Great post, especially the bit about outplaying money. Lots of people want to go self employed but forget about the outlay. I used to work for myself detailing cars for a brief stint (in order to get out of my last job) I already had all the gear from being a hobbiest. However, people wanted more and specific coatings buying which weren't cheap and yes the then paid by cheque lol. Cash flow wasn't too bad at the time though so wasn't really a problem but I can see how it would be.
Vans are expensive, as is advertising. People completely underestimate the cost of advertising. A good website helps too although I guess plumbing advertisement is more word of mouth and news paper adds.