My father was an electrician and ran his own electrical business. He got emergency calls at night and on weekends. When he had a big job to do, some of his employees called in sick (usually from hangovers). My mother worked in the office, which wasn't good for the marriage, and they fought. I worked for him part time in summers and hated that kind of work. He did not make a good living at all, and had no health insurance, so he relied on the VA for care. He finally gave it up and went to work for the City as an electrical inspector, and earned good money, plus retired with benefits and a top notch Medicare supplement plan that the City paid for.