Kinda a long story, so if you read it props to you, but you asked about owning yoru own business, and I'm pretty familiar with my dads as I've worked with him part time since he's opened and seen all that goes on.
Well my dad has owned his own business down here on the Gulf Coast for about 5 years now, maybe 6. He used to own Sea Oaks Condominiums and manage them, they were on the Beach in Long Beach, but he was tired of the constant calls in the mornings, the long hours and never having time off. So, he sold the condos and was inspired by a couple he knew in Baton Rouge, LA to open up and outdoor grill/outdoor kitchen store, that sold an array of outdoor equipment from grills to funiture to interior fireplaces and outdoor fireplaces and cooking equipment along with sacues/rubs/injectors/marinades and pretty much ALL you can think off.
Anyways, he started out in a small 2,200 sq. ft building, that was part of a small shopping complex where a HObby Lobby was. He was doing good, didn't really have a warehouse or anything, just had to get a storage unit to keep extra stock in close by. Well Hurricane Katrina hit in 05' and pretty much destroyed his building he was in, so, with the store doing good before the hurricane, him and my uncle went in business together becaues my uncle was a physical therapist for 30 something odd years but the hurricane destoryed his offices/treatment facility/lost all his records, books everything, so he retired and went in with my dad to purchase a $1 million building down the road that used to be a electronics store for car stereos and what not. Anyways, its a 10,000 sq. complete with a warehouse, three car garage out back that was used to install car steros.
So beyond that, after getting the new store put in and doing GREAT, exceeding profits 3x's what they used to with new inventory and more space, they had an extra 3,000 sq. ft. part of the building they didn't use. So, there is a grill called the Big Green Egg (any of you heard of it?) that everyone LOVES down here, so they opened a restaurant/deli that cooks on the big green egg. The restaurant just opened this year in February and is doing a steady sales increase every month.
They have already had offers for Franchising the store/restaurant and are looking into legal things with that now. I know they say 3/5 business fail, but I am proud to say my dad started one thta has succeeded and is only growing. You can check out his website at
www.grategrillsonline.com. HOpe my story was too boring. You asked so i told
PS..also on the website you can check out the Deli menu on the left hand side.