I was a freelance computer chap for 30 years, at 57 realized that it had finished for me. My wife and I are now in the process of buying a Guest House in Falmouth, Cornwall. Our daughter went to uni there and we always found it difficult to find a place to stay when went to visit her and from there we had our plan B. Will be moving down in March.
My cousin did the same 10 years ago in Torquay. She and her Husband work hard for 10 Months of the year and then goes off on Holiday for 4-6 weeks over Christmas..position is everything though. Good luck...its something Ive always wanted to do but we dont have the market for it here.
I enjoy my work but I don't like the company I work for and I regularly work 50-60 hours a week and could be forced to travel the length of the country at the drop of the hat. Moneys not terrible but not what I believe it should be.
I'd like to go it alone but I don't think think there's enough of a market it for it to do by myself so I'm thinking of finding a similar employed job with less hours and starting the business as more of a side venture. Does anyone else have any experience like this working both as an employee and starting a business/working self employed together?
I tried to get a few little businesses going on the side whilst being employed in my 20's and I couldnt make it work, there were always conflicts with my time. When I was 29 I gave it all up despite having a Mortgage and two small kids and threw myself in full time.....best 21 years of my working life followed.
I enjoy my work but I don't like the company I work for and I regularly work 50-60 hours a week and could be forced to travel the length of the country at the drop of the hat. Moneys not terrible but not what I believe it should be.
I'd like to go it alone but I don't think think there's enough of a market it for it to do by myself so I'm thinking of finding a similar employed job with less hours and starting the business as more of a side venture. Does anyone else have any experience like this working both as an employee and starting a business/working self employed together?
I tried to get a few little businesses going on the side whilst being employed in my 20's and I couldnt make it work, there were always conflicts with my time. When I was 29 I gave it all up despite having a Mortgage and two small kids and threw myself in full time.....best 21 years of my working life followed.
Tel's right ... I started my own company a few years ago and now wish I'd been brave enough to do it in my 30's - makes such an incredible difference being your own boss.
Bump. Be interesting to hear what has happened in the last 3 years. I'm contemplating this being my last year of doing a shit job, and have a possible business opportunity in a totally different sector back in South Africa that i am currently doing the analysis and feasibility on to see if it can work. My view at the moment is that if i dont try i will never know. One of daughters finishes Uni end of this year and my other finishes school.
After 11 years in advertising, I'm getting out. I started as a copywriter and worked up to creative director level, and I've been freelance for the past five years. But with the advent of AI tools, less work and more people fighting for the little that there is. I've looked at going back to full-time, but it's a challenge for me because I've moved continents, so my portfolio was built in a region that is stylistically different from the UK.
I'm looking at getting a job in software development. I've always had an interest and have dabbled in a few languages over the years, so I'm at least not starting from scratch. I understand the dev job market is terrible after Covid overhiring, but long-term it has to be more of a growth than the ad industry, which seems like it's been stuttering for decades. Ever since I've made this decision I've been enjoying the learning and have felt 10x more motivated, which must be a good sign.
Any advice from people in this world would be appreciated.
I can offer zero advice apart from what you’ve already mentioned with AI. It’s going to massively impact so many areas in the not too distant future. Worth a thought.
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Be interesting to hear what has happened in the last 3 years.
I'm contemplating this being my last year of doing a shit job, and have a possible business opportunity in a totally different sector back in South Africa that i am currently doing the analysis and feasibility on to see if it can work. My view at the moment is that if i dont try i will never know. One of daughters finishes Uni end of this year and my other finishes school.
After 11 years in advertising, I'm getting out. I started as a copywriter and worked up to creative director level, and I've been freelance for the past five years. But with the advent of AI tools, less work and more people fighting for the little that there is. I've looked at going back to full-time, but it's a challenge for me because I've moved continents, so my portfolio was built in a region that is stylistically different from the UK.
I'm looking at getting a job in software development. I've always had an interest and have dabbled in a few languages over the years, so I'm at least not starting from scratch. I understand the dev job market is terrible after Covid overhiring, but long-term it has to be more of a growth than the ad industry, which seems like it's been stuttering for decades. Ever since I've made this decision I've been enjoying the learning and have felt 10x more motivated, which must be a good sign.
Any advice from people in this world would be appreciated.