Scott Maroney, an independent dealer based in Largo, Florida, spent his first three years as a distributor putting in long hours on the tool truck, and also turning wrenches on nights and weekends. His says this helped him to establish a successful business, but he could only sustain the workload for so long.

“I got burned out,” Maroney says. “So the last two years I’ve made a conscious effort not to work in the evenings. Or, when I get done at night, I’ll go to the gym with my son or go home with the wife, or work on the house or do something else. I need to get away from the business just a little bit.

“I know if I work harder, I can make more money,” he says. “But I’m doing good right now... I’m going to keep it going, but do I need to work 60 hours a week and then go home and do all my paperwork? No. I don’t need to kill myself at this point in my life. I do what works for me.”