I work alone, from home, and it suits me 100% for where I am in my life atm.
I have built up my business over the last 9 years (since my youngest started school) and it has been perfect to work around family commitments, ie working school hours and some evenings. Now they are older I can be more flexible too. I'm delighted to still be here when I've watched lots of salons come and go in my town and I sit here with no shopfront and build my business mostly from referrals (apart from a recent leaflet campaign)
When the recession first hit and over a 6 month period I lost approx a third of my clients I was glad I didn't have a salon with overheads and staff to think of. I maybe wouldn't even still be here if I had. But as I work from home at least when I'm not working, I'm not LOSING any money, just not making any. I've ridden out the storm and have more clients now.
When I have no clients for a half day or whatever I can do as I please.
I have no issues with staff being disloyal, not showing up, fingers in the till etc, no paperwork relating to their employment, tax, etc (quite honestly with everything else going on in my life at the moment I would not have time to fit it in!) Nor do I feel I need the stress!
Game on to all those of you with salons, horses for courses and all that, but it's not for me at the present time. I would never say never though.