Well, i am from Eastern Europe too, and my business can be best described exactly as yours, and i don't see absolutely any stigma. Everyone is ready to accept t

Well, i am from Eastern Europe too, and my business can be best described exactly as yours, and i don't see absolutely any stigma. Everyone is ready to accept that running a small business is way better than working 9-5 for a meager wage. Maybe in U.K. or Germany it might sound as 'unemployed', but in Eastern Europe 'employed' almost always means 'poor loser' unless you work for a big name company (SAP/Gazprom) or at least a mid-tier manager. So, there is more stigma attached to employment than unemployment. In fact, many people just tell to girls 'i don't work' and that adds to their image rather than subtracts. Remember old Soviet curse "i wish you live on your salary alone!" If you feel bad telling you don't work 9-5, buy a sports car. It helps.