Written by Bill Harding.
Small Step For Mankind, a Giant Step For Bill
Was it really a leap or just a small step?
The dramatisation of setting up a new business featured on the previous pages of this article may suggest that starting up as your own boss is fuelled with uncertainty, indecision and certain failure.
Consider though, just how easy it is to setup a business. Registering a company or setting up as a sole trader requires no initial registration except with HM Revenue and Customs (who are old friends from your PAYE days). You can start tomorrow, buy a website for less than thirty pounds, design the site yourself or get a friend to do it, advertising your products, give an email address for queries and orders and then wait to receive some sales.
Moonlighting as a Business Person.
At the same time you carry on at your job (with a smile on your face) and deal with orders and enquiries from your business in the evening.
Sounds to good to be true? Well it isn't really it can and does happen all the time.
If you really wanted to push the boat out you could consider setting up a company and get the following benefits thrown in: Having a company can add substance and prestige to your business in the eyes of customers. It shows you're serious.
If you are as good as you think then your business will start to thrive and grow. At some stage you will have to make a decision about when you start to work on your new business fulltime and give up your day job and guaranteed monthly income. Whilst your new income may not yet equal the salary from your old job, you will have more time to devote to your company and thus may have every chance to increase the earnings from it.
Thus a happy ending. The boy get the girl and the girl gets the boy.
The Moral of the Story.
The moral of the story is: spend less time thinking about the risks of leaping off a cliff without a net and more time planning on how you can make a steady transition to achieving that which you want. Once you get there you'll wish that you did it years ago.
Bill Harding.
(Not Alan Sugar, but getting there).