Entrepreneurial spirit is thriving in the UK & self-employed figures are at an all time high. But where does this determination to succeed stem from ?
How do you measure success? Is it a financial badge of honour? an accumulation of land or property? Or is it the value those around you put on your skills, your talents & how you project yourself?
Entrepreneurial spirit is thriving in the UK and self-employed figures are at an all time high. But where does this determination to succeed stem from and why are we seeing an increased number of British workers turning to self-employment as an alternative to the traditions of the 9-5? & what benefits & pitfalls are there to this chosen path?
As we have explored in previous articles, the modern office is a far cry from the stifling grey blocks of the 1980’s or the musty brown boxes of the 1950’s. Yet there are still businesses out there with these outmoded & outdated working practises. The entrepreneurial spirit which thrives in the UK, could be a place some of these companies could look to, to liven themselves up & redesign their working methods.
However, with the ever-changing expectations on the self-employed work force, what is the appeal to remaining your own boss? With GDPR, the new Tax laws looming & a seemingly never-ending amount of paper work & boxes to tick; why do some people join the self-employed workforce & remain there?
Virtually Smart Ltd have spoken to two entrepreneurs, who have come to self-employment from very different experiences. One, an established specialist fitness instructor, talks about his journey to self-employment & his vision for the future. The other, a lifelong motorcycle enthusiast, explores how fulfilling his ambitions of owning his workshop have been realised.
Paul Butler of Core Results, Chichester, talks frankly about his past, the expectations put upon him & how he shook them off to realise his own potential.
“For the first ten years of my work life I was a printer. I fell into that career as Mum threatened me with college unless I got a job before the summer was over. No fear! I needed to earn some money to buy a motorcycle! So, I went for an interview at a firm my friend was working at in Emsworth. Got the job & worked my way up the ladder for Ten years.
The job was stable and reasonably well paid, but I was bored & wanted more from my day job.
Other than Motorsport, working out & training was my main interest. One day in the gym talking to my best friend, he suggested I train as an instructor as I loved it & seemed to be good at training my friends.
Therefore, at the age of 26, I went back to school & evening classes at college. I did so well that the lecturer asked me to team teach the course next term!!
I had finally found my place in life. Better late than never! I started teaching classes and personal training all over Portsmouth & Chichester. For 7 years I did 7 days a week teaching over 20 classes a week.
To say I was exhausted would be an understatement. On the plus side I had plenty of money and squeezed in lots of track day’s somehow! The first 12 years were physically the hardest of my life, but also the best.
Fast forward 18 years and I now co-own a gym in Chichester, with another being built in Selsey & I can safely say I would not change the life I have worked for, for the world. Of course, there are lows as well as highs; but to be self-employed, you also must be a realist. For example, the lows include no paid holidays, no sick pay, overheads & wages to pay & if it goes wrong, it’s down to you. However, the benefits outweigh the pitfalls as it is your rules, your way & once you are established, being self-employed gives you total flexibility if you want it & a chance to truly love your job.
Although life is a little easier now, I always remember that the first year was really tough. Half the income, twice the hours; but I loved my job. You simply can’t beat that feeling when you know you are appreciated & are really good at what you do & If you have a passion. My advice to anyone considering the journey to self-employed status is simply to be brave & go for it!”
Our second entrepreneur, is Daniel Morris of mono motorcycles & vehicle security, Funtington, Chichester.
“Motorbikes have played a massive part in my life. From the tender age of seven I was part of a display team called The Wasps Motorcycle Display Team & cut my biking teeth on a Yamaha TY80. I loved the thrill of jumping through fire, leaping over cars & being part of the human pyramid with many of us perfectly balanced on one motorcycle!
My father was very keen for me to understand the workings of the motorcycles I was riding & quickly had me servicing & repairing mine & my friends. The understanding of engines at such a young age stood me in good stead & by the time I was sixteen I was stripping, modifying & creating bespoke builds. My first road motorcycle at sixteen was a Yamaha FS1E & the welder I got for my fourteenth birthday was put to great use, as the modifications & repairs came thick & fast. As time went by, I became the go to person for tuning & modifying both cars & motorcycles.
After college I completed an apprenticeship with Sycamore Cars & I learnt the trade from the inside. The wealth of knowledge I got from this experience enabled me to strengthen my skills set.
By the time I was 25 I was Workshop Controller for a Ford main dealer, followed by running my own business Gleam Auto Valeting & became a Zymol detailer. I sold the business & then spent the next ten years working for the AA as a Technical Advisor. Motorcycles however were always there; riding, modifying, fixing, racing, constantly in my life!
My journey has taken many diverse turns, but by late 2016 finding myself at a point where I was happy & content; I started to look at life in a different way. Therefore, with the support of family & friends I made the leap early in 2017 to move my motorcycle passion in to a fulltime business & mono motorcycles was born.
The first year has seen some huge changes to my mindset & working patterns. I am more flexible, I can choose when & how I want to work. In February this year, I made the move from mobile technician, to a new large workshop. The hours are long & I am paying out more than I have coming in, but, it’s mine & I know at the end of the day that all the long hours, will pay off. I am now the master of my own destiny, no two weeks are the same, I already have an established customer base, created connections with some market leaders in motorcycle security, have aligned myself with local main dealers & the business is starting to go in the right direction.
There are days when I question if it is worth it, but with the support of those who believe in me bolstering me along & a great customer base; I shake myself back to reality, check the giant company logo on the wall of my workshop & the motorcycles in my care & once I’ve had a word with myself, I’m on to the next job, fired up & ready to succeed. Live to ride, ride to live.”
These two determined entrepreneurs have explored the highs & lows of being self-employed. Each of them is hugely successful in his own right & this is down to determination & drive being at the back bone of their successes. Therefore, the question remains? How do you measure success when each & every one of us has a different way of accomplishing goals & dreams? Can success truly be measured & if so, against what? Paul Butler & Daniel Morris have both explored how through passion & pride in your work & yourself, you can find Your place & your own success.
Katy Jane
On behalf of Virtually Smart Ltd.
