I'm coming up on 50 years "young" and have been thinking about retiring early and or doing something else part time for quite some time. I own a small midwest manufacturing business that I started 21 years ago. I currently have around 45 employees and I have gotten so tired of all the headaches that come along with running a small business, especially dealing with employee issues. I pay my employees very well with a good wages and a nice benefit pkg. but it's still a struggle. It just seems that more and more it's such a fight everyday to "make it happen". I keep thinking how much easier it would be not to have to deal with everything related to owning and running my company. I constantly keep getting ideas and thoughts about selling out and leaving much of this stress and hassle behind. At first I kind of figured these thoughts were a mid life crisis, what ever that is, but I have come to realize that they are for real and I feel I need to take action and look for some serious changes. I used to worry that I wouldn't find fulfillment after getting out but I don't think that way anymore. I have worked so much over the past years that I've dropped most of my recreation items and hobbies but I feel confident I can get back in the swing. Are there any ex small business folks out there who have made the jump? Any thoughts and coments are most welcome. Great forum, I'm glad I found it.