[Cajundaddy]

I have been self employed all my life. Sometimes it was really hard and sometimes there were pretty extraordinary windfalls. At 59 I don't get super excited every morning about going out and doing it again after 40 years but I know this work really well and it is pretty easy to manage at this point. I have a crew of 5 who do most of the routine daily stuff and that frees me to focus on things that require knowledge and experience both in terms of technical issues and client relations.

I expect I will do this for a while longer as my retirement is pretty solid but I have this expensive habit called racing tires that must be fed. For now it meets my needs and I can ramp it up or ramp it down to suit my lifestyle needs. There is a reason work is a four letter word and that is ok. It beats mining coal.

If I were in your shoes at 50, I would probably apply the same approach to book keeping and accounting. Hire a few qualified people to handle routine daily stuff, train them well and pay them in a way that leaves 20% of everything they generate to you so you can focus on building the business and helping your clients to run lean and mean with their business. If your clients see you improving their bottom line and your people feel like part of a team, it can go places without working 80 hr weeks getting there. Keep overhead super low, provide good service, and reward your people for doing it right. This sounds more interesting than phone sales but it does commit you to a regular schedule.

It suits my style but maybe not yours at this point. Food for thought at least.