N.O.Minded,
I'm glad that doing electrical work is something that you would do for free because when you are self employed sometimes you do!
I have been in business for 10 years now as an electrical contractor and can tell you that just because you may be a good electrician does not necessarily mean that you are a business person.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy what I do and could not imagine what I would be doing if I wasn't doing this. But, as I look around I started realizing. I don't know any retired electrical contractors - seems they usually work until they die. And, I don't know of any highly successful 1st generation electrical contractors. Most successful contracting businesses were started by fathers or grandfathers.
I always wonder if these second or third generation contractors know how lucky they are to have had the guidance and experience of their family... I am not so furtunate and am having second thaughts as to if I would be better off working for someone else.
think it through!
