From big corporate to small business owner: a few reflections on taking the leap

I’ve worked for big organisations for most of my working life. Seven years ago, I made the decision to leave all that behind and step out to co-found a business. It was a massive gamble but also something that I’m loving every day.

Working in a big business all those years can feel like chalk and cheese compared to what I’m doing now but that doesn’t mean all that experience is going to waste. Far from it! During my career in the corporate world, I developed a certain skill set working for large organisations. They’re like a giant battleship. They can be great lumbering vessels, but if you know which corridor to walk down, which offices to visit, and which people to speak to, you can develop a real knack at navigating large organisations.

Switching teams has given me perspectives from both sides

These days, I work with far fewer people on a daily basis, but that doesn’t mean that big business experience isn’t useful. I use it often when meeting with other businesses, particularly when one of our small businesses is meeting with a large one - it’s helped me learn to be more empathetic to the person sitting on the other side of the table. I’ve been there and done that and know what it’s like trying to get things done in a large organisation.

One thing that does stand out is working with a large team every day - I do miss that. I still work with many people but I don’t necessarily have a regular team alongside me. I really love working with a group that you’re with for a while and get to know well.

New ways of working allows me to deliver the same value to others

I’ve always loved working with people. These days I get to fulfill that need in new ways. For example, part of my role in my own businesses involves coaching and mentoring and it’s really great to work with people and watch how they grow through their career. That is extremely satisfying.

I love working with people and sharing in new experiences, seeing how the pieces of the puzzle can fit together and how you can help someone to take steps forward to further their career. That’s something that I missed, too, and so I’ve managed to replicate it in our investment and advisory business.

Ultimately it’s the mix of autonomy and accountability I like the best

As an entrepreneur you have more autonomy, and with that, more accountability; they’re both pros and cons of small business. In small business, you also need to become a jack of all trades. You need to learn to do many of the jobs, rather than specialising in just one role. Often you must do things you don’t particularly like doing, but it’s just you and a few others, so you have to do them anyway.

In a large organisation, there are always other people you can rely on, but when you’re in a small business if someone suddenly leaves, moves or changes direction, things can flip about suddenly and you must be prepared to deal with that.

I do miss the leverage of a larger organisation, not just because of the capital available but also the people. You can get a lot done in that environment when compared to hacking away at something on your own. But in the end, it all comes back to those two words: accountability and autonomy. I’m loving the experience of trying to tackle each one of those and after six or seven years I’m getting better at assessing those risks and which ones are worth taking.

I still have a way to go but I’m not looking back. This ship has sailed!