A discussion about the process, steps and options of starting a new business

Yes, it's a struggle.  There are more headaches, and more hassles, than the average 9 to 5'er has to deal with.

But there is a payoff.

I set my own schedule.  I decide when to work, and when to call it a day.

That means I get to take my two daughters to school every morning.  I think I'll cherish those ten minutes every day when I'm old more than matching 401(k) contributions.

I don't have to go to mandatory management meetings any more.  You know the meetings I'm talking about...a meeting just for the sake of having a meeting, where you sit through six hours of b.s. and come away with 7 minutes worth of useful information.

One day this week, our 1 year old son decided to explore the dishwasher.  And I was here to see it, and chronicle it.  What kind of value do you place on something like that?  It's priceless.  Not the sappy, worn-out use of the phrase "priceless" that MasterCard has made famous.  I mean really, really priceless.

I'm coaching my daughter's youth basketball team.  I know that means the world to her, which makes it mean the world to me.

I come home for lunch with my wife most days around noon, since my office is about a three minute drive from my front door.  That beats any fancy and important (and boring) lunch meeting I ever had at my old corporate job.

The things I listed just now, and countless other moments in time, are what I consider to be the real fringe benefits of being my own boss.  They are more important than anything a big company could offer, and I doubt that I could ever leave all of this behind to go back to work for someone else.

Thinking about leaving the safety net of your current employer and starting your own business? 

Do it.  It's an incredible experience.