Yea, there are easier ways, winning the lottery might be one, but if you want to succeed like most people do, its never easy. You must be driven and dedicated, willing to take the good with the bad, if its worthwhile its never really easy though...... I was working on a degree in Emergency Medicine while I was in the army but my enlistment ran out, along with my desire to remain in that field. I also wasn't crazy about taking orders from idiots with a higher rank, in the military or civilian world, so I always knew I wanted to be my own boss.
While many may think that the contracting business is easy you'd be wrong. Its easy enough to get a license but very difficult to succeed where many others fail. Just getting the insurance and bonding can be difficult, then consider simply bidding a job, taking into account cost overruns, the contracts and permits, hiring qualified employees & subcontractors, taxes, payroll...... intelligence & patience are a must, along with physical ability......well, you get the picture.......not exactly easy.
The first 5 years were the hardest, but after that many years I netted over 100k.....Some of my friends with college degrees still make 40k a year....I don't think they have the drive I do either. Whatever you decide to do, do it the best you possibly can and success wont be far away.......but it may take time....
I'll probably retire from contracting in the next 5 years, I'm already considering easier ways to make a living......
