Alchemy is a great craft for a person that enjoys the feeling of running a business. Trades like weaving and smithing seem like "artisan" crafts to me. There are a number of signature pieces, with high-level HQ items selling for big cash.
To succeed in Alchemy, though, you need to be much more aware of the market. Our products are much more sensitive to fluctuations in the economy, so what turns a good profit this week may not be so great the next. It pays to keep a store of ingredients on hand (I have a mule stocked up with memories, potion ingredients, wax, glass fiber, and other junk). I watch the prices and AH stocks of various items very carefully. When the AH supply runs low on something like Holy Water or Poison Potions or Silent Oil, it pays to be ready to step in and get that stuff up for sale.
As an alchemist, your profit accumulates from small sales over time. You still stand to make tons of gil, but you have to be a little more persistant and patient. While we don't really stand to make 20m from a single synth, we're also unlikely to lose millions to a bad break. All in all, I'm very happy with my craft of choice.
