We were fortunate when we decided to get paid what we felt we were worth rather than what an employer was going to pay us.
I am an electro mechanical engineer with all sorts of other skills & qualifications as well . Alison used to be a top flight PA plus she has a degree in personnel management and an A level GCE in accountancy .
We undertook a government sponsored local business enterprise trust course , had a guy seconded in from Lloyds bank small business division to oversee the course & take us through current rules & regs plus tax liabilities , as well as having lectures from several others appertaining to how to successfully run a small business and how to make sensible business plans and development plans .
We produced an acceptable 1 , 2, 3 & 5 year plan , They gave us match funding identical to our financial input.
This planning & funding was the real help we needed .
We joined the local Countryside Watch Scheme ( CWS) , paid for & put up a three x two foot ( 900 x 600 mm ) CWS sign on our garage door & added a few dummy cameras I made myself complete with winking LED's around the property & buildings .
Became part of the local CSW ring around group & took up gundog training ( something I've always had a deep desire to do ) .
We suddenly found all sorts of people who would stop by and chat with us & offer us help or advice , as for the most , they were all the local farmers & small holders.
We designed our life on the small holding , planned it to to the N th degree as a progressive set up & stuck to it . ( this included education for things we'd need to learn ) .
I reckon we'd still be there but for the disabling back injury at my day job . The plan was for me to work till we had netted five times my BT income ( £78 K pa ( ish ) then put in for redundancy at work, then work 18 hr. days for a year on my own.
Towards the end of that year to take on two well paid honest reliable part timers and then for Alison to take redundancy a year later .
The eventual plan was for us to employ seven people & do several in house animal husbandry training courses
As a result of everything I firmly believe that continuous education towards your goal is absolutely necessary . Without it , at the best , you will stand still , whilst others progress forward , so in effect you end up going backwards .
Oh ... The plans of mice & men !