I quit my regular job two weeks ago; today was my last day. It was a commission job; I averaged generally about $60K/year. Best year was $95K (2006).

Very brief background: For the last ten years, my wife and I have had a small chemical resale business, selling polymers (primarily) to waste water treatment plants, industrial and municipal, on a small, part-time basis. Over the years we built a lot of contacts, and did right by our customers. Last summer we found ourselves in the right place, at the right time, and knowing the right people. Our biggest supplier put us in touch with one of his biggest customers, and we were presented with an opportunity in the drinking water field. We are now the sole distributor for a much larger company, handling chemical sales and service to municipal drinking water plants across 5 states. We have grown to the point that I either have to hire somebody else to service our accounts, and pay them at least as much, if not more than I was making at my regular job, or do the work myself and keep the money.

I know quitting my job may seem like a foolish decision, with the economy being the way it is right now, but drinking water treatment is a pretty safe field; no matter what happens with the economy, every city and town out there will still need to be able to provide clean water to their residents, as long as those cities exist. This business is all done face-to-face, and our customers like us because we take good care of them.

I've gotten to the point in my life that I either have to 1) resign myself to working for others for the rest of my career, or 2) make a real run at successful self-employment. It was not a hard decision for me to make. We already have the customer base, and the money coming in, for me to be able to do this, and I would never forgive myself if I didn't at least try. Nobody ever failed because he tried.

So good luck to me