I agree, you should at least ask the man for some advice on starting your own business. It would be ideal if he would take you under his wings and help you along, but he may not want the competition. If this is the case, I would search for a business owner in another area, who wouldn't be threatened by the competition, that would be willing to set down and talk to you about starting this type of business. I am sure they could offer a lot of insight.