I had a pitch and workshop (approx 30 cars, ranging from £1500 runarounds to £7,500 cars) for about 4 years (not that long I know) and I never, ever stopped enjoying the industry, the cars or my customers and always looked forward to work - I packed in because the overheads which I admit I jumped in to too quickly crippled me during a long and very quiet sales period in around 2005. When I worked alone, I made some great margins, trading from a £100 per wk open pitch and a portacabin office. My immaturity and naivety led me to believe I could take on a large 3000 sq ft workshop/bodyshop and staff it as I was selling cars so frequently and at very healthy margins - I hadn't experienced any "hard times" until then, believing that this is how things would always be. Lessons learned and now I am happy trading up to a dozen cars from home at any time all by myself and outsourcing as much as I can. Will I make as much money as I did as a recent employee, probably not - am I happier, 100%.