[Sundae]

Just to say what other people have said - it's not about what we would do, it's about what you really want to do.

You seem to have thought through the pros and cons of both scenarios very carefully, so the only decision you have to make is which pros make you happiest and which cons bother you the least.

Personally, I'd never like to work for myself. I work for a self employed couple at present and although they can do things like leave the shop for 20 minutes to collect their daughter every day from school, they never really have a moment off work - it's woven into their lives to such an extent that they never switch it off. This is fine as they are passionate about the business, and you never make money in retail unless you are the boss, but it's certainly not for me.