Al;
I understand, completely. The old "you gotta have money to make money" song and dance drives me nuts, too. If I had $100K clear I could open just about any type place I want including a regional 'que joint franchise. And if I had $100K I'd be able to finance my own startup and the first 12-18 month -- unfortunately I don't have that kind of liquidity
I haven't made move because (1) we like to eat regularly, (2) spouse really like stability, and (3) I'm still looking for the "magic" numbers I need to make the move to my own business.
I know what you mean about working hard and still not making the "numbers" at the end of the month! My next catering job will probably net me about $100.00 -- it's dinner for 25 but it's for friends and a wedding rehearsal dinner so I didn't build much profit into it. I figure it'll come to about $10.00 per hour by the time I'm finished (maybe $12)-- so, at this rate I'm not getting rich!!
When I retired from the USAF in '93 I got a lesson in comparability and "real" income and income replacement. When I left the state of TX to go into the restaurant business I got another lesson - I took a 1/3 "real" pay cut to "trainee" status. Fortunately my family could eat up to 2 meals a day at the store and believe me, we used the heck out of that bennie

. I worked for the Luby's cafeteria chain so we had good, cooked from scratch, food.
When I left that to go back into state employment here in FL I had to do the same math. Fortunately my new job paid enough to offset the $200 or so per week grocery bill increase.
Yeah, I saw the books and that's one reason I left. They started changing my compensation package before I got to take advantage of my first real raise. I did the math and continuing 60-70 hours per week for a $5000 per year raise didn't compute (by then I was making $30K so I'd be going to $35K with "bonus" ((our stores here only made bonus 1 month per year)) -- the previous package was $40K plus bonus. I'd have kept getting beat up for $40K but not $35K. I decided I could (and did) make over $35K with the state with 40 hours per week, travel reimbursement, sick leave (ain't no sick leave in the restaurant biz), 2 weeks vacation when I wanted it instead of when the manager wanted to give it, etc.
So, yeah, I'm dreaming and figuring and just keep catering on the side. I'm not making much money but I'm getting lots of experience without out of pocket expenses
My nex BIG step is to get an adequate mobile cooker. Then I can branch out and start getting more of the types of catering jobs I want. We'll see how that goes.
I appreciate your comments and thoughts and those of the other brethren. I'm not a complete novice when it comes to dreaming up this stuff so rest assured I won't make a drastic move until I can see at least some return. I really don't like what I do but it pays the bills and I do have a regular check and vacation time -- I wouldn't have grounds to grouse but I really want to do something else with my life.
My dad was a small independent contractor and I grew up in a self-employed household. Mom worked for the state so we had medical and a regular check. Dad did good work and we never really had to sweat for a roof over our head and groceries. I'm retired USAF so medical is not an issue with us and my wife in an RN - needless to say she has no problem with employment.
So, I'll keep everyone advised and I'll keep looking for opportunities, too.