Also, in Italy, a family is not a drain on one's resources, but a support. I am speaking, inevitably, of an extended family: grandparents, uncles, cousins. They may lend you money when nobody else will, or at least not at rates that will allow you to make a profit. They will accept your excuses. They will look after your kids if you need the time. They will take a post in your company if they think it has a chance to work. They will work for you. And, in turn, you tend to assume that you are working not just for yourself, but for them.