Start up
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- honest
Is it a good idea to start up on my own considering how the economy is? I'm considering contingency plans if things get worse and I lose my job. I've an unemployed wife and mortgage to support...
- MSL0
Do you/could you have regular clients? Could you work from where you live?
- neue75_bold0
I wouldn't...
- but I am no highlander, so..neue75_bold
- You could become a highlander you know...aye, you could.TheBlueOne
- mikabast0
if you're not 100% sure, that you'll be able to put food on the table every day, then don't do it.
- OBBTKN0
Getting a "contigency" plan allways is a good plan... but better be head down at your work on this shit economic situation and try to get extra money doing little pieces, and start networking stronger and your own way when this passes away
- kelpie0
I'm in the process of hanging it all and just going for it. quit my job, 45 weeks to go, no clients, no leads, no nothing, moving to a new town. Fuck it, what's the worst that can happen? but I am a highlander so...
plus I don't have an unemployed wife and mortgage and my current pay is shit anyway, so who gives a fuck?
- thebottlerocket0
you need to ask yourself a question: what part of you, what burns inside you, that make you want to make it on your own?
If you can answer that question, then i wouldn't worry about the economy.
Having a contingency plan is just plain smart. Think about those numbskull entrepreneurs you sometimes see on the Dragons den. The ones that mortgage their house to try and get some lame idea off the ground. They've got no exit plan and their ego is so entwined with what they are doing, that they end up bankrupting themselves.
A contigency plan gives you options. You cant escape reality, maybe things wont work out for reasons other than your own hardwork. You just need to be smart enough to adapt and brave enough to make decisions, one of which may be 'this isn't working out, time to try something else'
- honest0
I'm not 'busy' at work and signs don't look good. reminds me of the late 90s. I just need to sort out a decent pipeline of work and I'll be sorted with a husband and wife design team.
- Nairn0
I don't have links to hand, but I've read a few Really Smart People talk about how they think we're passed the current R's nadir.
When I say Smart People, I of course mean rich businessmen - not academics with elbow pads.
- neue75_bold0
I'm getting the fuck out of europe, as everything I've heard points to things getting worse, in Holland nobody is hiring, I mean nobody... I've been miserable with my job for well over a year now and never intended to stay this long, but there's nothing going on here, especially if you're not a junior/middleweight so it seems like a good time to relocate to Melbourne where things have been picking up...
- nobody..neue75_bold
- but I would not dare to try and start my own gig in an already completely over saturated market at this point..neue75_bold
- Fishes and ponds, man.Nairn
- what happened to london???paraselene
- we can't get the highly skilled visa, they changed the requirements.. you now need a phd or a masters...neue75_bold
- I read and write at a 6th grade level...neue75_bold
- :-/
that's the economy for you. changin' all the rules. bummer.paraselene - it's the queens loss if you ask me..neue75_bold
- so sad, helvetica is her favourite fontkelpie
- If your there by Jan. we can catch up.MrRemote
- nice one, that'd be brilliant.. and I should be there by mid-October...neue75_bold
- thebottlerocket0
"I don't have links to hand, but I've read a few Really Smart People talk about how they think we're passed the current R's nadir."
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6 months ago people were saying here that the recession wasn;t going to effect them, etc. Now its 'when will it end', or 'the worse is over'. These people may be right. But just like it took a while for the wheels to grind to a halt, it will take time for them to powerup again...and to what level, who knows. Secondly, the point i am making is how and when this 'recession ends' can only by determined within specific sectors. Some may come out of it more quickly, others may lag behind. There is no single point where everyone can let go of their breath and think 'well, thank god i survived that!'
Which is why i suggested you not worry about 'the state of the ecpnomy'. You can be certain that you ability to generate work for yourself is partly independent to the general economic climate. If your business has something unique about, and you have the ability to find clients and generate work out of them, then these things should mean your enterprise has every chance of success. You're level of profitability might be effected through the general economy but a good business is a good business regardless of the economy.
- honest0
Well, my wife and myself are in our early 30s, no kids yet, no pets, no car, no credit cards and no debt aside from the mortgage. My wife's Japanese and can't get work here as a designer (after 6 months looking, she always get shunted aside by a plucky young graduate). I've always wanted to start up on my own and I think now is as good enough time as ever – thoughts?
- moth0
I just had a half-hearted attempt at it honest and I crumbled within days.
Unless you have a couple of projects to see you through a couple of months I probably wouldn't bother. I've since started a new job this week and feel much more relaxed.
Haven't been paid for my first bit of freelance either. Went well huh?
- Does having an XBox count as a "project"?TheBlueOne
- I have until November to sort out 5 clients and 20,000 to get me going.honest
- moth0
On the plus side - I suppose you're obliged to hire your wife. Or will you out her for a plucky younger one?!
- blaw0
It's never 100% safe. Every business takes that risk.
My advice would be to start freelancing evenings and weekends, trying to ramp up some work. Since your wife is also a designer and available during the day, she can likely help you gather steam a lot faster than if you were doing this solo.
It if looks promising, get started on a business plan and cancel your entertainment plans for the next year or so.
Good luck.
- 23kon0
Kelpie
Aye, GP went into voluntary liquidation a few weeks ago.
Came completely out of the blue, especially seeing as the web part was doing very well.
Big news for the design industry in scotland, the company had been around 30+ years.Myself and the other parka guys quickly got a plan together and have spent the last few weeks starting up our own company and rescueing clients.
Response from clients has been overwhelmingly positive - most of their thinking being "well, its exactly the same team anyways".
Some PR to announce the new company coming soon.
And our site(page) is about to go up anyday, just waiting on final tweaks to the copy.Sent an email to QBN with regards to covering the story in the EC but not heard a reply yet. Also sent one to Wig seeing as i think he's the only UK Editor.
Really excited about the future as it's not everyday you get the opportunity to start something new with an existing clientbase.
- thebottlerocket0
I've always wanted to start up on my own and I think now is as good enough time as ever – thoughts?
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My advice would be to not do weekends and evenings and try to ramp it up. You'll do both jobs badly and the one you really want to do, the business, well, you're just short changing yourself. If you want to run an enterprise you either need to do it or not do it.
To be honest, it sounds like something you really want to do. And as I said before, and tried to give solid reasons for, you should not worry about the 'general state of the economy'.
You have some good things going for you already. You have a trusted business partner in your wife and thats invaluable. You have no idea how nice it is not having to do every meeting on your own, or ride the ups and down of the ego rollercoaster by yourself.
The key for me, is to plan and to be honest when you are planning. This process will result in not only a plan to go forward with but also a measuring stick to how you are going. A way to assess of this is all worth it or not. That way you have an external measure If things aren't working out. Things to be included on this plan would be items such as 'how much i want/need to earn', 'how am i going to get clients', 'how much do i charge'. etc, etc, etc You can assess in a couple of months time how your endeavour is measuring up.
How unique your business proposition is, well that something you can only answer yourself. And to be honest, this is probably more key than all the others. Its the age old question 'why would these people choose me over someone else'.
- honest0
thanks for all the advice folks. Watch this space...
- Ok. watching.....TheBlueOne
- ...still watching...TheBlueOne
- ...still watching...TheBlueOne
- ...what's supposed to be happening?TheBlueOne
- It's still not doing anything? Hello?TheBlueOne
- you should sell ad space here...neue75_bold
- Wait? Did that...no...no..my eyes were getting blurry...TheBlueOne
- so nothing is going to happen in this space, is it? You bastard. You're on the List now.TheBlueOne
- honest0
-you blinked
- Orbit0
I'm not watching.