Category: Work

The Day I Visited my New Opportunity

This post discusses both my new venture and some thoughts on alcohol culture here in the UK.

Yesterday, the other half and I travelled to the North of England to visit the offices of the franchise I am about to invest in.

What a great day! It was great to see them all in person and, through the spin, there was real clarity on where I could go and options I might have to scale my business in the future.

What’s great is that, the image proposed to me previously was quite a centralised operation – which it still will be. However, they are hoping to create regional hubs as well and my full intention is to become one.

Previously, I’d been concerned that I would essentially be just a freelancer operating a franchise. However, I began to see a clear picture of a scalable business which is ultimately what I want to do.

Feeling very positive about it. Indeed, at some stage, I’ll probably reveal who I am and what my franchise does – but I’m not there yet.

Moving on….now….this was a meeting full of sales people, we’re all in sales and that’s what the franchise does.

Therefore, it wasn’t long before the mention of “beers” was brought up…”oh, this place is good for a beer” – “oh, we’ve spent many a night in there” – “oh, we’ll have a few beers when you come up for training” – “oh, we’ve had a few beers with clients here, there and everywhere”

Not saying that they were wrong to do this. British culture is centred largely around alcohol and the pub. It’s a way of bonding, of showing you’re alright, of being social and I understood why it was brought up. They wanted me to feel at home and comfortable and that they were approachable people considering the massive life-leap I’m about to take.

However, I must admit, it caught me off guard a bit. I’d forgotten how much conversation revolves around drinking which you only notice when you’re actively not drinking. I got used to it when I was previously abstinent, but it’s the first time I had encountered it in my new phase of sobriety.

I’m not really looking forward to the point where I have to explain that I don’t drink.

People are just simply flabbergasted, it’s rarely just an “oh right, cool”. You end up spending so much time talking about the fact that you don’t drink, why it is you don’t drink, what it is you do drink and the various merits of alcohol free drinks.

Quite often you end up dealing with people justifying the amount that they drink (If I had a pound for somebody feeling the need to tell me “oh I don’t really drink that much nowadays”). I just want to say. “listen, mate, I really don’t care how much you drink”.

Sometimes you have to put up with the people who’ll swear blind that a glass of red wine is good for your heart. I used to challenge them and say; “yes, and the studies that found that were commissioned by the alcohol industry” but I now don’t engage with it and simply nod and go “oh, right”.

Frankly, it’s tiresome, and I don’t really enjoy it. There are far more interesting things to talk about (although the irony is that I’m writing about it).

But that’s where we are and I’ll go through it all again until people are used to it and stop asking.

To be quite honest, I was actually really craving a beer by the end of yesterday. I’d have quite happily gone to a nice warm pub and had a pint, which would have ended up in 2 pints, then beers on the train etc. etc. etc., it’s the sort of habitual thing I’d do after a long day and a very intense meeting, especially when I have to wait for a train.

But, I didn’t.

So, the positives are that I didn’t embarrass myself going for drinks with my new business associates, I didn’t roll home pissed as a fart, I have a potentially very exciting new business and I woke up this morning with a clear head and a sense of optimism.

Gotta be better than the alternative!

The Day I Handed in My Notice

Towards the end of last year, there was a promotion going in my job.

When I first joined the company around 4 years ago I was told that I was essentially the designate for the Sales Director position in my company and, since then, that carrot has been dangled in front of me leading me to take on more and more projects.

When the position became available, I was told that the job was mine but the company had to advertise it.

I wasn’t in a great place at this time, we’d had a death in the family, my dog had had quite a major operation, we were re-mortgaging the house and we also had the threat of Omicron which really seemed to screw with my head (I just hated the thought of another lockdown and the idea really messed with my head).

Had I been a bigger man, I would have said “no, I’m not entering the process as it’s not the right time for me” – but I’d been told the job was mine, so I went for it.

I completely screwed the interview and I didn’t get the promotion.

I came into the new year definite that I was going to move on and get another job.

While I was getting a lot of interest, frankly the idea of going through interviews just wasn’t appealing and I realised that I’d have to put up with the same bullshit anywhere I go.

However, I remembered a franchise opportunity I’d looked into last summer and got in touch with them as a very tentative initial enquiry.

I’ve always wanted to own and run my own business, and have always really enjoyed the strategic side of it – having run businesses for other people. I have dipped my toe in previously but backed out as I was missing a structure or format on which to base what I was doing.

As I spoke to the franchise organisation, I pretty much made my mind up instantly that that’s what I was going to do and, before I knew it, I was applying for government finance (which was accepted) and sending a franchise agreement to a solicitor for review.

And, yesterday, I handed in my notice to my current employer.

It couldn’t really be a worse time financially, I’m still up to my ears in debt and I don’t really have a war chest to rely on. However, I could wait another 5 years for my debts to be paid off. But, my life won’t have changed.

Or, I could jump in and try this and potentially, in 5 years, have paid off my debt far quicker and own a successful business.

So, in 8 weeks’ time, I join the world of uncertainty as I literally venture into the unknown without a clue as to where my first client is going to come from.

And I could not be more exhilarated by the prospect.