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If you have a strong working relationship with your clients, I would strongly suggest going into business yourself.
I did this 5 years ago when the company I joined went belly up. I should really have looked at them a lot more carefully as I had been with my previous employer for 7 or 8 years & had the pension plan etc, etc. I ended up being tempted by the big salary & the big car, what a mistake, 6 months later - no job!
Practically all of my clients were very sympathetic & supportive & it was actually one of them that suggested branching out on my own. I'm glad they did as I've now been self-employed for 5 years. I've resisted the temptation to grow the business to the point where I need to employ people, I now just take on staff as I need them and treat them as self-employed too, paying them a daily or weekly fee as required. It's up to them to declare their own tax. Although I keep pretty busy most of the time, I still get the opportunity to make my hours suit my lifestyle so I'll work on projects during the day & maybe do some paperwork in the evening as I'm a bit of an owl. If I lie in 'till 9.00 next morning, it's not a problem, I don't have someone looking over my shoulder.
In case you're wondering, I design & build exhibitions for companies. I take them all over the UK & Europe. I work for a few fairly well known Scottish companies & have also built fairly large stands for Shell.
Because I'm a small business I have to try & provide something unique & I think thats the key to being sucessful. If there is a particular niche in your line of business you can exploit then go for it. I recon you'd never look back! And if you ever get big enough to need to exhibit, remember who told you first
I did this 5 years ago when the company I joined went belly up. I should really have looked at them a lot more carefully as I had been with my previous employer for 7 or 8 years & had the pension plan etc, etc. I ended up being tempted by the big salary & the big car, what a mistake, 6 months later - no job!
Practically all of my clients were very sympathetic & supportive & it was actually one of them that suggested branching out on my own. I'm glad they did as I've now been self-employed for 5 years. I've resisted the temptation to grow the business to the point where I need to employ people, I now just take on staff as I need them and treat them as self-employed too, paying them a daily or weekly fee as required. It's up to them to declare their own tax. Although I keep pretty busy most of the time, I still get the opportunity to make my hours suit my lifestyle so I'll work on projects during the day & maybe do some paperwork in the evening as I'm a bit of an owl. If I lie in 'till 9.00 next morning, it's not a problem, I don't have someone looking over my shoulder.
In case you're wondering, I design & build exhibitions for companies. I take them all over the UK & Europe. I work for a few fairly well known Scottish companies & have also built fairly large stands for Shell.
Because I'm a small business I have to try & provide something unique & I think thats the key to being sucessful. If there is a particular niche in your line of business you can exploit then go for it. I recon you'd never look back! And if you ever get big enough to need to exhibit, remember who told you first
If so, and I were you, I'd seriously think about trying to contract to small businesses.
FISH call me back
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