What has been the biggest influence?

[Rigs]

Just got extremely tired of working for someone else... you work long for somebody else to reap the benefits. You get your wage and that's pretty much it!

 

[Desmond Brambley]

"Also, office politics. Could never get my head around the whining and griping."

A major factor in my decision too. Most of the time, when I worked in offices, it felt like I was back in the junior school playground. So many whining, back biting, conceited, two-faced 'sholes that it ruined any hope of building a decent team.

 

[Whistle Ink]

I wanted to gain control of my life and future and not limit my potential to a small payrise or limited promotion.

 

[top-click]

I feel claustrophobic working for other people - I need to be in charge of my own destiny - simple!

 

[Amber]

Well, I'd always wanted to work for myself because I'm just not cut out for "normal" work: I hate the petty rules, the office politics, the inflexibility, the fact that no matter how hard you work, your employer is still the person who benefits most... I could go on

That said, I would probably never have gotten round to doing anything about it, until my fiance was suddenly diagnosed with kidney failure on boxing day 2003. That was something of a wake up call for us: corny I know, but it really made us realise that life is just too short to be unhappy for eight hours a day, so we started up on our own, and now live in mortal fear of ever having to go back

 

[fastfences]

Hi,
The challenge to reap the benefits of my own exertion!

Of course there is a certain amount of pride and financial reward to be considered also.

 

[Shaggy]

To be frank, I knew I could do it, and it was about time I could set my own wage and not be limited to what someone thought I was worth!!

 

[Handyhero]

In reply, I started working for myself because working for someone else was killing me. I work just as long and hard now, but I'm a very reasonable boss and if I need to, I can speak frankly to myself without fear of losing my livelihood!

Reza Van Sanden

 

[jon-at-skai]

I didn't start this business, but I have joined this small firm called SKAI which has enjoyed 5 years of steady business through referrals.
I know that the reason they started the company in 1999 was simple: They knew - with complete conviction - that they could achieve more and help their clients to achieve more without being shackled to a large overarching beaurocratic multi-national organisation.
The freedom to operate to your own values and respond more quickly to client demands led to the business being created.

 

Two things for me:

1. I was sick of being paid badly for a job I did so well. So I thought If I can do it for them, what's to stop me doing it for myself. And do you know what was stopping me?
Absolutely Nothing.

2. EB Marketing stands for Ebony & Bailey. Ebony Being my Daughter & Bailey being my son. No bigger motivator, and a legacy to boot!

 

[bitsnstuff]

It has to be my sanity!

I am the type to have constant plans and schemes on the go, before one has finished, then next has been researched and ready to go. I can't seem to chill out and think of nothing - more's the pity.

When I became a housewife and mother in very quick succession and couldn't go back to my old job for practical reasons, I needed something to fill up those spare minutes :lol: when my little daughter was napping and occupied.

Proving a bitter harder to achieve than I first thought, but I couldn't simply sit around and watch telly tubbies, so now I do both and am loving it.

 

[mumper]

The main reasons for me was to have the choice of standing or falling by my own decisions and judgements, and dictating my own working hours.

 

[simonread]

Feeling that I can do it better!

 

[10Yetis]

Just wanted to get this back on the agenda (or near the front of the posts) as I am hoping to get the release written on the back of it...

All you newbies... post on!

And don't forget, the more interesting the quote the more chance your business has of getting a namecheck in the press release.

 

[Cornish Steve]

All you newbies... post on!

1) To have more control over my own professional destiny.

2) To define the set of core values my company lives by.

 

[chris1317]

The main reason was to earn a bit of spare cash to supliment working as all of that cash goes on the bills.

It nice to know than any money that you make above what you put out on the business (why did i not just say proffit) is yours to spend as you like.

It also gives you a sense of being on the up and up because before I would just work for an employer earning X ammount per month every month (no matter how hard you work) but now earning potential is only limitred by the effort put in.

Chris.

 

[c2webdesign]

For me it was quite a few reasons but as I'm limited to two - here goes:

- To be the one in control of my own destiny and life (scary for some, essential for others)

- The buzz and excitment. It may be stressful, but it is so rewarding.


Dean
C2 Web Design
http://www.c2webdesign.co.uk

Web Design | Online Marketing | Search Engine Optimisation

 

[10Yetis]

I know I keep harping on... but come on... there must be more people out there...

Could really do with 100+ replies.

You know you want to!

 

[SuffolkDesigns]

In 1998 I moved abroad, could not get a job as I couldn't speak the language so started my own business online .

So really I was more forced into it out of necessity that anything else, but I wouldn't change it

 

[webit]

I did this because:

I spent many years building B2B/B2C sites for ‘Blue Chips’ and I know I can do it better on my own because I can move faster and react quicker to peoples needs.

I have vision and know what I need to achieve and why should anyone benefit from my ideas for the price of my wage.

I’ve always been in senior positions in companies and the time was right to stand on my own feet and test my ideas without having to justify them

 

[Julie]

Apart from the fact that I have done this for over 20 years and think I am now completely unemployable... Why did I start? Because I like to have control over how things are done and running my own business is the best way to achieve that.

Although I wish I'd been quicker to realise that it's a rare person who has all the skills needed to run a business. I was slow to work out which skills I'm missing and to find people to fill those gaps.... now that I have, it's a revelation!

 

[Twokids]

Good thread this!

I started after years in the IT industry – firstly as a technician, then for the last ten years in sales for a large global software company.

Commission sales represented 50% of my salary – that 50% was paid when I reached 100% of my target – fair enough.

So my target was $5million – I reached 120% - got paid commission plus an extra 20% - fair enough.

Next year my target was $6.5 million – did 113% - fair enough

Next year $8million then $9million then $12.5million. – each year I overachieved so I was (relatively) happy.

Then I thought – hang on – I have increased sales by over 300% in five years and yet my salary is ( roughly ) the same as when I started – So my company is getting an extra $7millon a year from me that they did not have before an I am getting….. er nothing more.

That was it! I decided I had enough sweating to pay my bosses ( and hundreds of others who were overlay at best, and inconsequential at worst) and my companies shareholders and subsidising their Ferraris.

Time to go it alone and I have never looked back!

 

[10Yetis]

Any more for any more... ahh, go on!

 

[Jayne]

Hi,

I use to work as a laboratory assistant in a chemical works. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't move up the ladder, wrong sex you see. I left there after a large chemical explosion (few killed) I was frightened it would happen again. Then moved on to a sign company, the same there! Work places are still not equal! Therefore, I decided I didn't want a boss again and started a business with my husband. Still got a boss, called Tony Blair :lol: takes a big cut of my profits, but a least nobody puts me down anymore.

Jayne

 

[Jayne]

Hi again,

I asked my husband why he wanted to be in business, to give you another view. He said that he didn't want to work for any more ****holes, the rest of his comments I don't think I can write, his lanuage was quite colourful. He didn't like his last boss he was trying to say. He said that he wanted to do beter in life and he wanted to do it himself, then he had no one else to thank. (that's the nice version anyway!)

Best Wishes

Jayne

 

[10Yetis]

Any more for any more.... there must be a few lurkers wanting to post?

 

[yousaint]

Hello,

I started my business as a project. I wanted to use all of the various subjects that I learned at business school, that I couldn't really use in one ordinary job.

I get a real sense of pride about having my own business, especially when I ask "...and do you offer a trade discount?"

 

[StoneLink]

"The pain of years, working for someone else, living and creating their destiny."

Nicholas A. Tsiougos
StoneLink Coaching
www.stonelinkcoaching.com
"every step of the way"

 

[cynicaldoctor]

Realising 3 facts about my life.
1. I cannot imagine working as a doctor in the NHS till the age of 65.
2. My job does not challenge me any more as it used to do.
3. Accepting the fact that maybe I went down the "wrong" path a long time ago and it is never too late to make ammends.

 

[APRogers]

Having suffered something like ten rounds of redundancies in various companies, several buy-outs, mergers, splits and sales, and finally getting caught by redundancy (three weeks before Christmas) I wanted some insurance.

I've always hankered after being my own boss too!

 

[mjmartin]

My boss left me in the lurch when he decided to retire. I had to set up a company as a matter of nessecity. So in short, earning a living.

 

[10Yetis]

With all the new Newbies, there must be more to be posted?
Getting closer to the magic 100 number!

 

[UKRobin]

After setting out to work for myself, I was given some advice by a great friend and that was simply ‘Don’t consider what you know and what you can do as important, consider what you don’t know, what you should know and what you should be doing’

A great piece of advice I always try to stick too.

 

[crus]

Sales job,

everytime I got a sale, by the end could close in 30 secs against a target of 3.5 mins, I had a ping pong gun and shot it against my head. It was a dark time where my sanity was breached.

D

 

[UKRobin]

Good job you didn't also own a real gun, Confusion could be lethal lol

 

[10Yetis]

it is good that that this thread has come back to life as we really need as many posts as possible to make the data more robust for the media release.

The forum has grown in size so much since this thread was started that there must be loads of new people who have not contributed to this... so come on, as Delia would say:

"lets be 'aving you"

 

[Ruthierhyme]

Reasons.....

When you have the opportunity to turn a dream into a reality and for a while have the cash to kickstart it's success what other reward is there than seeing darn hardwork come to fruition?

Plus..... only you can give up on yourself ... no boss lurking in the background ready to condem!!

 

[Admiral Collections]

The challenge on a day to day basis.


Nic :wink:

 

[Greig]

I started my business in an area I have always loved but never really liked working for someone else doing it working shiftwork. And to be honest to earn more then just being an employee.

 

[Hayles]

I was looking to buy a catering trailer for our buffets.... looked at them in the morning but found out our pub that we used to work in was up for sale that afternoon and by the evening had bought a pub instead of a trailer - reason for starting the business...? Does much warmer count?!