For many Canadians, the choice to become self-employed has less to do with entrepreneurial ambition than with the circumstances of their household. In my recent study tracking Canadians through marriage, divorce, childbirth and widowhood, I found that major family transitions can make self-employment feel either more feasible or entirely out of reach, depending on who in the household absorbs caregiving and who anchors the income. Self-employment is a significant feature of Canada’s labour marke