rushed out of the house before morning cra*p. Find yourself trying to remove carharts, dirty pants and insulated undies not to mention shorts to sit on a frozen seat. You finally drop the bomb into an unfrozen overfull tank and get a bunch of back splash as you notice there's barely any paper left. So you use what there is and take your red hanky and finish the job. Put yourself all back together and get back to work. All this while another worker is yelling at you to hurry up.
At least you left him a warm seat.
Just A Guy With A Hammer
You are one lucky dude! You get an afternoon nap and a wife that wants sex!
Get up at 6:00, no shower, put on dirty clothes, drive to jobsite by 7:00.same thing but we start at 4:30 till 6
No work allowed before 7:00 AM in most towns around here.
I hate commuting so I won't take a job over 1/2 hour away, otherwise I get too upset. My current gig is 3 blocks from my house.
I have worked for two companies now that had carpenters from the east commuting west and carpenters from the west commuting east. We used to wave at each other as we passed. I quit. What a moronic waste of human energy.
Get a job where you live or move to where the jobs are.
Old Bast**d
klhoush,
i operate on largely the same premise----for over 20 years now- the majority of my work has come from about a 12 block radius of my homeparticipating here on Breaktime for 10 years or so--the single biggest thing I have been astonished by-----is how much time so many of the folks here spend commuting----and they think nothing of it!
stephen
When I lived in NJ I could drive 300 miles and be in Vermont. Now that I live in Minnesota I can drive 300 miles and be in Minnesota.
The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of a mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one. --Wilhelm Stekel
Ha!....You know it bro.......I spent 8 years in Ak building houses in the frozen zone. (mostly framing)........my finger tips got cold just reading your post.......toes and fingers. When it's ten below stay far away from a steel nail gun.One time my framing hammer hanging on my belt actually froze and frosted up like a crab pot does in a winter storm.....All in all wouldn't change the whole thing for for nothin. I love it!It's like falling in love with an Asian hooker.........you know she's gonna be untrue, but you don't care...you just love her anyways.My Blog
There are plenty of people looking for work these days, but there is still a shortage of people with good work habits and interpersonal skills that most employers need.
Carpentry skills can be learned much easier than the other.
Do you keep your word? Can you admit ignorance and ask for help? Can you take criticism? Are you affable? Do you consider your employer's best interests in your decision making, or focus on your own? Are you a whiner?
If you HONESTLY answer all those questions the way you know they should be answered, there's a serious demand for you in many construction companies. You will be given multiple opportunities to gain the skills needed to preform the work. That's not to say you have the necessary natural ability to succeed at the work itself, but I think the average person has the necessary natural ability - it's the other stuff that holds most people back.
Jim Blodgett your post describes exactly the kind of things I had in mind when I wrote my (not too articulate and excessively unspaced) post.A motivated, well-spoken person, with some business or organizational knowledge outside of construction, with the willingness and ability to do some dirty work and learn the trade, has the potential to offer a lot to the right kind of construction business.
funny thing...you can almost tell what part of the country guys are from by the way they answer this poster's question.........I am decidedly negative on the deal cause around here I don't care how wonderful of a person you are, you will be in for a very long haul.....that is if you could even find someone willing to hire you...or buy/resale the house you just fixed up on your own.One of kids comes around here asking what I think about getting in the building business........I'd back up and throw my shoe at him.My finish carpenter son just quit the business and got on with the pipe fitters (who seem to be doing pretty good yet)My Blog
Hey I do not dispute any of the posters highlighting the negative aspects of getting into the business. Under the best of circumstances its not easy. And I think the timing now is absolutely terrible. Frankly I agree with all those recommending that the OP not make this change now unless forced into it. However I also wanted to share my positive experiences and observations, so that if the OP is really motivated, that he should not lose heart.
Another thing the OP should do is consider what options there are in his current situation -- a change of job responsibilities, etc, that might be more satisfying. Very often a relatively minor job change can produce a much greater feeling of accomplishment. If his boss is reasonably reasonable then a heart-to-heart "career development" discussion may be in order.And, going in another direction, one thing to look into is any programs his company may have (or be willing to develop) for part-time work, or LOA/sabbatical, allowing him time to try out new options while still not cutting the strings with his current job (and current job bennies). In the current economy many businesses may be very receptive to this, since they can cut costs without losing valuable employees.
The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of a mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one. --Wilhelm Stekel
Greetings John
Your post takes me back to when I started out in the trades and found myself with the opportunity to do some work on older houses.
It was often a learn-as-you-go or a hire-a-pro-for-that proposition.
I well remember using a library book to do my first wall paper job, hiding the book under the bed whenever I heard the lady's footsteps on the stairs.
I didn't make much money on that first job but I learned a lot, mostly from the professional tradesmen I hired to do certain aspects of the work.
That's the reverse of learning by working for someone as a helper and, instead of being ignored or kept busy with scut work, I was in a postion where I could hang with the skilled person, giving an occasional hand to hold something, watch and ask as many questions as came to mind.
Now that is the way to learn a trade. Just make sure that you hire someone who will accept that idea and is happy to teach you in that way.
Second bit of experience to offer. That first job of mine was for a husband and wife who were real estate agents and were socially prominent. Either of those qualifications can be very helpful to any businessperson working in the trades.
Having made that couple happy with the work we did, renovating their hundred year old farm house, I was in a position to get first crack at many very good jobs of a similar kind.
Real estate agents are almost always looking for reliable, agreeable, skillful trades people to do all kinds of work for new clients. Often it's just a lot of small repairs, refinishing floors and painting but it's mostly inside work and it pays pretty well.
The real estate agent acts as sales rep for the tradesperson/contractor, often making deals with clients who have recently inheirited the old family home and need all kinds of advice and support in order to sell or rent it.
I'm not trying to be negative but changing careers is never as easy as it looks.
Walking away from a medium or high paying job to "try out" anything is incredibly risky.
I've been working as a Realtor for six years and have watched people leave good paying jobs to try their hand at real estate
It rarely works.
I have watched nurses, teachers, and high school principals get burned out at their job and "take a walk" and from what I've seen they don't make it.
It's difficult for anyone in any career to walk away and start over.
It takes years to get back up on your feet. Can you take the hit financially for several years or even longer?
Good luck with whatever you do.
i agree with all every one has said , but i say do it . i did and have never been happier you will more then likely never find a gold mine but you will find flakes of gold .if you do decide to do the construction gig and are interested in how i manage to do it just drop me a line its outside the box but it seems to work for me
jej.... i think everyone is pretty interested in out-of-the box ideas... why don't you share ?what's the worst that could happen ?Mike Hussein Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
what i do may not be so out of the box ,but i dont see to many in my area doing it and that is offer myself as a temp worker to shops , i seem to keep busy and my pay is much more then if i worked for a shop , how i go about it is i stand out in front of h.d. , lows ,or a hardware store or even plumbing supply houses like kellers with buss. cards with what i do [plumbing] and my phone number asking clients as they exit the store if they need any assistence on a project . i see what they are buying , how much stuff they have or if they are alone,see if they need help . if and when they say yes i name my price and am tooled up ready to start right then and there . i also do much more then plumbing so my options are greater . it seems that people appreciate my eagerness to work and the fact that i get in and get things done so much so that i have esstablished a few that keep calling me back and refer me to others . another thing i do is walk the iles of the store looking for people who to me looked confused in product selection and see if they need help for a day . i also stop at any construction site i come on and respond to all help wanted ads .
interesting idea.......glad it works for you...
you know our fest this summer is going to be in your backyard ?Mike Hussein Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Consult your significant other and give some thought to your kids, and if they're all good with it, go for it.
I had former lives as a high school teacher and a pastor in a church. 'bout lost my mind. I didn't mind the politics and interpersonal stuff in those jobs but I wanted to see an actual result from my work. I've been building and renovating in one way or another for a number of years now and wouldn't trade it for anything.
One caution is, if you're jumping your old job because of too much office politics and incompetent colleagues and interpersonal ####, don't jump into residential building/renovating. I know a guy who left a social work job to be a renovator. Says he uses his training way more now than he ever did as an actual social worker.
j
I read Steve Martin's autobiography. He says he was asked why he decided to be a comedian. He was puzzled by the question because he thought-"Who wouldn't want to?"
I think that's the only reason to do anything.
If you have a passion for something, it's a shame not to pursue it. The question is how. Lately I've come to the conclusion I get far more satisfaction working on my own project instead of someone elses.
Are you really considering a career or just wanting to get out of a dismal situation?
I'd think you could be a valuable employee for someone in the construction business if you could handle the pay cut and find the right match. Kinda of a #### shoot. Might have to change a few times to find the right one.
If you gotta know what it's like, you gotta know.
If you do decide to try construction, your desire and attitude not enough I think, you have got to latch onto the right person. What I mean is the right construction business IMO.
Someone out there said there are plenty of dime a dozen carpenters, there are plenty of dime a dozen contractors.
You want to go work for someone aggressive, going after work, someone who is in business, supporting his family on his own, and not just monday thru friday, someone who on saturday get's out and fixes up his rental properties and might say " I heard you do side work, I got this house over on......" , as opposed to some carpenter-contractor, who relies on his working -wifes health insurance benefits, and only takes work in a 12 block radius.
>>>as opposed to some carpenter-contractor, who relies on his working -wifes health insurance benefits, and only takes work in a 12 block radius.<<<<. I resent that as i have not entered this thread yet;]
I don't resent it bobby--
after all--- i am just the dumb roofer he is referring to
who worked like a dog 10-15 years ago to send his wife through college so she COULD get that jobas a catholic school teacher--her pay is about nothing----but the benefits were what we were aiming forbut--- i must be the dumbest ,laziest guy alive----since at the time I had TWO kids in private schools AND a wife going to college---and stupid lazy me--paid for it all---out of roofing in that 12 block radiusstupid lazy me--since I figured out i could earn more roofing 7 months a year--than I could banging 16 d's 12 months a year, LOL stupid lazy me--since my oldest son-has one year left of private college( and owes nothing)---and the youngest son insists on paying his own way through tech school------ but sawzall has one thing right--most people wouldn't want to work with me--and i encourage ALL of the ones who do--to either start their own gig ASAP---or move on to something easier.BTW-------12 block radiusX say 25 houses per block---there are potentially more roofs to do in that 12 block radius than I could ever get to--pretty dumb business plann EH?ALSO- more houses to side, more kitchens to remodel---pick your trade!!!!--more potential work within 12 blocks than I could do in a lifetime--why drive further?
Best wishes bobby,
stephen
While I don't agree with Sawzall's dewlivery..........
He could be taking shots at a HUGE cross section of the trades.
Probably well more than 50% of contractors rely on the spouse for health benefits.
And I know a ton of guys who have an area they will not leave for work. No matter the profit potential.
For a lot of guys? That 12 block radius just doesn't work. No roofs needed around here right now. Not many kitchens. Almost no new decks or additions.
Everyone here is in a house less than 10 years old and most are knee deep in mortgage payments. Huge improvements/additions/renovations just aren't in the cards.
15 years from now, the first guy in here for a new roof who does a good job will probably be able to retire without leaving this development.
In my case? I was willing to drive an hour to make double the money.
Sorry you resent that.
I'm sure you are very good at what you do,(along with some other responders in this discussion) and are more successful in your target area , and I'm sure you could springboard him nicely into his own thing, but the comment I made about the health insurance is probably very important to a guy at his age. I.E. the contractor is covered under his spouse's plan at her workplace, therefore, it is not necessary make heath insurance availible for himself and employees.
The distance thing I mentioned was that I was trying to say maybe a really good project comes along, something that not only would profit the business he's in, but would give him exposure to some new things, like "Green building methods" or something, but the " Management team" hesitates because it's 13 blocks away, not the usual 12.
Edited 12/20/2008 8:34 pm ET by sawzall
You had some good points, I saw no need to take a shot at someone else, Why dont you just tell him your sorry???
I choose to live where the jobs are, on the edge of two wealthy neighborhoods and within 1/2 hour of another 50,000 wealthy people.
Most guys driving 2 hours are coming here!
Yes, I'm on my wife's health plan. She likes her job and never has to scrub the toilets, the maids do that. I guess I'm not man enough to find an unemployable wife.
Sometimes I sub out work to a guy originally from Mexico. He told me he was ashamed that his wife had to work when he came here 8 years ago. Now he is an American and is proud his wife makes more than he does.
I'm a proud American,
OB
John,
Recently someone else from your area asked a similar question. Only he was very specific in wanting to be a trim carpenter.
Up Front-I've been an employee. Owned my own business. Had some good years, had some really bad years. Kept my house and cars, never went bankrupt but never really made a killing.
Closed up shop and went back to the Army when my 1 year old was sick and I couldn't keep her insured on my own. Wife couldn't work either, had to be home with the baby.
SO on to your situation.........
I'll tell you the same thing I told the other guy from Mass.
Time to be honest with yourself.
Make an HONEST assessment of your current job and it's security.
MAke an HONEST assessment of your responsibilities and obligations. HOw much do you NEED to live on?
Take stock of your relationship. How will that girlfriend feel when date night isn't a little Italian place in Boston, but rather a trip in the work truck to Chili's and maybe a movie IF you can stay awake that late.
Determine what is the effect on your employability of walking away from your field for a while?
Some of the best years of my life were spent framing. Even in the worst winters and hottest summers. I can't imagine having missed that time in my life.
But running a business is another story. If you are just in love with the idea because your current job situation sucks? Adding all the joy of running a business will surely sap that feeling of satisfaction from you.
SO, while you still have a job maybe:
It's time to look around at improving your current employment situation. Maybe a little job change will put things in a new light.
Maybe it's time to experiment. You said you enjoyed rehabing the old double hungs, ect, ect.......................
Maybe there is work out there for that skill. It is Mass. after all. Take on some small rehab jobs. Maybe a plaster repair or the refinishing of some old windows.
Get a feel for Customers!!! Check out your sales skills. Work on your pricing. WHile you still have a job to fall back on.
Remember, a specialty almost always draws more money than a generalist.
ALso remember, most businesses fail because the owner has no idea what he/she is getting into. SO get a little practice. DO some reading (maybe start with the Emyth)!!! Ask questions! Develop a business plan.
BUt most important of all? Be HONEST with yourself. About your needs and skills and abilities.