Advantages to starting a cupcake business vs. staying in this horrible paralegal job:

1. All the learning opportunities: everything about it would be new! And while I'm sure a lot of it would be frustrating at times, I actually think learning the ins and outs of starting my own business would be fun and challenging. Nothing here is fun or challenging any more.

2. I'd get to meet a lot of new people, from business consultants to bankers to real estate agents to contractors to vendors to customers. My world right now is incredibly (and stiflingly) small and is in critical need of expansion.

3. While I would still be somewhat at the mercy of others, particularly in the beginning, I would eventually get to be mostly my own boss. After years and years of idiot lawyers, this is HUGE for someone with my control issues.

4. I would be able to out and about much more, particularly if I did deliveries for parties and weddings. Just the possibility of getting to drive around a bit is exciting to me. I feel like I live in this office and my house and that's it right now. I barely even get to see the outdoors. So my shop will definitely have to have a wall of windows!

5. The biggest advantage: it will be a HAPPY business, not one where everyone involved has been hurt in one way or another and is now in some contentious battle for money.