Quitting job to open a cafe: count before you leap.

Christine and her ten hours.

For example, Christine worked for a government agency in Montreal, aged forty-five, married with two children. However, she would not spend ten hours a week commuting downtown any more. In total, that comes to five hundred and twenty hours a year, or thirteen working weeks. So she left to get ten hours back, not to build anything. Then she found work near home, and by her own measure, it worked.

Of course, she gave up a government salary, a pension and real security. Still, the study does not report her income before or after.

Quitting job to open a cafe in Nottinghamshire.

Similarly, Sergen Tasar drove a bus in London, then left to run a cafe in Nottinghamshire. At first, he expected calm, creative work, plus control, freedom and more family time. Instead, he says, "I ended up doing everything." For instance, the cafe opened at eight, but he arrived earlier. Likewise, it closed at four, yet he never left before five or six.

Meanwhile, takings of about two thousand pounds a week did not cover rent, bills and wages. In addition, he had given up fixed income, holiday pay and sick pay. Unsurprisingly, he has said he had really low points and felt he had messed it up.

The first year nobody prices.

Admittedly, his story improves later, but the first year is the part that matters here. After all, both he and Christine left wanting their hours back. Yet he got a nine-hour day and a shift he cannot leave, while she got her hours. Clearly, the difference was not luck, grit or desire. Instead, she counted first, and that step is available to you tonight. So before quitting job to open a cafe or anything else, name your own number.