The Reluctant Entrepreneur
Talks on entrepreneurship tend to be very ‘motivational’: now you - yes, you - have the chance to get out of the rat-race and get seriously rich! However many people start businesses, or just start working for themselves in some kind of freelance capacity, with more fear than excitement. They set out not with a dream of getting rich but with the hope that they will be able to pay the bills by doing something they like and are good at. A man in a bow tie standing on a stage preaching about ‘living the dream’ can be more off-putting than helpful. This talk is the antidote to those kinds of sermons.
“If you are nervous about starting out alone - join the club!” says Chris. “I was nervous, too, when I started out on my own. But I didn’t have any option. I wanted to write, and to do that I had to be self-employed. Twenty years on, I’m still self-employed. I haven’t got fabulously rich; I don’t sit down at my desk each morning and think ‘wow, I’m free!’; I do support my family and I do work that I like and am respected for. On the way, I’ve made most of the mistakes that self-employed people make. Getting too isolated, taking bad advice, messing up tax returns - I’ve done them all. And thus, know how not to do it again.”
The talk is essentially about the psychology of self-employment, though there will be some more basic practical dos and don’ts, and Chris is always happy to answer questions on specific topics such as marketing, keeping accounts, sales, VAT registration (etc.)
The talk usually lasts about half an hour, but can be shorter or longer if required. It is accompanied by a simple PowerPoint presentation, but this is optional.
For more details, contact Chris at chris@chriswest.info or on 01763 261763.