New Year, New Start, New Career

January is here and many of us are looking at the 12 months ahead, wondering what they will bring. Personal and professional success go hand in hand and, as a previous mentor once told me, we should not focus on work-life balance but rather work-life harmony – I have always found that thought-provoking.

To gain this harmony, you may be thinking that now is the time to become you own boss, make your own decisions, work the hours you want and leave the 9am-5pm behind. Research tells us that 10% of Britons are more likely to start a business in January – are you among their number?

I came across a fascinating article - 6 best small business ideas for 2023 - Small Business UK – and was struck most of all by the diversity of the entries to the list. I also appreciated the clarity the piece brought around how to go about starting each of the ventures, the earnings one could expect, as well as real-life insights from people running each of the business types.

My key takeaway from this article was the ‘how’ of navigating to a new career – after all, understanding and knowing ‘how’ is key to making the transition to becoming self-employed. It also raises many important questions and practical considerations, such as ‘how do I finance my business idea?’, ‘how do I successfully market my product/service?’, and ‘how do I meet my financial commitments?’, to name but a few.

We can help you successfully navigate this journey and find the answers to these burning questions. To learn more, visit the training section of the X-Forces Enterprise website, here: - Training | X-Forces Enterprise.

Chris Wicks, Head Of Business Lending