Starting a company: your vision vs. the reality

If your current day job is starting to grate on you, it’s only natural for your thoughts to turn to any alternative options. In all likelihood, you’ll be in the same situation if you turn up to work for another company: office politics, company values that don’t match your own and little to no freedom in how you conduct your work. There’s another route in which you can take your career, however – becoming an entrepreneur and starting your own business. Being your own boss is an alluring prospect, as it frees you from many of the gripes we all have as employees. In the ever-changing marketing sector, branching out to start your own business is particularly inviting. Maybe there’s an emerging opportunity that you’d like to take advantage of, or perhaps your employers are being slow to respond to the changing market. Whatever the reason, starting a company is nevertheless a daunting prospect. A marketing franchise can provide you with a distinct advantage if you want to be your own boss and start a successful business. How does the reality of starting a company differ from your vision?

Your creative direction
This preconception largely holds true – you will have creative control over your company, and can choose which direction it goes in. However, you will be limited by your budget, and if you’re having a hard time convincing investors that your novel creative direction is the right one, you may need to compromise.

Improved work-life balance
Your current employer may be less than willing to accommodate your reasonable request for flexible working. You’d really love to set your own schedule rather than having it dictated by someone else. Running your own business will give you the best chance of achieving this goal. In reality, your work-life balance will deteriorate for the first few years of running your own business. You’ll have to be switched on 24/7. You won’t be able to switch off your smartphone and let work emails fester until the morning – they could be crucial to the future of your business. If your business grows into a successful enterprise, you may soon be able to achieve the work-life balance that you crave – but there’s no guarantee that it’ll ever emerge.

Sales pitches and networking events
Of course entrepreneurs attend networking events and have to pull of spectacular sales pitches to potential new clients, but alongside these exciting experiences you also have to deal with the dull side of starting a business: writing business plans, filling in forms and managing every single aspect of your fledgling business. The reality isn’t as romantic as you might expect.

One way to avoid your expectations being dashed is by buying a franchise. A franchise provides you with a tried and tested business plan and established brand to start you off with. You’ll still retain almost all of the freedom you associate with being your own boss. You won’t have anyone to report to. In addition, you won’t have to face the famed 80-hour weeks that start-ups have to deal with, and you’ll stand a much greater chance of turning a profit in your first year (or even month) than if you were starting from scratch. The Opportunity Marketing Franchise gives experienced marketing employees the chance to buy a franchise of their own. Interested? Read our FAQ for more details.