Did you know the average person spends 3,515 full days at work over the course of their lifetime and works an average of 188 days of overtime? And over half of people are unhappy in their workplace. That’s a lot of days to be unhappy.
Leadership positions are often dominated by particular groups of people, which makes those roles feel out of reach to people outside those groups, and leaders often feel like people we can’t relate to.
Add to that issues around traditional working methods, lack of flexibility in working hours and locations, and limited opportunities to increase your earnings; it’s easy to see why over half of workers are not happy at work. 65% say they are ready to quit after poor treatment from their employer during the pandemic. Despite job availability falling, only one in four working UK professionals view their company’s behaviour positively.
Starting up
All of this and more has led to more and more people deciding to start their own business. People who start businesses themselves often cite being unhappy at work as one of the reasons they decided to go it alone to create their own happy working environment.
People also start businesses because they have a brilliant idea! Top reasons for starting businesses are varied: wanting to be your own boss, wanting to decide how and when to work, following your passion and, of course, wanting to make your own money.
Starting a business either on your own or with someone else brings a sense of freedom, of owning your own destiny, of living a varied life and of making those dreams you had a reality. Anyone who has worked in a company with lots of processes will relate to the freedom and flexibility of starting out yourself and being free to make your own luck.
Facing your fears
Of course, it’s not just a simple step to start your own business. It’s scary losing the security of a salary paid every month. Suddenly you have to sort out your finances, tax, finding customers, creating a website and running your social media. All those things that you had a colleague to ask about are suddenly all down to you. It can be daunting, frustrating and utterly thrilling all in one day.
If you’re not white, male, straight and generally don’t fit the mould of a typical business leader, usually a position reserved for those from dominant groups, there is an added tension in starting your own business. The odds are against you. It’s a tough world out there and it’s likely that you won’t see people like you when you meet people to get your business launched and earning you money. You’re also less likely to secure any funding and other opportunities to help you with your business.
We have to face some facts here:
- Only 1 in 3 entrepreneurs is female: a gender gap equivalent to 1.1 million missing businesses
- Less than 1% of venture capital funding is awarded to all-female teams, which means that for every £1 of venture capital investment, women get less than 1p
- Black and Asian entrepreneurs find it harder to attract investment
- People with disabilities are more likely to be self-employed but find it harder to get support for their businesses
All of this and more means that making your brilliant new business idea a reality will take a lot of work and you’re going to need some help. You might already know this if you have started your new business and you’re struggling to make it work. You might be feeling lonely, frustrated and thinking about how you can make this business a success.
Launchpad
That’s why we have launched our Business Launchpad programme. We’re here for you! We want to see a wider variety of people launching businesses and making them a success. We want to redress the balance in support available for entrepreneurs and provide training and a network to help you. 2020 has seen a record number of new businesses started with many people finding they had the time to make their ideas a reality, or for many, they have been forced to think of new ways to generate an income. 2021 is THE year for making all of these new businesses a success. It’s time to shake things up and help people to make their dreams a reality.
Our six-week Business Launchpad programme is for founders who identify as being from minority, disadvantaged or under-represented groups. We will work with you on a structured programme to take your through nailing your business concept, your audience, your marketing, your sales strategy and pitch. And you know what? We’ve been there too! We can help you through our experience, which comes from working in a range of businesses, and from starting a business ourselves. You can be confident that we have the skills, experience and knowledge to help you get your business off to the best possible start.
Email us to register your interest: hello@watchthisspace.uk
