Ruminating Fears

I'm meeting with a small business advisor this afternoon to look over the Profit and Loss statements from the previous two owners of the coffee shop. I'm basically looking for someone who knows numbers to look at me in all honesty and either tell me to run screaming in the other direction or to go for it.

I tend to romanticize things and so I'm trying, hard as I can, to be realistic about the degree of work that'll be involved in this. The thing that scares me the most is dealing with the business end of things.... balancing the books, learning QuickBooks, payroll, inventory. A friend of mine just recently purchased a sweet little health food type cafe in Stowe and I accompanied her on her jaunt to Costco last week. I know she has to make a certain amount each day to just break even and that most days, being in the early stages still, that doesn't happen. So halfway through our shopping trip it dawned on me.....how is she paying for all this food? Just simple concepts like that trip me up. How do I pay for the food? What bundle of cash do I pay my employees with? It's not like I'll be going into this with any real capital and isn't having some initial capital the saving grace of most small business entepreneurs?

Granted, I'm not totally satisfied with my current job. I'm understimulated, under-appreciated, and completely fed up with a beauracratic environment. The bossies want me there a specific number of hours each week and for two and a half years I've been telling them that my position really doesn't require that many hours (in the off season, especially). In an effort to save my time and their money, I've tried proposing different situations but have been told, in response, that they don't care if I come in to count paperclips..... they want me there. So I go. But as a result, I have a lot of down time. I've been fairly spoiled. Leaving the cush-ness of this position, a guaranteed salary income, two weeks vacation pay, sick days, no financial risk..... all for a behind the counter, on my feet, greeting people all day, drone of the steaming whistle, good conversation, constant stimulation, casual environment and absolute and total financial risk. Hmmmm..... It's a tough toss of the coin.

Will I be able to come home from work and leave work behind? Will I be spreading myself way too thin? Will I absolutely love the transition? Will I drink too much coffee and drain my adrenals and put myself back on track with past health issues? Can I stand that temptation? I haven't had a cup of coffee in about a month.... a HUGE undertaking for my addictive personality.

So, here goes.
The owner needs/wants an answer by the end of this week. Pressure is on.