General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Think Twice Before Quitting Your Job to Sell Homemade Jam [View all]Orrex
(63,208 posts)You were initially talking about the ability to support oneself solely through a self-run craft business. Now you're refering to a "realistic goal," which I submit is a very different target. What, exactly, do you define as a "realistic goal?"
For that matter, you say "the experiences I describe are typical of success." I don't doubt that, but the important truth is that success is rare. So if you take as your sample group those who have succeeded, then of course the characteristics of members of that group will be "typical of success." That's like saying that every baseball team that has won a World Series has won a majority of that seven-game series.
I don't want to argue the points either; you have your experiences, and I have mine. If they do not coincide, then there's no point in us bickering about it.
Suffice it to say that in my experience it is hugely difficult to achieve the kind of independence that you began by advocating. It is more realistic to hope for a modest supplemental income as a complement to an existing, stable income. If others are truly able to achieve independence and success, then again I say good for them. Their stories remain the exception and not the rule.