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[beenieweenie]

So I need some help, guys.

I'm 22, married, with a son. I've been working two jobs for as long as I can remember now, a daytime job at an electronics retailer (30+ hours a week) and I'm also a security guard at night (36 hours a week, every week). On top of this, I have my wife and kid to look after.

I'm totally worn out. I do nothing but sleep when I'm at home usually. I have a degree in Computer Science that I've never really been able to put to use (I live in Alabama, not a lot of computer opportunities abound) and I've had an idea for awhile to start up my own repair shop. At first, just a thing on the side, and eventually replacing one of my jobs (the dayshift one).

My question is, does anyone here own their own business? Does anyone have suggestions on how to start? I have collected some from my IRL friends but none of them have started their own business before. I just sort of want to get my head around what all licenses I need, how much this thing is gonna cost to start up, etc.

[Grakelin]

If you're tired and worn out, starting a business is not going to make it any better.

[Virex]

You're working 66 hours a week, part of which is at night, and have a family to care about. No wonder you're tired and worn out. If you're going to start your own business, expect to put in time comparable to a full-time job or even more at the beginning. Even if you promise yourself to keep it small, it'll suck up more time then you intend. That would get you at 90-100 hours of work a week, leaving you only with little over 9 hours a day to do anything non-work related. That includes sleep...

The idea of setting up our own business isn't bad per se, especially not if you know you want to put in the time needed. It's just highly unlikely you'll be able to do it with your current schedule. If you really want to start your own repair shop, you'll probably have to drop one of your other jobs quite soon.

(Note that this advice is brought to you by a combination of common sense^tm and my memories of when my dad set up his own business some 10 years ago, although I was quite young back then. So you're mileage may vary, especially if you lack the first component )

[eerr]

Being tired is a combination of sleep, work, and diet.

Try eating more carbs.

[Red Fortune]

Being tired is a combination of sleep, work, and diet.

Try eating more carbs.

The guy's got a ridiculous amount of work, I don't think eating more carbs is all that likely to help unless he has stupid eating habits... Lots of it would be emotional and mental tiring/stress anyway, I assume.

[ClaySpider]

Get yourself some kind of voice recording-system that, while at work or sleep, you talk into it and have your wife or son reply to it, now you have conversations like a forum!

I like my idea.