Post holiday blues for UK workers
28 August 2007
As the peak summer holiday season nears its end, new research from The Franchise Group reveals that as many as 48 per cent of those returning to work could be thinking about handing in their notice in favour of pastures new, and more than two thirds hanker after being their own boss.
Peter Finlay at The Franchise Group, which helps companies expand and individuals set up in business through franchising, said September is its busiest month of the year, as people returned from holidays jaded about their jobs – yet enthused about the future.
“As well as helping businesses to franchise, part of what we do is to help people find the right opportunities for them to become franchisees,” said Peter.
“As far as that part of the business is concerned, September is by far our busiest month of the year.
“People come home from their holidays to find that the problems they had with their day jobs are still the same, but with the energy and determination to make a success of their own business.”
In a survey of 1,000 workers, 28 per cent said they were most likely to resign shortly after their main summer holiday. A further 20 per cent said they were most despondent about their jobs following another major holiday, such as Christmas.
While many could not see themselves leaving their current career path, a staggering 67 per cent said they would consider becoming their own boss if they had the chance.
The survey comes just days after new research revealed the rate of people launching their own business has slowed since 1997.
In their report, academics from Sheffield University’s Management School claim that increases in public sector employment since Labour came to power had damaged the UK’s entrepreneurial spirit by giving people safer alternatives to launching their own business.
“What we find among the people we speak to is that many have wanted to make the leap and run their own business for years,” explained Peter. “But for one reason or another, they’ve never had the courage or opportunity to do so.
“For these would-be entrepreneurs, becoming a franchisee is an ideal solution as it allows you to run your own business, while at the same time, doing so within the framework of somebody else’s company.
“A lot of the problems which put people off setting up on their own – having to arrange their own brand and marketing, finding out which systems work and which don’t – have all been solved by the franchisor. It’s almost like launching your own business with stabilisers.”
The Franchise Group operates a unique Upside Down approach to franchising, focusing on the long-term success of the franchisees rather than being solely concerned with the core business of the franchisor.
In doing so, it has made franchising a realistic and affordable method of expansion for many small and medium-sized businesses which may have previously been put off by the cost of franchising through traditional means.
To find out more about becoming a franchisee with The Franchise Group visit Franchise-market.co.uk.
