Would-be entrepreneurs who want to have a better work-life balance are in for a rude awakening. For at least the first few years, you may be on the job at all hours. If a customer has a problem in the middle of the night, you are the one who’s getting up to address it. And if the company goes under, you are solely accountable for that failure, sacrificing your financial livelihood in the process.

These days, the traditional business world gets a bad rap. But there are some highly valuable aspects of regular jobs that we don’t think about until they are gone. These are the three P’s: peace, prestige and perks.

When you are one employee out of 1,000 or 100,000, you have much more peace. It’s actually possible to leave your work woes at the office and turn off your BlackBerry without jeopardizing the company’s future. Life is simpler. You have a defined set of responsibilities, and if you carry them out well and get results, you can go about your business with the certainty that the rest of the company can take care of itself.

And if you are intelligent and personable, you can rise to a respectable place in an esteemed organization. Your friends and family won’t fidget nervously when you tell them about your job. Being able to put a known company on your résumé equals credibility and opens career doors.

Finally, don’t forget about the perks. At a large organization, your compensation package is just that: a package. Besides base salary, the money your employer contributes to your health insurance and retirement plans can be essential to surviving in today’s world. And don’t discount the value of possible benefits like cars, gym memberships, child care, on-the-job lunches and big discounts on company products.

THE corporate world also gives you the opportunity to be around lots of people all the time. And, inevitably, some will be executives in a position to help with your career. The ability to establish relationships with powerful people in the context of your daily work is the best kind of networking out there.

The entrepreneurial lifestyle isn’t for everyone. It wasn’t for Mr. Cleary, and it may not be for you. Before you decide to take the plunge, think long and hard about what you’ll be getting yourself into, and what you’ll be giving up.