Steps to 55HOW TO CREATE A FLEXIBLE BUSINESS YOU LOVE

By Anneve Hutchinson

ByAnneve Hutchinson

CongratulationsYoursquove taken the massive step of thinking about leaving your corporate job getting your life back and unlocking your true potential

Thank you for requesting this guide which will make sure the steps you take towards freedom and flexibility are as smooth and as successful as they can be

Too many corporate executives leave their jobs with years of experience and a head full of expertise due to factors outside their control

Redundancy company restructuring acquisition

Ill health

Office politics

Bullying and discrimination

Lack of flexibility around family commitments

Burn out and excessive stress

22

You might be tempted to

Move out of your industry altogether and take a lower paid job

Retrain in an entirely different sector which means yoursquoll be

starting from scratch

Buy into an expensive franchise

Buy into an MLM (Multi-level Marketing) scheme

Buy into someone elsersquos business

Take a part-time low-level role that offers the flexibility you need

Start up as a freelancer or contractor

Escape to a mud hut in a faraway place

But if you take too long planning your escape you could find you have no choice but to leave your job in a hurry and without time to exit in a controlled way The chances of the next phase of your life being as successful as yoursquod like it to be then reduce dramati-cally

There is nothing intrinsically wrong with any of these options but I want more for you

3

Yoursquove spent years gaining experience and ex-pertise in your current role Yoursquove fought hard for every promotion Put up with the whims of power-hungry bosses and annoying colleagues Yoursquove worked all the hours Yoursquove deprived yourself of sleep hobbies and holidays Yoursquove handled every crisis theyrsquove thrown at you Managed difficult and demanding clients Su-pervised less-than-talented staff and worked many many weekends to meet deadlines and keep your head above water

Yoursquove worked incredibly hard to achieve the decent salary yoursquore now paid You have a good benefits package that will be hard to give up and there are some colleagues you enjoy working with and that yoursquoll miss if you leave

You enjoy the cut and thrust of business life and yoursquore not ready to start playing small

Negotiating deals and working from a position of authority and respect are core to your being and a key part of your identity

ButhellipYou know you canrsquot continue like this

You have a life to lead You have a family and friends to love and spend time with Your health is suffering and yoursquore not sleeping properly There is more to life than your daily bun-fight of a commute

4

Hopefully yoursquore fortunate and work with people you like and who treat you well but if like many your job is making you choose between work and the precious time you could be spending with children aging parents your spouse and friends the time has come to reassess

Yoursquore reading this guide because yoursquore closer now than yoursquove ever been to making the break for freedom

Thoughts about what yoursquod like to do are keeping you awake at night

You can see and taste your next step

Yoursquove decided to make the break Yoursquore ready to become a corporate escape artist Yoursquore going to start your own business

All you need is a fool-proof escape plan

And the security of knowing that when you escape you will do it well and evade capture forever

Because the painful truth is that many who do choose to make a bid for freedom and leave corporate life to set up their own business often fail

In the UK 20 of small businesses fail in their first year 30 in their second year and 50 after five years in business

But why do they fail

5

CongratulationsYoursquove taken the massive step of thinking about leaving your corporate job getting your life back and unlocking your true potential

Thank you for requesting this guide which will make sure the steps you take towards freedom and flexibility are as smooth and as successful as they can be

Too many corporate executives leave their jobs with years of experience and a head full of expertise due to factors outside their control

Redundancy company restructuring acquisition

Ill health

Office politics

Bullying and discrimination

Lack of flexibility around family commitments

Burn out and excessive stress

22

You might be tempted to

Move out of your industry altogether and take a lower paid job

Retrain in an entirely different sector which means yoursquoll be

starting from scratch

Buy into an expensive franchise

Buy into an MLM (Multi-level Marketing) scheme

Buy into someone elsersquos business

Take a part-time low-level role that offers the flexibility you need

Start up as a freelancer or contractor

Escape to a mud hut in a faraway place

But if you take too long planning your escape you could find you have no choice but to leave your job in a hurry and without time to exit in a controlled way The chances of the next phase of your life being as successful as yoursquod like it to be then reduce dramati-cally

There is nothing intrinsically wrong with any of these options but I want more for you

3

Yoursquove spent years gaining experience and ex-pertise in your current role Yoursquove fought hard for every promotion Put up with the whims of power-hungry bosses and annoying colleagues Yoursquove worked all the hours Yoursquove deprived yourself of sleep hobbies and holidays Yoursquove handled every crisis theyrsquove thrown at you Managed difficult and demanding clients Su-pervised less-than-talented staff and worked many many weekends to meet deadlines and keep your head above water

Yoursquove worked incredibly hard to achieve the decent salary yoursquore now paid You have a good benefits package that will be hard to give up and there are some colleagues you enjoy working with and that yoursquoll miss if you leave

You enjoy the cut and thrust of business life and yoursquore not ready to start playing small

Negotiating deals and working from a position of authority and respect are core to your being and a key part of your identity

ButhellipYou know you canrsquot continue like this

You have a life to lead You have a family and friends to love and spend time with Your health is suffering and yoursquore not sleeping properly There is more to life than your daily bun-fight of a commute

4

Hopefully yoursquore fortunate and work with people you like and who treat you well but if like many your job is making you choose between work and the precious time you could be spending with children aging parents your spouse and friends the time has come to reassess

Yoursquore reading this guide because yoursquore closer now than yoursquove ever been to making the break for freedom

Thoughts about what yoursquod like to do are keeping you awake at night

You can see and taste your next step

Yoursquove decided to make the break Yoursquore ready to become a corporate escape artist Yoursquore going to start your own business

All you need is a fool-proof escape plan

And the security of knowing that when you escape you will do it well and evade capture forever

Because the painful truth is that many who do choose to make a bid for freedom and leave corporate life to set up their own business often fail

In the UK 20 of small businesses fail in their first year 30 in their second year and 50 after five years in business

But why do they fail

5

You might be tempted to

Move out of your industry altogether and take a lower paid job

Retrain in an entirely different sector which means yoursquoll be

starting from scratch

Buy into an expensive franchise

Buy into an MLM (Multi-level Marketing) scheme

Buy into someone elsersquos business

Take a part-time low-level role that offers the flexibility you need

Start up as a freelancer or contractor

Escape to a mud hut in a faraway place

But if you take too long planning your escape you could find you have no choice but to leave your job in a hurry and without time to exit in a controlled way The chances of the next phase of your life being as successful as yoursquod like it to be then reduce dramati-cally

There is nothing intrinsically wrong with any of these options but I want more for you

3

Yoursquove spent years gaining experience and ex-pertise in your current role Yoursquove fought hard for every promotion Put up with the whims of power-hungry bosses and annoying colleagues Yoursquove worked all the hours Yoursquove deprived yourself of sleep hobbies and holidays Yoursquove handled every crisis theyrsquove thrown at you Managed difficult and demanding clients Su-pervised less-than-talented staff and worked many many weekends to meet deadlines and keep your head above water

Yoursquove worked incredibly hard to achieve the decent salary yoursquore now paid You have a good benefits package that will be hard to give up and there are some colleagues you enjoy working with and that yoursquoll miss if you leave

You enjoy the cut and thrust of business life and yoursquore not ready to start playing small

Negotiating deals and working from a position of authority and respect are core to your being and a key part of your identity

ButhellipYou know you canrsquot continue like this

You have a life to lead You have a family and friends to love and spend time with Your health is suffering and yoursquore not sleeping properly There is more to life than your daily bun-fight of a commute

4

Hopefully yoursquore fortunate and work with people you like and who treat you well but if like many your job is making you choose between work and the precious time you could be spending with children aging parents your spouse and friends the time has come to reassess

Yoursquore reading this guide because yoursquore closer now than yoursquove ever been to making the break for freedom

Thoughts about what yoursquod like to do are keeping you awake at night

You can see and taste your next step

Yoursquove decided to make the break Yoursquore ready to become a corporate escape artist Yoursquore going to start your own business

All you need is a fool-proof escape plan

And the security of knowing that when you escape you will do it well and evade capture forever

Because the painful truth is that many who do choose to make a bid for freedom and leave corporate life to set up their own business often fail

In the UK 20 of small businesses fail in their first year 30 in their second year and 50 after five years in business

But why do they fail

5

Yoursquove spent years gaining experience and ex-pertise in your current role Yoursquove fought hard for every promotion Put up with the whims of power-hungry bosses and annoying colleagues Yoursquove worked all the hours Yoursquove deprived yourself of sleep hobbies and holidays Yoursquove handled every crisis theyrsquove thrown at you Managed difficult and demanding clients Su-pervised less-than-talented staff and worked many many weekends to meet deadlines and keep your head above water

Yoursquove worked incredibly hard to achieve the decent salary yoursquore now paid You have a good benefits package that will be hard to give up and there are some colleagues you enjoy working with and that yoursquoll miss if you leave

You enjoy the cut and thrust of business life and yoursquore not ready to start playing small

Negotiating deals and working from a position of authority and respect are core to your being and a key part of your identity

ButhellipYou know you canrsquot continue like this

You have a life to lead You have a family and friends to love and spend time with Your health is suffering and yoursquore not sleeping properly There is more to life than your daily bun-fight of a commute

4

Hopefully yoursquore fortunate and work with people you like and who treat you well but if like many your job is making you choose between work and the precious time you could be spending with children aging parents your spouse and friends the time has come to reassess

Yoursquore reading this guide because yoursquore closer now than yoursquove ever been to making the break for freedom

Thoughts about what yoursquod like to do are keeping you awake at night

You can see and taste your next step

Yoursquove decided to make the break Yoursquore ready to become a corporate escape artist Yoursquore going to start your own business

All you need is a fool-proof escape plan

And the security of knowing that when you escape you will do it well and evade capture forever

Because the painful truth is that many who do choose to make a bid for freedom and leave corporate life to set up their own business often fail

In the UK 20 of small businesses fail in their first year 30 in their second year and 50 after five years in business

But why do they fail

5

Hopefully yoursquore fortunate and work with people you like and who treat you well but if like many your job is making you choose between work and the precious time you could be spending with children aging parents your spouse and friends the time has come to reassess

Yoursquore reading this guide because yoursquore closer now than yoursquove ever been to making the break for freedom

Thoughts about what yoursquod like to do are keeping you awake at night

You can see and taste your next step

Yoursquove decided to make the break Yoursquore ready to become a corporate escape artist Yoursquore going to start your own business

All you need is a fool-proof escape plan

And the security of knowing that when you escape you will do it well and evade capture forever

Because the painful truth is that many who do choose to make a bid for freedom and leave corporate life to set up their own business often fail

In the UK 20 of small businesses fail in their first year 30 in their second year and 50 after five years in business

But why do they fail

5

According to a CBInsights analysis of 101 startup founders here are the top reasons why those businesses failed

42 of small businesses fail because therersquos no market need for their services

29 fail because they run out of cash

23 fail because they donrsquot have the right team running the business

19 were outcompeted

18 fail because of pricing and cost issues

17 fail because of a poor product offering

17 fail because they lack a business model

14 fail because of poor marketing

14 fail because they ignore their customers

This is the reality - but it certainly doesnrsquot need to be your reality

With planning and help from experts who have escaped survived and thrived you can fire your boss give yourself a promotion and a pay rise and have the flexibility and freedom yoursquove been yearning for

But before you ask I am not talking about buying into anyone elsersquos ideas I am not talking about buying a franchise or becoming a multi-level marketer I am not talking about becoming a freelancer or investing in a lsquoget-rich-quick schemersquo I am also not talking about becoming an entrepreneur and developing the next Facebook or Angry Birds

6

I am talking about designing and building your own business A business with your DNA at itrsquos very core A business created from the experience and expertise you have developed within your career

I am talking about promoting yourself to Managing Director or CEO and matchingor exceeding your corporate salary and current benefits package giving you pres-tige and authority in your sector

I am talking about starting a business with no debt no advertising budget no social media and low overheads

I am talking about converting your career into a flexible professional consultancy business that you will love

Irsquom Anneve Hutchinson co-director of The Marketing Matrix in Walton-on-Thames Surrey UK I left my corporate job working for an airline in 2006 after the birth of my second son Jack

I loved my job working in marketing promoting the airline and Scandinavia as a business and leisure destination but International travel and my commute to work were no longer compatible with family life

I set up my Marketing amp Web Consultancy even though Irsquod really enjoyed my job and was sad to leave

I operated from home around my young family until 2012 when I met my business

partner Emma

We set up The Marketing Matrix and now provide marketing strategy branding web design marketing mentoring and training and out-sourced marketing services

7

We have beautiful offices right on the river a close network of trusted associ-ates and clients we love We have a 6 figure turnover and the flexibility we need to work around our families

When I first left my corporate role I had the security of a husband with a good corporate job The responsibil-ity of paying the mortgage did not rest on my shoulders

But in 2012 my husband announced he was leaving his corporate role to start his own business too That was not the plan I was the business owner I was terrified Both of us working for ourselves upped the ante considerably

But the company he worked for was no longer the place he had loved working at He was hitting 40 and realising that the time had come to be his own boss If he wanted to control his own salary and potential he had to break free

He and three other directors escaped their corporate jobs together and set up their own consultancy Eight years later there are now 10 of them and they are turning over 7 figures (I like to say that this success has mostly to do with the

brand and website I designed for them )

More importantly he has done the morning school run almost every day since he left He has been to pretty much every school event

We are around whenever the kids need us We have lots of holidays he drives a car he loves and spends plenty of time with his family

lt The Hutchinson Family December 20208

We work incredibly hard We have clients to keep happy and many many jobs to get done Running your own business is relentless ours have taken years to build and we have a long way to go to reach our ambitions

We are far from having made it and are not offering you an easy route to freedom

I am not here to tell you to do this lsquoone simple thingrsquo to create the life of your dreams

This guide is deeply steeped in reality It is perfect for you if you know there are no quick routes to success If yoursquore not interested in buying into the make-believe world of gurus and scam artists

If you want a business that you can build slowly but steadily one that offers you flexibility and income in exchange for hard work consistency and high-quality service then read on

If you donrsquot consider yourself to be an entrepreneur If you havenrsquot got an idea for the next big app or platform but you do know your stuff If you have skills and experience and love what you do just not certain aspects of the way your job or employer operates If you want to convert your career into a flexible business with an uncapped income then this is the Corporate Escape Plan for you

9

How do you want to live

I know yoursquove spent restless nights dreaming about freedom but have you actually spelled out what freedom means to you

Hopefully you know intellectually how important the vision for a business is but have you created a vision for yourself and your business

For me itrsquos not having to be in the office until 10am once Irsquove sorted the house out Itrsquos picking my kids up after school Being around so they can have friends back for tea and cooking them their favourite cheesy pasta Itrsquos being able to go on the cours-es and seminars I love attending (Irsquom a learnaholic) and spending time on the river Thames on our little boat

Itrsquos having clients I love working with and doing the work I enjoy

Beach life is not for me I canrsquot stand sand in my sandwiches and the sound of the ocean irri-tates me after a while

For my husband itrsquos the freedom of the open road when hersquos off out to visit client sites (he can visit three cities in a day when I can barely manage one)

Itrsquos taking the kids to school and holidays with a private pool so we donrsquot have to fight for

sunbeds Itrsquos weekends away exploring a castle or European city Pootling down the Thames on the boat Going to the gym after the school run and being around for the boys when they need to be ferried wherever they need to go

Step 1 Your Vivid Vision

10

Ours is not a millionaire life-style not by a long way

But it is a very happy and fun way to live

Maybe your idea of success is far more ambitious than ours

Whatever it might be write it all down

ActionTake some time to create a vivid vision of your life on the outside

What annual income do you want to achieve in the first 12 months after you escape

What does this mean yoursquoll want to generate each month

What will a perfect working day look like to you What will you do in the morning the afternoon and evening

What is your recipe for happiness

What is your purpose here on this earth What impact do you want to make What do you want to be known for What legacy do you want to leave

If you could list 10 things that make you deeply happy what would they be How often do you want to do them

Our Corporate Escape Action Plan programme covers even more areas that you will need to clearly define in your life in preparation for starting your business before yoursquore ready to escape

If you donrsquot have total clarity around the kind of life you want to lead once yoursquore on the outside anything could happen and it wonrsquot necessarily be what you want

Prepare clearly for every element of the business yoursquore setting up before you leave your corporate job otherwise you will slow down the speed at which you can start securing profitable contracts once you escape

11

What will you offerMy idea of a great business is one which uses all the skills interests knowledge and experience yoursquove gathered through hard graft over the years If you feel like yoursquove had enough of your industry and want a complete change please just hear me out

There are plenty of people who have started a successful business in a completely different sector or who have created something completely new and entered the world of the entrepreneur I know many business owners who have retrained in a brand new skillset and now operate as a specialist in that domain

But for me the fastest and most secure way to escape your corporate job and set up a new business is to do almost exactly what yoursquore doing now

The only difference is that at the moment you effectively have one client that pays you for your time and expertise -

your employer

When you do what you do as a business you will have 3 or more clients who will all pay

you for your time and expertise and you will be able to pay other people

to do the bits you donrsquot want to or which sit outside your nat-

ural lsquogenius zonersquo

Step 2 Your Proposition

12

ActionSo your first job is to work out which problems you can solve that are currently losing your industry a lot of time in productivity or money in lost revenues and wasted budget

The problem has to be really big and hairy Ideally it needs to be a well-known problem and currently being handled poorly

What contracts do you cur-rently manage that could be looked after more efficiently by an outside company

If theyrsquore too big for one per-son are there any smaller parts that could be hived off

What are you currently charged out at What does your company or client cur-rently pay to fix the problem

Make sure you understand the commercial landscape and the kinds of work that could be easily and more cost-ef-fectively managed by you on an external contract

Businesses are always looking to reduce overheads in as low-risk way as possible Working with you could offer them the exact solution they need

Will you need additional training so that it would be a no-brainer to give the work to you or do you have everything you need already

13

Itrsquos also really important at this point to decide what you enjoy doing

the most

Your escape must be to a place of peace and joy

Get specific and understand the parts of your work that you really love and the areas yoursquod rather leave to someone else

A good way to know this is by noticing when you feel most lsquoin flowrsquo when time passes by without you realising or when you can talk about what you do in the most animated and lsquogeekishrsquo way

If once yoursquove reviewed and defined the solutions you could offer and yoursquove found that therersquos nothing about your work that you enjoy or that you could solve then it could be time to change discipline

Maybe you can see problems that yoursquod love to solve but you donrsquot have the qualifications credibility or experience to deal with them yet Because yoursquore thinking about this well ahead of time you can now make plans to fill those gaps and get the training and skills you need well before you leave

Now you have a new life plan itrsquos essential to find the time to prepare for your escape This may mean taking an online course going to evening classes or signing up for training courses available through your work

Whatever you do donrsquot leave it too late

Prepare while yoursquore in work and have an income so that your transition to business owner can be as smooth and controlled as possible

emsp14

Who will influence your successOne of the safest ways to start a business is with partners On your own you may become known as a freelancer or contractor who charges by the day or hour which is not the vision I have for you

Business Owner Equity Partner Director Managing Director CEO and Founder are the ways you might want to describe yourself when you start your new business

Starting out with partners gives your business immediate clout and authority it can also build momentum more quickly as yoursquoll have more contacts a wider skillset ideas and energy Two heads are definitely better than one in business and the lsquomastermindrsquo ef-fect of several people working together with a common goal is the way to supercharge your new business to success

However that model also comes with challenges Getting two three or four people to agree on the way for-ward is tricky

To get agreement might not be so hard in the initial early and exciting stages of planning your business but later once things have settled down and yoursquove reached the stage of hard graft and growth you have to be sure you chose the right team when per-sonality conflicts and different points of view kick in

So have a look around at your current network and decide who might come with you

Maybe you donrsquot realise that some of your closest and most trusted colleagues are having the same thoughts you are but donrsquot have your courage conviction or confidence

Step 3

Your People

15

Select a fantasy list of the people you like trust and respect the most and in private at an off-site location ask them if theyrsquove ever thought about starting their own business

Never talk about this in the office and speak only with those you would definitely like to work with for the long-haul This conversation could be the start of amazing things and you have to be sure that yoursquore picking the right team

Also bear in mind that they may not be ready to consider leaving straightaway you are probably more progressed in your thinking so paint the picture and give them time to mull and imagine This is another reason why starting to plan your escape well in advance is so worthwhile The chances of you leaving with a powerhouse team of enthusiastic and committed team-mates increases dramatically

If yoursquove looked at your internal network and decided that yoursquod rather not work with any of them ever again then extend your thinking to your external network of associates clients and suppliers Could you start your own business with a matrix of associates doing aspects of the work that you no longer want to do Could you negotiate terms with them which means you could pitch for the largest contracts and project manage them

This option gives you the most control but potentially leaves you vulnerable to the quality and commitment of others So if yoursquore thinking of going it alone make sure you can manage the core deliverables yourself and build your trusted team out from there

There are many other people who will influence your success Not least your family friends colleagues clients and of course yourself

The most important person will be your lsquoIdeal Clientrsquo so we will define the attributes that you would like your clients to have so that your escape into your own corporate business is as happy and successful as it can possibly be

But for now simply review your network of contacts and begin to think about who could become a future partner client or team member

16

ActionNow is the time to decide on the team that can help you create a successful business Work through your contacts and network and pick out those people you like the most who have complementary skills to your own and who you trust and respect above all others Create a list of

Possible Partners

Possible Prospects

Possible Team Members

Itrsquos also worth thinking about who might work against you and hinder your success Who is likely to want you to fail Identify them now and also be prepared for people you didnrsquot expect to work against you to come out of the woodwork as a negative influence

Seeing someone else break free and do the very thing they wish they could do can bring out the worst in people By being prepared for the naysayers doom mongers and saboteurs you will expect and be ready for them rather than floored and sideswiped

Also bear in mind that not everyone you identify as being a possible ally will turn out to be one In fact sometimes it turns out to be the opposite to the way you might expect The people you thought could be clients may turn their backs on you whereas the ones you didnrsquot rate may end up being your first clients

So never assume or bank entirely on anyone at all

17

Step 4

Who are youOnce you have built a fantasy team of people who could help you in your business review the way you currently communicate with them

Could you subtly start repositioning yourself in their eyes as a specialist a leader or ally Refresh your language and start thinking and speaking as a business owner-to-be rather than as a colleague or worker

Think about your personal brand and take time to assess how you are currently perceived in the workplace

This is the time for a deep and honest assessment of your character Are you considered to be a helpful expert in what you do or as an awkward dif-ficult complaining or tricky member of the team If you are that might well be because you are not happy in your work

But now you have a new plan and itrsquos time to rebrand

Position yourself as someone that your colleagues or contacts would want to give projects to Build your personal brand so that a wide network of people come to know like and trust you - those three factors are what will influence whether people choose to work with you or not when you leave

Every event is now a networking event for you rather than your corporate persona so start showing deep interest in everyone around you and everyone you meet

You never know when someone could turn out to be a seriously important influencer on the success of your escape plan

Your Positioning

18

But itrsquos important to not give away your plans too early

When I talk about your per-sonal brand I mean the way

your colleagues and network perceive you I donrsquot mean sud-

denly becoming a thought leader when you werenrsquot one before

Subtly and quietly transition your think-ing from lsquoemployeersquo to lsquoexpertrsquo Look at ev-

ery project yoursquore working on with different eyes Understand the big picture of what itrsquos trying to achieve and consider the part you have to play in itrsquos success This could become a case study that showcases your skills

If you donrsquot already start reading the trade websites and magazines that in-fluence your industry and sector Get a strong idea of the future the trends andthe technological advances that will influence your future

Begin to speak up more in meetings than you do at the moment or if you already have a well-known voice within the business consider whether there are any pub-lic speaking opportunities that you could use to further enhance your reputation

Could you offer specialised in-house training workshops or write a paper or a report that the business will use but which will have your byline

Could you achieve some great PR for your current employer which features you and your team and helps more people get to know like and trust you

Now is the time to consider your profile carefully and decide how you want to be perceived once yoursquove handed in your corporate ID badge

Anything you can do now to improve your personal brand and become known by people with influence within your corporate environment and the wider industry will serve you well

When the time comes to escape yoursquore going to want to have plenty of people rooting for your success and happy to introduce you to their contacts and clients

They will only do that if they know like and trust you

19

ActionDefine your personal brand

Who are you and what have you achieved

How are you currently perceived

Do you need to lsquorebrandrsquo

What do you do exceptionally well

What do you specialise in

What do you stand for

What problems do you solve

Why are you the best person to solve them

In the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme we examine credibility and confidence factors We will discuss critical aspects such as your brand values mission and story

We provide a template for Case Studies that will showcase your abilities and form the core of your marketing strategy and discuss how best to position your exit from corporate life with your family and colleagues to make sure they donrsquot think yoursquove completely lost your mindemsp

20

Step 5

Itrsquos usually essential to keep your business plan under wraps until you actually leave Many contracts include restrictive covenants and anti-poaching clauses If you contravene these clauses it can impact your exit and potentially damage your rela-tionship with your employer which could if handled right become your first cli-ent

Non-compete restrictions are to be respected but there are ways they can be man-aged which we go into more detail about in the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme

I have heard of situations where an em-ployer has told clients not to deal with the person leaving which have back-fired on the employer dramatically on one occasion causing the client to go out of their way to work with the leaver because they were so incensed by the em-ployer telling them what to do

Broadly speaking you should not approach your employerrsquos clients and solicit work from them until the restrictive cove-nant period has elapsed However there is nothing to stop you towards the end of your notice period letting key people know yoursquore leaving

They will most likely ask where yoursquore going and you can at that point let them know your plans and invite them to get in touch with you because of course you wonrsquot be permitted to contact them directly

These conversations are best held off-site if possible and not using the company telephone or email system Also be prepared if you work in a key client relationship role to be given garden leave and escorted off the premises almost immediately

How to launch your new business

Your Marketing Plan

21

Allow for this possibility in advance and do everything that you need to do before resigning The best advice is to leave on great terms with your employer and col-leagues

Employers can very often become your first client particularly if you have done a good job of positioning yourself as an essential cog in the wheel that they donrsquot want to lose Retaining your contract on a reduced level that maintains a good level of income while you develop your business and win new contracts is one of the best scenarios to aim for

But one contract will not be enough and for legal reasons you will need to work for at least two different clients to avoid contravening IR35 legislation This is a risk if you become in effect a contractor for your employer and then work as an employee in all but name ie you are expected to work at a certain place during certain hours and canrsquot send a substitute to do your work

Under those circumstances you would be classed as a contractor and thatrsquos not the escape plan I have in mind for you

Your business should aim to win at least two or three contracts or projects at first which you can manage yourself and which can bring in the equivalent of your annual salary in the first year After that you can look at employing staff to help your business grow and reduce the amount of time you have to spend delivering the contracts

What most people who leave their corporate job to start their own business donrsquot realise is that true freedom doesnrsquot

come until the day you are employing amazing peo-ple to help you do your work Thatrsquos when you

can start taking the time you need to live your life and do what you want to do

Employing people comes with its own

set of challenges

But with the help of a profession-al HR Consultant Accountant and your well-developed network it is possible to find skilled and talent-ed people who will look after your clients and do a great if not better job that you can leaving you with

the important task of running your company and finding new

business22

Promoting your new company in the early days depends entirely on your network and your ability to convey clearly the benefits and value of working with you

Do this well and you will have no need whatsoever to pay for advertising or to en-gage too heavily with social media in the early days of your business

That being said once yoursquore through your first year and have secured some steady contracts there is a place for marketing in your growth phase but as you will see in our follow-on Programme The START Marketing Strategy amp Action Plan this part of your promotional plan does not need to be uncomfortable or expensive

Your launch plan should be simple and elegant and involves preparing in advance three things

1) Your company name

This could be your name - personal brands are a powerful tool but they do come with issues in the growth phase Make the decision regarding the name of your business carefully with an eye to the future but donrsquot overthink it too much

Make sure you incorporate the business name to protect it (you can do this through your accountant if you donrsquot want your own name on the business until yoursquove left)

23

2) Your website

The first thing people will do when you tell them yoursquore leaving to set up your own company is check out your website to see how serious and likely to succeed you are If this is not ready and fully formed it may look like you have big dreams and ambitions but no substance Your website and messaging can evolve throughout the life of your business but that first version is essential for your credibility It sets out your store and shows people you mean business and that you should be taken seriously

3) Your business cards

Professionally designed and produced business cards are a simple and very inex-pensive part of your promotional plan but absolutely essential If you canrsquot hand over your card when asked at your leaving do yoursquove left a big hole in your commu-nication plan It should include your new title website address mobile and land-line telephone numbers together with a clear but brief description of the service your new business will provide

24

Your leaving do is an important part of your escape plan so manage it well If you have been sent off for garden leave then it might be that you have a series of mini get-togethers with key colleagues and contacts to say goodbye If you can organise a larger official do after work then this provides more opportunity to let people know your plans and ask them for any support they can give

Another tip is to send emails from your new business email with a shiny new signature block to individual colleagues simply thanking them for their support and a great working relationship and wishing them all the best in the future Let them know that if you can be of any help they shouldnrsquot hesitate to ask

There are a few other clever little tips we share in the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme to help you make the most of your new-found freedom and maximise your relationships in a healthy way We know of too many people who have left and then harassed their colleagues and network for business in a rather desperate and annoying way

Irsquom sure it goes without saying that this is not the way to build your business

Action Start planning and incorporate your business with the help of an accountant

Take time to understand the documents and templates that you need to run your new business Donrsquot appropriate them from your employer Improve and recreate them for your own company

Acquaint yourself with your contract and understand the impact any restrictive covenants may have on your departure Make sure that you respect them so you can leave your employer on good terms

Start thinking about your website and business cards

25

ConclusionThis is merely the tip of the iceberg of work and preparation you need to do before escaping and converting your career into a flexible professional consultancy business that you love

This mini-guide is designed to give you a good foundation and the inspiration you need to start planning your escape It will help you avoid mistakes which will make you far more vulnerable to recapture than you should be

Believe me when I say once you taste the air on the other side you will find it almost impossible to go back

The thought of having to look for a job and work as an employee again will make your heart sink

So letrsquos do this right and letrsquos do it soon

Itrsquos often said that life is too short for it to be lived in misery but I hope your life will be long I donrsquot want it to be long and miserable

It is far more likely to be long and happy if you start living it the way you want to and get in control of your day-to-day existence Doing the kind of work that fills you with excitement with clients you gen-uinely like and colleagues you respect

If that sounds like the life you want then our Corporate Escape Action Plan is what you need

Itrsquos a short and impactful programme that will guide you through the escape process and help you evade recapture back into a corporate job once yoursquove reached the out-side world

Good luck

We wish you all the very best for a successful escape and if we can help you with it just let us know by emailing us at hellothemarketingmatrixcouk

26

Become aCorporate Escape Artist

and be FreewwwYourCorporateEscapePlancouk

Image CreditsCaleb George - UnsplashLinked Sales Navigator - UnsplashThought Calalog - UnsplashChuttersnap - UnsplashBrook Cagle - UnsplashLuke David Williams - ShutterstockJavier Sierra - UnsplashVectorfusionart - ShutterstockAnnie Spratt - UnsplashCowomen - UnsplashStil - UnsplashToa Heftiba - UnsplashCampaign Creators - Unsplashdekazigzag - ShutterstockDomenico Ioia - ShutterstockHakinmhan - ShutterstockNick Adams - UnsplashRawpixel - UnsplashGuitarfoto Studio - Shutterstock

copy 2020 The Marketing Matrix Ltd - All rights reserved27

We have beautiful offices right on the river a close network of trusted associ-ates and clients we love We have a 6 figure turnover and the flexibility we need to work around our families

When I first left my corporate role I had the security of a husband with a good corporate job The responsibil-ity of paying the mortgage did not rest on my shoulders

But in 2012 my husband announced he was leaving his corporate role to start his own business too That was not the plan I was the business owner I was terrified Both of us working for ourselves upped the ante considerably

But the company he worked for was no longer the place he had loved working at He was hitting 40 and realising that the time had come to be his own boss If he wanted to control his own salary and potential he had to break free

He and three other directors escaped their corporate jobs together and set up their own consultancy Eight years later there are now 10 of them and they are turning over 7 figures (I like to say that this success has mostly to do with the

brand and website I designed for them )

More importantly he has done the morning school run almost every day since he left He has been to pretty much every school event

We are around whenever the kids need us We have lots of holidays he drives a car he loves and spends plenty of time with his family

lt The Hutchinson Family December 20208

We work incredibly hard We have clients to keep happy and many many jobs to get done Running your own business is relentless ours have taken years to build and we have a long way to go to reach our ambitions

We are far from having made it and are not offering you an easy route to freedom

I am not here to tell you to do this lsquoone simple thingrsquo to create the life of your dreams

This guide is deeply steeped in reality It is perfect for you if you know there are no quick routes to success If yoursquore not interested in buying into the make-believe world of gurus and scam artists

If you want a business that you can build slowly but steadily one that offers you flexibility and income in exchange for hard work consistency and high-quality service then read on

If you donrsquot consider yourself to be an entrepreneur If you havenrsquot got an idea for the next big app or platform but you do know your stuff If you have skills and experience and love what you do just not certain aspects of the way your job or employer operates If you want to convert your career into a flexible business with an uncapped income then this is the Corporate Escape Plan for you

9

How do you want to live

I know yoursquove spent restless nights dreaming about freedom but have you actually spelled out what freedom means to you

Hopefully you know intellectually how important the vision for a business is but have you created a vision for yourself and your business

For me itrsquos not having to be in the office until 10am once Irsquove sorted the house out Itrsquos picking my kids up after school Being around so they can have friends back for tea and cooking them their favourite cheesy pasta Itrsquos being able to go on the cours-es and seminars I love attending (Irsquom a learnaholic) and spending time on the river Thames on our little boat

Itrsquos having clients I love working with and doing the work I enjoy

Beach life is not for me I canrsquot stand sand in my sandwiches and the sound of the ocean irri-tates me after a while

For my husband itrsquos the freedom of the open road when hersquos off out to visit client sites (he can visit three cities in a day when I can barely manage one)

Itrsquos taking the kids to school and holidays with a private pool so we donrsquot have to fight for

sunbeds Itrsquos weekends away exploring a castle or European city Pootling down the Thames on the boat Going to the gym after the school run and being around for the boys when they need to be ferried wherever they need to go

Step 1 Your Vivid Vision

10

Ours is not a millionaire life-style not by a long way

But it is a very happy and fun way to live

Maybe your idea of success is far more ambitious than ours

Whatever it might be write it all down

ActionTake some time to create a vivid vision of your life on the outside

What annual income do you want to achieve in the first 12 months after you escape

What does this mean yoursquoll want to generate each month

What will a perfect working day look like to you What will you do in the morning the afternoon and evening

What is your recipe for happiness

What is your purpose here on this earth What impact do you want to make What do you want to be known for What legacy do you want to leave

If you could list 10 things that make you deeply happy what would they be How often do you want to do them

Our Corporate Escape Action Plan programme covers even more areas that you will need to clearly define in your life in preparation for starting your business before yoursquore ready to escape

If you donrsquot have total clarity around the kind of life you want to lead once yoursquore on the outside anything could happen and it wonrsquot necessarily be what you want

Prepare clearly for every element of the business yoursquore setting up before you leave your corporate job otherwise you will slow down the speed at which you can start securing profitable contracts once you escape

11

What will you offerMy idea of a great business is one which uses all the skills interests knowledge and experience yoursquove gathered through hard graft over the years If you feel like yoursquove had enough of your industry and want a complete change please just hear me out

There are plenty of people who have started a successful business in a completely different sector or who have created something completely new and entered the world of the entrepreneur I know many business owners who have retrained in a brand new skillset and now operate as a specialist in that domain

But for me the fastest and most secure way to escape your corporate job and set up a new business is to do almost exactly what yoursquore doing now

The only difference is that at the moment you effectively have one client that pays you for your time and expertise -

your employer

When you do what you do as a business you will have 3 or more clients who will all pay

you for your time and expertise and you will be able to pay other people

to do the bits you donrsquot want to or which sit outside your nat-

ural lsquogenius zonersquo

Step 2 Your Proposition

12

ActionSo your first job is to work out which problems you can solve that are currently losing your industry a lot of time in productivity or money in lost revenues and wasted budget

The problem has to be really big and hairy Ideally it needs to be a well-known problem and currently being handled poorly

What contracts do you cur-rently manage that could be looked after more efficiently by an outside company

If theyrsquore too big for one per-son are there any smaller parts that could be hived off

What are you currently charged out at What does your company or client cur-rently pay to fix the problem

Make sure you understand the commercial landscape and the kinds of work that could be easily and more cost-ef-fectively managed by you on an external contract

Businesses are always looking to reduce overheads in as low-risk way as possible Working with you could offer them the exact solution they need

Will you need additional training so that it would be a no-brainer to give the work to you or do you have everything you need already

13

Itrsquos also really important at this point to decide what you enjoy doing

the most

Your escape must be to a place of peace and joy

Get specific and understand the parts of your work that you really love and the areas yoursquod rather leave to someone else

A good way to know this is by noticing when you feel most lsquoin flowrsquo when time passes by without you realising or when you can talk about what you do in the most animated and lsquogeekishrsquo way

If once yoursquove reviewed and defined the solutions you could offer and yoursquove found that therersquos nothing about your work that you enjoy or that you could solve then it could be time to change discipline

Maybe you can see problems that yoursquod love to solve but you donrsquot have the qualifications credibility or experience to deal with them yet Because yoursquore thinking about this well ahead of time you can now make plans to fill those gaps and get the training and skills you need well before you leave

Now you have a new life plan itrsquos essential to find the time to prepare for your escape This may mean taking an online course going to evening classes or signing up for training courses available through your work

Whatever you do donrsquot leave it too late

Prepare while yoursquore in work and have an income so that your transition to business owner can be as smooth and controlled as possible

emsp14

Who will influence your successOne of the safest ways to start a business is with partners On your own you may become known as a freelancer or contractor who charges by the day or hour which is not the vision I have for you

Business Owner Equity Partner Director Managing Director CEO and Founder are the ways you might want to describe yourself when you start your new business

Starting out with partners gives your business immediate clout and authority it can also build momentum more quickly as yoursquoll have more contacts a wider skillset ideas and energy Two heads are definitely better than one in business and the lsquomastermindrsquo ef-fect of several people working together with a common goal is the way to supercharge your new business to success

However that model also comes with challenges Getting two three or four people to agree on the way for-ward is tricky

To get agreement might not be so hard in the initial early and exciting stages of planning your business but later once things have settled down and yoursquove reached the stage of hard graft and growth you have to be sure you chose the right team when per-sonality conflicts and different points of view kick in

So have a look around at your current network and decide who might come with you

Maybe you donrsquot realise that some of your closest and most trusted colleagues are having the same thoughts you are but donrsquot have your courage conviction or confidence

Step 3

Your People

15

Select a fantasy list of the people you like trust and respect the most and in private at an off-site location ask them if theyrsquove ever thought about starting their own business

Never talk about this in the office and speak only with those you would definitely like to work with for the long-haul This conversation could be the start of amazing things and you have to be sure that yoursquore picking the right team

Also bear in mind that they may not be ready to consider leaving straightaway you are probably more progressed in your thinking so paint the picture and give them time to mull and imagine This is another reason why starting to plan your escape well in advance is so worthwhile The chances of you leaving with a powerhouse team of enthusiastic and committed team-mates increases dramatically

If yoursquove looked at your internal network and decided that yoursquod rather not work with any of them ever again then extend your thinking to your external network of associates clients and suppliers Could you start your own business with a matrix of associates doing aspects of the work that you no longer want to do Could you negotiate terms with them which means you could pitch for the largest contracts and project manage them

This option gives you the most control but potentially leaves you vulnerable to the quality and commitment of others So if yoursquore thinking of going it alone make sure you can manage the core deliverables yourself and build your trusted team out from there

There are many other people who will influence your success Not least your family friends colleagues clients and of course yourself

The most important person will be your lsquoIdeal Clientrsquo so we will define the attributes that you would like your clients to have so that your escape into your own corporate business is as happy and successful as it can possibly be

But for now simply review your network of contacts and begin to think about who could become a future partner client or team member

16

ActionNow is the time to decide on the team that can help you create a successful business Work through your contacts and network and pick out those people you like the most who have complementary skills to your own and who you trust and respect above all others Create a list of

Possible Partners

Possible Prospects

Possible Team Members

Itrsquos also worth thinking about who might work against you and hinder your success Who is likely to want you to fail Identify them now and also be prepared for people you didnrsquot expect to work against you to come out of the woodwork as a negative influence

Seeing someone else break free and do the very thing they wish they could do can bring out the worst in people By being prepared for the naysayers doom mongers and saboteurs you will expect and be ready for them rather than floored and sideswiped

Also bear in mind that not everyone you identify as being a possible ally will turn out to be one In fact sometimes it turns out to be the opposite to the way you might expect The people you thought could be clients may turn their backs on you whereas the ones you didnrsquot rate may end up being your first clients

So never assume or bank entirely on anyone at all

17

Step 4

Who are youOnce you have built a fantasy team of people who could help you in your business review the way you currently communicate with them

Could you subtly start repositioning yourself in their eyes as a specialist a leader or ally Refresh your language and start thinking and speaking as a business owner-to-be rather than as a colleague or worker

Think about your personal brand and take time to assess how you are currently perceived in the workplace

This is the time for a deep and honest assessment of your character Are you considered to be a helpful expert in what you do or as an awkward dif-ficult complaining or tricky member of the team If you are that might well be because you are not happy in your work

But now you have a new plan and itrsquos time to rebrand

Position yourself as someone that your colleagues or contacts would want to give projects to Build your personal brand so that a wide network of people come to know like and trust you - those three factors are what will influence whether people choose to work with you or not when you leave

Every event is now a networking event for you rather than your corporate persona so start showing deep interest in everyone around you and everyone you meet

You never know when someone could turn out to be a seriously important influencer on the success of your escape plan

Your Positioning

18

But itrsquos important to not give away your plans too early

When I talk about your per-sonal brand I mean the way

your colleagues and network perceive you I donrsquot mean sud-

denly becoming a thought leader when you werenrsquot one before

Subtly and quietly transition your think-ing from lsquoemployeersquo to lsquoexpertrsquo Look at ev-

ery project yoursquore working on with different eyes Understand the big picture of what itrsquos trying to achieve and consider the part you have to play in itrsquos success This could become a case study that showcases your skills

If you donrsquot already start reading the trade websites and magazines that in-fluence your industry and sector Get a strong idea of the future the trends andthe technological advances that will influence your future

Begin to speak up more in meetings than you do at the moment or if you already have a well-known voice within the business consider whether there are any pub-lic speaking opportunities that you could use to further enhance your reputation

Could you offer specialised in-house training workshops or write a paper or a report that the business will use but which will have your byline

Could you achieve some great PR for your current employer which features you and your team and helps more people get to know like and trust you

Now is the time to consider your profile carefully and decide how you want to be perceived once yoursquove handed in your corporate ID badge

Anything you can do now to improve your personal brand and become known by people with influence within your corporate environment and the wider industry will serve you well

When the time comes to escape yoursquore going to want to have plenty of people rooting for your success and happy to introduce you to their contacts and clients

They will only do that if they know like and trust you

19

ActionDefine your personal brand

Who are you and what have you achieved

How are you currently perceived

Do you need to lsquorebrandrsquo

What do you do exceptionally well

What do you specialise in

What do you stand for

What problems do you solve

Why are you the best person to solve them

In the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme we examine credibility and confidence factors We will discuss critical aspects such as your brand values mission and story

We provide a template for Case Studies that will showcase your abilities and form the core of your marketing strategy and discuss how best to position your exit from corporate life with your family and colleagues to make sure they donrsquot think yoursquove completely lost your mindemsp

20

Step 5

Itrsquos usually essential to keep your business plan under wraps until you actually leave Many contracts include restrictive covenants and anti-poaching clauses If you contravene these clauses it can impact your exit and potentially damage your rela-tionship with your employer which could if handled right become your first cli-ent

Non-compete restrictions are to be respected but there are ways they can be man-aged which we go into more detail about in the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme

I have heard of situations where an em-ployer has told clients not to deal with the person leaving which have back-fired on the employer dramatically on one occasion causing the client to go out of their way to work with the leaver because they were so incensed by the em-ployer telling them what to do

Broadly speaking you should not approach your employerrsquos clients and solicit work from them until the restrictive cove-nant period has elapsed However there is nothing to stop you towards the end of your notice period letting key people know yoursquore leaving

They will most likely ask where yoursquore going and you can at that point let them know your plans and invite them to get in touch with you because of course you wonrsquot be permitted to contact them directly

These conversations are best held off-site if possible and not using the company telephone or email system Also be prepared if you work in a key client relationship role to be given garden leave and escorted off the premises almost immediately

How to launch your new business

Your Marketing Plan

21

Allow for this possibility in advance and do everything that you need to do before resigning The best advice is to leave on great terms with your employer and col-leagues

Employers can very often become your first client particularly if you have done a good job of positioning yourself as an essential cog in the wheel that they donrsquot want to lose Retaining your contract on a reduced level that maintains a good level of income while you develop your business and win new contracts is one of the best scenarios to aim for

But one contract will not be enough and for legal reasons you will need to work for at least two different clients to avoid contravening IR35 legislation This is a risk if you become in effect a contractor for your employer and then work as an employee in all but name ie you are expected to work at a certain place during certain hours and canrsquot send a substitute to do your work

Under those circumstances you would be classed as a contractor and thatrsquos not the escape plan I have in mind for you

Your business should aim to win at least two or three contracts or projects at first which you can manage yourself and which can bring in the equivalent of your annual salary in the first year After that you can look at employing staff to help your business grow and reduce the amount of time you have to spend delivering the contracts

What most people who leave their corporate job to start their own business donrsquot realise is that true freedom doesnrsquot

come until the day you are employing amazing peo-ple to help you do your work Thatrsquos when you

can start taking the time you need to live your life and do what you want to do

Employing people comes with its own

set of challenges

But with the help of a profession-al HR Consultant Accountant and your well-developed network it is possible to find skilled and talent-ed people who will look after your clients and do a great if not better job that you can leaving you with

the important task of running your company and finding new

business22

Promoting your new company in the early days depends entirely on your network and your ability to convey clearly the benefits and value of working with you

Do this well and you will have no need whatsoever to pay for advertising or to en-gage too heavily with social media in the early days of your business

That being said once yoursquore through your first year and have secured some steady contracts there is a place for marketing in your growth phase but as you will see in our follow-on Programme The START Marketing Strategy amp Action Plan this part of your promotional plan does not need to be uncomfortable or expensive

Your launch plan should be simple and elegant and involves preparing in advance three things

1) Your company name

This could be your name - personal brands are a powerful tool but they do come with issues in the growth phase Make the decision regarding the name of your business carefully with an eye to the future but donrsquot overthink it too much

Make sure you incorporate the business name to protect it (you can do this through your accountant if you donrsquot want your own name on the business until yoursquove left)

23

2) Your website

The first thing people will do when you tell them yoursquore leaving to set up your own company is check out your website to see how serious and likely to succeed you are If this is not ready and fully formed it may look like you have big dreams and ambitions but no substance Your website and messaging can evolve throughout the life of your business but that first version is essential for your credibility It sets out your store and shows people you mean business and that you should be taken seriously

3) Your business cards

Professionally designed and produced business cards are a simple and very inex-pensive part of your promotional plan but absolutely essential If you canrsquot hand over your card when asked at your leaving do yoursquove left a big hole in your commu-nication plan It should include your new title website address mobile and land-line telephone numbers together with a clear but brief description of the service your new business will provide

24

Your leaving do is an important part of your escape plan so manage it well If you have been sent off for garden leave then it might be that you have a series of mini get-togethers with key colleagues and contacts to say goodbye If you can organise a larger official do after work then this provides more opportunity to let people know your plans and ask them for any support they can give

Another tip is to send emails from your new business email with a shiny new signature block to individual colleagues simply thanking them for their support and a great working relationship and wishing them all the best in the future Let them know that if you can be of any help they shouldnrsquot hesitate to ask

There are a few other clever little tips we share in the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme to help you make the most of your new-found freedom and maximise your relationships in a healthy way We know of too many people who have left and then harassed their colleagues and network for business in a rather desperate and annoying way

Irsquom sure it goes without saying that this is not the way to build your business

Action Start planning and incorporate your business with the help of an accountant

Take time to understand the documents and templates that you need to run your new business Donrsquot appropriate them from your employer Improve and recreate them for your own company

Acquaint yourself with your contract and understand the impact any restrictive covenants may have on your departure Make sure that you respect them so you can leave your employer on good terms

Start thinking about your website and business cards

25

ConclusionThis is merely the tip of the iceberg of work and preparation you need to do before escaping and converting your career into a flexible professional consultancy business that you love

This mini-guide is designed to give you a good foundation and the inspiration you need to start planning your escape It will help you avoid mistakes which will make you far more vulnerable to recapture than you should be

Believe me when I say once you taste the air on the other side you will find it almost impossible to go back

The thought of having to look for a job and work as an employee again will make your heart sink

So letrsquos do this right and letrsquos do it soon

Itrsquos often said that life is too short for it to be lived in misery but I hope your life will be long I donrsquot want it to be long and miserable

It is far more likely to be long and happy if you start living it the way you want to and get in control of your day-to-day existence Doing the kind of work that fills you with excitement with clients you gen-uinely like and colleagues you respect

If that sounds like the life you want then our Corporate Escape Action Plan is what you need

Itrsquos a short and impactful programme that will guide you through the escape process and help you evade recapture back into a corporate job once yoursquove reached the out-side world

Good luck

We wish you all the very best for a successful escape and if we can help you with it just let us know by emailing us at hellothemarketingmatrixcouk

26

Become aCorporate Escape Artist

and be FreewwwYourCorporateEscapePlancouk

Image CreditsCaleb George - UnsplashLinked Sales Navigator - UnsplashThought Calalog - UnsplashChuttersnap - UnsplashBrook Cagle - UnsplashLuke David Williams - ShutterstockJavier Sierra - UnsplashVectorfusionart - ShutterstockAnnie Spratt - UnsplashCowomen - UnsplashStil - UnsplashToa Heftiba - UnsplashCampaign Creators - Unsplashdekazigzag - ShutterstockDomenico Ioia - ShutterstockHakinmhan - ShutterstockNick Adams - UnsplashRawpixel - UnsplashGuitarfoto Studio - Shutterstock

copy 2020 The Marketing Matrix Ltd - All rights reserved27

We work incredibly hard We have clients to keep happy and many many jobs to get done Running your own business is relentless ours have taken years to build and we have a long way to go to reach our ambitions

We are far from having made it and are not offering you an easy route to freedom

I am not here to tell you to do this lsquoone simple thingrsquo to create the life of your dreams

This guide is deeply steeped in reality It is perfect for you if you know there are no quick routes to success If yoursquore not interested in buying into the make-believe world of gurus and scam artists

If you want a business that you can build slowly but steadily one that offers you flexibility and income in exchange for hard work consistency and high-quality service then read on

If you donrsquot consider yourself to be an entrepreneur If you havenrsquot got an idea for the next big app or platform but you do know your stuff If you have skills and experience and love what you do just not certain aspects of the way your job or employer operates If you want to convert your career into a flexible business with an uncapped income then this is the Corporate Escape Plan for you

9

How do you want to live

I know yoursquove spent restless nights dreaming about freedom but have you actually spelled out what freedom means to you

Hopefully you know intellectually how important the vision for a business is but have you created a vision for yourself and your business

For me itrsquos not having to be in the office until 10am once Irsquove sorted the house out Itrsquos picking my kids up after school Being around so they can have friends back for tea and cooking them their favourite cheesy pasta Itrsquos being able to go on the cours-es and seminars I love attending (Irsquom a learnaholic) and spending time on the river Thames on our little boat

Itrsquos having clients I love working with and doing the work I enjoy

Beach life is not for me I canrsquot stand sand in my sandwiches and the sound of the ocean irri-tates me after a while

For my husband itrsquos the freedom of the open road when hersquos off out to visit client sites (he can visit three cities in a day when I can barely manage one)

Itrsquos taking the kids to school and holidays with a private pool so we donrsquot have to fight for

sunbeds Itrsquos weekends away exploring a castle or European city Pootling down the Thames on the boat Going to the gym after the school run and being around for the boys when they need to be ferried wherever they need to go

Step 1 Your Vivid Vision

10

Ours is not a millionaire life-style not by a long way

But it is a very happy and fun way to live

Maybe your idea of success is far more ambitious than ours

Whatever it might be write it all down

ActionTake some time to create a vivid vision of your life on the outside

What annual income do you want to achieve in the first 12 months after you escape

What does this mean yoursquoll want to generate each month

What will a perfect working day look like to you What will you do in the morning the afternoon and evening

What is your recipe for happiness

What is your purpose here on this earth What impact do you want to make What do you want to be known for What legacy do you want to leave

If you could list 10 things that make you deeply happy what would they be How often do you want to do them

Our Corporate Escape Action Plan programme covers even more areas that you will need to clearly define in your life in preparation for starting your business before yoursquore ready to escape

If you donrsquot have total clarity around the kind of life you want to lead once yoursquore on the outside anything could happen and it wonrsquot necessarily be what you want

Prepare clearly for every element of the business yoursquore setting up before you leave your corporate job otherwise you will slow down the speed at which you can start securing profitable contracts once you escape

11

What will you offerMy idea of a great business is one which uses all the skills interests knowledge and experience yoursquove gathered through hard graft over the years If you feel like yoursquove had enough of your industry and want a complete change please just hear me out

There are plenty of people who have started a successful business in a completely different sector or who have created something completely new and entered the world of the entrepreneur I know many business owners who have retrained in a brand new skillset and now operate as a specialist in that domain

But for me the fastest and most secure way to escape your corporate job and set up a new business is to do almost exactly what yoursquore doing now

The only difference is that at the moment you effectively have one client that pays you for your time and expertise -

your employer

When you do what you do as a business you will have 3 or more clients who will all pay

you for your time and expertise and you will be able to pay other people

to do the bits you donrsquot want to or which sit outside your nat-

ural lsquogenius zonersquo

Step 2 Your Proposition

12

ActionSo your first job is to work out which problems you can solve that are currently losing your industry a lot of time in productivity or money in lost revenues and wasted budget

The problem has to be really big and hairy Ideally it needs to be a well-known problem and currently being handled poorly

What contracts do you cur-rently manage that could be looked after more efficiently by an outside company

If theyrsquore too big for one per-son are there any smaller parts that could be hived off

What are you currently charged out at What does your company or client cur-rently pay to fix the problem

Make sure you understand the commercial landscape and the kinds of work that could be easily and more cost-ef-fectively managed by you on an external contract

Businesses are always looking to reduce overheads in as low-risk way as possible Working with you could offer them the exact solution they need

Will you need additional training so that it would be a no-brainer to give the work to you or do you have everything you need already

13

Itrsquos also really important at this point to decide what you enjoy doing

the most

Your escape must be to a place of peace and joy

Get specific and understand the parts of your work that you really love and the areas yoursquod rather leave to someone else

A good way to know this is by noticing when you feel most lsquoin flowrsquo when time passes by without you realising or when you can talk about what you do in the most animated and lsquogeekishrsquo way

If once yoursquove reviewed and defined the solutions you could offer and yoursquove found that therersquos nothing about your work that you enjoy or that you could solve then it could be time to change discipline

Maybe you can see problems that yoursquod love to solve but you donrsquot have the qualifications credibility or experience to deal with them yet Because yoursquore thinking about this well ahead of time you can now make plans to fill those gaps and get the training and skills you need well before you leave

Now you have a new life plan itrsquos essential to find the time to prepare for your escape This may mean taking an online course going to evening classes or signing up for training courses available through your work

Whatever you do donrsquot leave it too late

Prepare while yoursquore in work and have an income so that your transition to business owner can be as smooth and controlled as possible

emsp14

Who will influence your successOne of the safest ways to start a business is with partners On your own you may become known as a freelancer or contractor who charges by the day or hour which is not the vision I have for you

Business Owner Equity Partner Director Managing Director CEO and Founder are the ways you might want to describe yourself when you start your new business

Starting out with partners gives your business immediate clout and authority it can also build momentum more quickly as yoursquoll have more contacts a wider skillset ideas and energy Two heads are definitely better than one in business and the lsquomastermindrsquo ef-fect of several people working together with a common goal is the way to supercharge your new business to success

However that model also comes with challenges Getting two three or four people to agree on the way for-ward is tricky

To get agreement might not be so hard in the initial early and exciting stages of planning your business but later once things have settled down and yoursquove reached the stage of hard graft and growth you have to be sure you chose the right team when per-sonality conflicts and different points of view kick in

So have a look around at your current network and decide who might come with you

Maybe you donrsquot realise that some of your closest and most trusted colleagues are having the same thoughts you are but donrsquot have your courage conviction or confidence

Step 3

Your People

15

Select a fantasy list of the people you like trust and respect the most and in private at an off-site location ask them if theyrsquove ever thought about starting their own business

Never talk about this in the office and speak only with those you would definitely like to work with for the long-haul This conversation could be the start of amazing things and you have to be sure that yoursquore picking the right team

Also bear in mind that they may not be ready to consider leaving straightaway you are probably more progressed in your thinking so paint the picture and give them time to mull and imagine This is another reason why starting to plan your escape well in advance is so worthwhile The chances of you leaving with a powerhouse team of enthusiastic and committed team-mates increases dramatically

If yoursquove looked at your internal network and decided that yoursquod rather not work with any of them ever again then extend your thinking to your external network of associates clients and suppliers Could you start your own business with a matrix of associates doing aspects of the work that you no longer want to do Could you negotiate terms with them which means you could pitch for the largest contracts and project manage them

This option gives you the most control but potentially leaves you vulnerable to the quality and commitment of others So if yoursquore thinking of going it alone make sure you can manage the core deliverables yourself and build your trusted team out from there

There are many other people who will influence your success Not least your family friends colleagues clients and of course yourself

The most important person will be your lsquoIdeal Clientrsquo so we will define the attributes that you would like your clients to have so that your escape into your own corporate business is as happy and successful as it can possibly be

But for now simply review your network of contacts and begin to think about who could become a future partner client or team member

16

ActionNow is the time to decide on the team that can help you create a successful business Work through your contacts and network and pick out those people you like the most who have complementary skills to your own and who you trust and respect above all others Create a list of

Possible Partners

Possible Prospects

Possible Team Members

Itrsquos also worth thinking about who might work against you and hinder your success Who is likely to want you to fail Identify them now and also be prepared for people you didnrsquot expect to work against you to come out of the woodwork as a negative influence

Seeing someone else break free and do the very thing they wish they could do can bring out the worst in people By being prepared for the naysayers doom mongers and saboteurs you will expect and be ready for them rather than floored and sideswiped

Also bear in mind that not everyone you identify as being a possible ally will turn out to be one In fact sometimes it turns out to be the opposite to the way you might expect The people you thought could be clients may turn their backs on you whereas the ones you didnrsquot rate may end up being your first clients

So never assume or bank entirely on anyone at all

17

Step 4

Who are youOnce you have built a fantasy team of people who could help you in your business review the way you currently communicate with them

Could you subtly start repositioning yourself in their eyes as a specialist a leader or ally Refresh your language and start thinking and speaking as a business owner-to-be rather than as a colleague or worker

Think about your personal brand and take time to assess how you are currently perceived in the workplace

This is the time for a deep and honest assessment of your character Are you considered to be a helpful expert in what you do or as an awkward dif-ficult complaining or tricky member of the team If you are that might well be because you are not happy in your work

But now you have a new plan and itrsquos time to rebrand

Position yourself as someone that your colleagues or contacts would want to give projects to Build your personal brand so that a wide network of people come to know like and trust you - those three factors are what will influence whether people choose to work with you or not when you leave

Every event is now a networking event for you rather than your corporate persona so start showing deep interest in everyone around you and everyone you meet

You never know when someone could turn out to be a seriously important influencer on the success of your escape plan

Your Positioning

18

But itrsquos important to not give away your plans too early

When I talk about your per-sonal brand I mean the way

your colleagues and network perceive you I donrsquot mean sud-

denly becoming a thought leader when you werenrsquot one before

Subtly and quietly transition your think-ing from lsquoemployeersquo to lsquoexpertrsquo Look at ev-

ery project yoursquore working on with different eyes Understand the big picture of what itrsquos trying to achieve and consider the part you have to play in itrsquos success This could become a case study that showcases your skills

If you donrsquot already start reading the trade websites and magazines that in-fluence your industry and sector Get a strong idea of the future the trends andthe technological advances that will influence your future

Begin to speak up more in meetings than you do at the moment or if you already have a well-known voice within the business consider whether there are any pub-lic speaking opportunities that you could use to further enhance your reputation

Could you offer specialised in-house training workshops or write a paper or a report that the business will use but which will have your byline

Could you achieve some great PR for your current employer which features you and your team and helps more people get to know like and trust you

Now is the time to consider your profile carefully and decide how you want to be perceived once yoursquove handed in your corporate ID badge

Anything you can do now to improve your personal brand and become known by people with influence within your corporate environment and the wider industry will serve you well

When the time comes to escape yoursquore going to want to have plenty of people rooting for your success and happy to introduce you to their contacts and clients

They will only do that if they know like and trust you

19

ActionDefine your personal brand

Who are you and what have you achieved

How are you currently perceived

Do you need to lsquorebrandrsquo

What do you do exceptionally well

What do you specialise in

What do you stand for

What problems do you solve

Why are you the best person to solve them

In the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme we examine credibility and confidence factors We will discuss critical aspects such as your brand values mission and story

We provide a template for Case Studies that will showcase your abilities and form the core of your marketing strategy and discuss how best to position your exit from corporate life with your family and colleagues to make sure they donrsquot think yoursquove completely lost your mindemsp

20

Step 5

Itrsquos usually essential to keep your business plan under wraps until you actually leave Many contracts include restrictive covenants and anti-poaching clauses If you contravene these clauses it can impact your exit and potentially damage your rela-tionship with your employer which could if handled right become your first cli-ent

Non-compete restrictions are to be respected but there are ways they can be man-aged which we go into more detail about in the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme

I have heard of situations where an em-ployer has told clients not to deal with the person leaving which have back-fired on the employer dramatically on one occasion causing the client to go out of their way to work with the leaver because they were so incensed by the em-ployer telling them what to do

Broadly speaking you should not approach your employerrsquos clients and solicit work from them until the restrictive cove-nant period has elapsed However there is nothing to stop you towards the end of your notice period letting key people know yoursquore leaving

They will most likely ask where yoursquore going and you can at that point let them know your plans and invite them to get in touch with you because of course you wonrsquot be permitted to contact them directly

These conversations are best held off-site if possible and not using the company telephone or email system Also be prepared if you work in a key client relationship role to be given garden leave and escorted off the premises almost immediately

How to launch your new business

Your Marketing Plan

21

Allow for this possibility in advance and do everything that you need to do before resigning The best advice is to leave on great terms with your employer and col-leagues

Employers can very often become your first client particularly if you have done a good job of positioning yourself as an essential cog in the wheel that they donrsquot want to lose Retaining your contract on a reduced level that maintains a good level of income while you develop your business and win new contracts is one of the best scenarios to aim for

But one contract will not be enough and for legal reasons you will need to work for at least two different clients to avoid contravening IR35 legislation This is a risk if you become in effect a contractor for your employer and then work as an employee in all but name ie you are expected to work at a certain place during certain hours and canrsquot send a substitute to do your work

Under those circumstances you would be classed as a contractor and thatrsquos not the escape plan I have in mind for you

Your business should aim to win at least two or three contracts or projects at first which you can manage yourself and which can bring in the equivalent of your annual salary in the first year After that you can look at employing staff to help your business grow and reduce the amount of time you have to spend delivering the contracts

What most people who leave their corporate job to start their own business donrsquot realise is that true freedom doesnrsquot

come until the day you are employing amazing peo-ple to help you do your work Thatrsquos when you

can start taking the time you need to live your life and do what you want to do

Employing people comes with its own

set of challenges

But with the help of a profession-al HR Consultant Accountant and your well-developed network it is possible to find skilled and talent-ed people who will look after your clients and do a great if not better job that you can leaving you with

the important task of running your company and finding new

business22

Promoting your new company in the early days depends entirely on your network and your ability to convey clearly the benefits and value of working with you

Do this well and you will have no need whatsoever to pay for advertising or to en-gage too heavily with social media in the early days of your business

That being said once yoursquore through your first year and have secured some steady contracts there is a place for marketing in your growth phase but as you will see in our follow-on Programme The START Marketing Strategy amp Action Plan this part of your promotional plan does not need to be uncomfortable or expensive

Your launch plan should be simple and elegant and involves preparing in advance three things

1) Your company name

This could be your name - personal brands are a powerful tool but they do come with issues in the growth phase Make the decision regarding the name of your business carefully with an eye to the future but donrsquot overthink it too much

Make sure you incorporate the business name to protect it (you can do this through your accountant if you donrsquot want your own name on the business until yoursquove left)

23

2) Your website

The first thing people will do when you tell them yoursquore leaving to set up your own company is check out your website to see how serious and likely to succeed you are If this is not ready and fully formed it may look like you have big dreams and ambitions but no substance Your website and messaging can evolve throughout the life of your business but that first version is essential for your credibility It sets out your store and shows people you mean business and that you should be taken seriously

3) Your business cards

Professionally designed and produced business cards are a simple and very inex-pensive part of your promotional plan but absolutely essential If you canrsquot hand over your card when asked at your leaving do yoursquove left a big hole in your commu-nication plan It should include your new title website address mobile and land-line telephone numbers together with a clear but brief description of the service your new business will provide

24

Your leaving do is an important part of your escape plan so manage it well If you have been sent off for garden leave then it might be that you have a series of mini get-togethers with key colleagues and contacts to say goodbye If you can organise a larger official do after work then this provides more opportunity to let people know your plans and ask them for any support they can give

Another tip is to send emails from your new business email with a shiny new signature block to individual colleagues simply thanking them for their support and a great working relationship and wishing them all the best in the future Let them know that if you can be of any help they shouldnrsquot hesitate to ask

There are a few other clever little tips we share in the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme to help you make the most of your new-found freedom and maximise your relationships in a healthy way We know of too many people who have left and then harassed their colleagues and network for business in a rather desperate and annoying way

Irsquom sure it goes without saying that this is not the way to build your business

Action Start planning and incorporate your business with the help of an accountant

Take time to understand the documents and templates that you need to run your new business Donrsquot appropriate them from your employer Improve and recreate them for your own company

Acquaint yourself with your contract and understand the impact any restrictive covenants may have on your departure Make sure that you respect them so you can leave your employer on good terms

Start thinking about your website and business cards

25

ConclusionThis is merely the tip of the iceberg of work and preparation you need to do before escaping and converting your career into a flexible professional consultancy business that you love

This mini-guide is designed to give you a good foundation and the inspiration you need to start planning your escape It will help you avoid mistakes which will make you far more vulnerable to recapture than you should be

Believe me when I say once you taste the air on the other side you will find it almost impossible to go back

The thought of having to look for a job and work as an employee again will make your heart sink

So letrsquos do this right and letrsquos do it soon

Itrsquos often said that life is too short for it to be lived in misery but I hope your life will be long I donrsquot want it to be long and miserable

It is far more likely to be long and happy if you start living it the way you want to and get in control of your day-to-day existence Doing the kind of work that fills you with excitement with clients you gen-uinely like and colleagues you respect

If that sounds like the life you want then our Corporate Escape Action Plan is what you need

Itrsquos a short and impactful programme that will guide you through the escape process and help you evade recapture back into a corporate job once yoursquove reached the out-side world

Good luck

We wish you all the very best for a successful escape and if we can help you with it just let us know by emailing us at hellothemarketingmatrixcouk

26

Become aCorporate Escape Artist

and be FreewwwYourCorporateEscapePlancouk

Image CreditsCaleb George - UnsplashLinked Sales Navigator - UnsplashThought Calalog - UnsplashChuttersnap - UnsplashBrook Cagle - UnsplashLuke David Williams - ShutterstockJavier Sierra - UnsplashVectorfusionart - ShutterstockAnnie Spratt - UnsplashCowomen - UnsplashStil - UnsplashToa Heftiba - UnsplashCampaign Creators - Unsplashdekazigzag - ShutterstockDomenico Ioia - ShutterstockHakinmhan - ShutterstockNick Adams - UnsplashRawpixel - UnsplashGuitarfoto Studio - Shutterstock

copy 2020 The Marketing Matrix Ltd - All rights reserved27

How do you want to live

I know yoursquove spent restless nights dreaming about freedom but have you actually spelled out what freedom means to you

Hopefully you know intellectually how important the vision for a business is but have you created a vision for yourself and your business

For me itrsquos not having to be in the office until 10am once Irsquove sorted the house out Itrsquos picking my kids up after school Being around so they can have friends back for tea and cooking them their favourite cheesy pasta Itrsquos being able to go on the cours-es and seminars I love attending (Irsquom a learnaholic) and spending time on the river Thames on our little boat

Itrsquos having clients I love working with and doing the work I enjoy

Beach life is not for me I canrsquot stand sand in my sandwiches and the sound of the ocean irri-tates me after a while

For my husband itrsquos the freedom of the open road when hersquos off out to visit client sites (he can visit three cities in a day when I can barely manage one)

Itrsquos taking the kids to school and holidays with a private pool so we donrsquot have to fight for

sunbeds Itrsquos weekends away exploring a castle or European city Pootling down the Thames on the boat Going to the gym after the school run and being around for the boys when they need to be ferried wherever they need to go

Step 1 Your Vivid Vision

10

Ours is not a millionaire life-style not by a long way

But it is a very happy and fun way to live

Maybe your idea of success is far more ambitious than ours

Whatever it might be write it all down

ActionTake some time to create a vivid vision of your life on the outside

What annual income do you want to achieve in the first 12 months after you escape

What does this mean yoursquoll want to generate each month

What will a perfect working day look like to you What will you do in the morning the afternoon and evening

What is your recipe for happiness

What is your purpose here on this earth What impact do you want to make What do you want to be known for What legacy do you want to leave

If you could list 10 things that make you deeply happy what would they be How often do you want to do them

Our Corporate Escape Action Plan programme covers even more areas that you will need to clearly define in your life in preparation for starting your business before yoursquore ready to escape

If you donrsquot have total clarity around the kind of life you want to lead once yoursquore on the outside anything could happen and it wonrsquot necessarily be what you want

Prepare clearly for every element of the business yoursquore setting up before you leave your corporate job otherwise you will slow down the speed at which you can start securing profitable contracts once you escape

11

What will you offerMy idea of a great business is one which uses all the skills interests knowledge and experience yoursquove gathered through hard graft over the years If you feel like yoursquove had enough of your industry and want a complete change please just hear me out

There are plenty of people who have started a successful business in a completely different sector or who have created something completely new and entered the world of the entrepreneur I know many business owners who have retrained in a brand new skillset and now operate as a specialist in that domain

But for me the fastest and most secure way to escape your corporate job and set up a new business is to do almost exactly what yoursquore doing now

The only difference is that at the moment you effectively have one client that pays you for your time and expertise -

your employer

When you do what you do as a business you will have 3 or more clients who will all pay

you for your time and expertise and you will be able to pay other people

to do the bits you donrsquot want to or which sit outside your nat-

ural lsquogenius zonersquo

Step 2 Your Proposition

12

ActionSo your first job is to work out which problems you can solve that are currently losing your industry a lot of time in productivity or money in lost revenues and wasted budget

The problem has to be really big and hairy Ideally it needs to be a well-known problem and currently being handled poorly

What contracts do you cur-rently manage that could be looked after more efficiently by an outside company

If theyrsquore too big for one per-son are there any smaller parts that could be hived off

What are you currently charged out at What does your company or client cur-rently pay to fix the problem

Make sure you understand the commercial landscape and the kinds of work that could be easily and more cost-ef-fectively managed by you on an external contract

Businesses are always looking to reduce overheads in as low-risk way as possible Working with you could offer them the exact solution they need

Will you need additional training so that it would be a no-brainer to give the work to you or do you have everything you need already

13

Itrsquos also really important at this point to decide what you enjoy doing

the most

Your escape must be to a place of peace and joy

Get specific and understand the parts of your work that you really love and the areas yoursquod rather leave to someone else

A good way to know this is by noticing when you feel most lsquoin flowrsquo when time passes by without you realising or when you can talk about what you do in the most animated and lsquogeekishrsquo way

If once yoursquove reviewed and defined the solutions you could offer and yoursquove found that therersquos nothing about your work that you enjoy or that you could solve then it could be time to change discipline

Maybe you can see problems that yoursquod love to solve but you donrsquot have the qualifications credibility or experience to deal with them yet Because yoursquore thinking about this well ahead of time you can now make plans to fill those gaps and get the training and skills you need well before you leave

Now you have a new life plan itrsquos essential to find the time to prepare for your escape This may mean taking an online course going to evening classes or signing up for training courses available through your work

Whatever you do donrsquot leave it too late

Prepare while yoursquore in work and have an income so that your transition to business owner can be as smooth and controlled as possible

emsp14

Who will influence your successOne of the safest ways to start a business is with partners On your own you may become known as a freelancer or contractor who charges by the day or hour which is not the vision I have for you

Business Owner Equity Partner Director Managing Director CEO and Founder are the ways you might want to describe yourself when you start your new business

Starting out with partners gives your business immediate clout and authority it can also build momentum more quickly as yoursquoll have more contacts a wider skillset ideas and energy Two heads are definitely better than one in business and the lsquomastermindrsquo ef-fect of several people working together with a common goal is the way to supercharge your new business to success

However that model also comes with challenges Getting two three or four people to agree on the way for-ward is tricky

To get agreement might not be so hard in the initial early and exciting stages of planning your business but later once things have settled down and yoursquove reached the stage of hard graft and growth you have to be sure you chose the right team when per-sonality conflicts and different points of view kick in

So have a look around at your current network and decide who might come with you

Maybe you donrsquot realise that some of your closest and most trusted colleagues are having the same thoughts you are but donrsquot have your courage conviction or confidence

Step 3

Your People

15

Select a fantasy list of the people you like trust and respect the most and in private at an off-site location ask them if theyrsquove ever thought about starting their own business

Never talk about this in the office and speak only with those you would definitely like to work with for the long-haul This conversation could be the start of amazing things and you have to be sure that yoursquore picking the right team

Also bear in mind that they may not be ready to consider leaving straightaway you are probably more progressed in your thinking so paint the picture and give them time to mull and imagine This is another reason why starting to plan your escape well in advance is so worthwhile The chances of you leaving with a powerhouse team of enthusiastic and committed team-mates increases dramatically

If yoursquove looked at your internal network and decided that yoursquod rather not work with any of them ever again then extend your thinking to your external network of associates clients and suppliers Could you start your own business with a matrix of associates doing aspects of the work that you no longer want to do Could you negotiate terms with them which means you could pitch for the largest contracts and project manage them

This option gives you the most control but potentially leaves you vulnerable to the quality and commitment of others So if yoursquore thinking of going it alone make sure you can manage the core deliverables yourself and build your trusted team out from there

There are many other people who will influence your success Not least your family friends colleagues clients and of course yourself

The most important person will be your lsquoIdeal Clientrsquo so we will define the attributes that you would like your clients to have so that your escape into your own corporate business is as happy and successful as it can possibly be

But for now simply review your network of contacts and begin to think about who could become a future partner client or team member

16

ActionNow is the time to decide on the team that can help you create a successful business Work through your contacts and network and pick out those people you like the most who have complementary skills to your own and who you trust and respect above all others Create a list of

Possible Partners

Possible Prospects

Possible Team Members

Itrsquos also worth thinking about who might work against you and hinder your success Who is likely to want you to fail Identify them now and also be prepared for people you didnrsquot expect to work against you to come out of the woodwork as a negative influence

Seeing someone else break free and do the very thing they wish they could do can bring out the worst in people By being prepared for the naysayers doom mongers and saboteurs you will expect and be ready for them rather than floored and sideswiped

Also bear in mind that not everyone you identify as being a possible ally will turn out to be one In fact sometimes it turns out to be the opposite to the way you might expect The people you thought could be clients may turn their backs on you whereas the ones you didnrsquot rate may end up being your first clients

So never assume or bank entirely on anyone at all

17

Step 4

Who are youOnce you have built a fantasy team of people who could help you in your business review the way you currently communicate with them

Could you subtly start repositioning yourself in their eyes as a specialist a leader or ally Refresh your language and start thinking and speaking as a business owner-to-be rather than as a colleague or worker

Think about your personal brand and take time to assess how you are currently perceived in the workplace

This is the time for a deep and honest assessment of your character Are you considered to be a helpful expert in what you do or as an awkward dif-ficult complaining or tricky member of the team If you are that might well be because you are not happy in your work

But now you have a new plan and itrsquos time to rebrand

Position yourself as someone that your colleagues or contacts would want to give projects to Build your personal brand so that a wide network of people come to know like and trust you - those three factors are what will influence whether people choose to work with you or not when you leave

Every event is now a networking event for you rather than your corporate persona so start showing deep interest in everyone around you and everyone you meet

You never know when someone could turn out to be a seriously important influencer on the success of your escape plan

Your Positioning

18

But itrsquos important to not give away your plans too early

When I talk about your per-sonal brand I mean the way

your colleagues and network perceive you I donrsquot mean sud-

denly becoming a thought leader when you werenrsquot one before

Subtly and quietly transition your think-ing from lsquoemployeersquo to lsquoexpertrsquo Look at ev-

ery project yoursquore working on with different eyes Understand the big picture of what itrsquos trying to achieve and consider the part you have to play in itrsquos success This could become a case study that showcases your skills

If you donrsquot already start reading the trade websites and magazines that in-fluence your industry and sector Get a strong idea of the future the trends andthe technological advances that will influence your future

Begin to speak up more in meetings than you do at the moment or if you already have a well-known voice within the business consider whether there are any pub-lic speaking opportunities that you could use to further enhance your reputation

Could you offer specialised in-house training workshops or write a paper or a report that the business will use but which will have your byline

Could you achieve some great PR for your current employer which features you and your team and helps more people get to know like and trust you

Now is the time to consider your profile carefully and decide how you want to be perceived once yoursquove handed in your corporate ID badge

Anything you can do now to improve your personal brand and become known by people with influence within your corporate environment and the wider industry will serve you well

When the time comes to escape yoursquore going to want to have plenty of people rooting for your success and happy to introduce you to their contacts and clients

They will only do that if they know like and trust you

19

ActionDefine your personal brand

Who are you and what have you achieved

How are you currently perceived

Do you need to lsquorebrandrsquo

What do you do exceptionally well

What do you specialise in

What do you stand for

What problems do you solve

Why are you the best person to solve them

In the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme we examine credibility and confidence factors We will discuss critical aspects such as your brand values mission and story

We provide a template for Case Studies that will showcase your abilities and form the core of your marketing strategy and discuss how best to position your exit from corporate life with your family and colleagues to make sure they donrsquot think yoursquove completely lost your mindemsp

20

Step 5

Itrsquos usually essential to keep your business plan under wraps until you actually leave Many contracts include restrictive covenants and anti-poaching clauses If you contravene these clauses it can impact your exit and potentially damage your rela-tionship with your employer which could if handled right become your first cli-ent

Non-compete restrictions are to be respected but there are ways they can be man-aged which we go into more detail about in the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme

I have heard of situations where an em-ployer has told clients not to deal with the person leaving which have back-fired on the employer dramatically on one occasion causing the client to go out of their way to work with the leaver because they were so incensed by the em-ployer telling them what to do

Broadly speaking you should not approach your employerrsquos clients and solicit work from them until the restrictive cove-nant period has elapsed However there is nothing to stop you towards the end of your notice period letting key people know yoursquore leaving

They will most likely ask where yoursquore going and you can at that point let them know your plans and invite them to get in touch with you because of course you wonrsquot be permitted to contact them directly

These conversations are best held off-site if possible and not using the company telephone or email system Also be prepared if you work in a key client relationship role to be given garden leave and escorted off the premises almost immediately

How to launch your new business

Your Marketing Plan

21

Allow for this possibility in advance and do everything that you need to do before resigning The best advice is to leave on great terms with your employer and col-leagues

Employers can very often become your first client particularly if you have done a good job of positioning yourself as an essential cog in the wheel that they donrsquot want to lose Retaining your contract on a reduced level that maintains a good level of income while you develop your business and win new contracts is one of the best scenarios to aim for

But one contract will not be enough and for legal reasons you will need to work for at least two different clients to avoid contravening IR35 legislation This is a risk if you become in effect a contractor for your employer and then work as an employee in all but name ie you are expected to work at a certain place during certain hours and canrsquot send a substitute to do your work

Under those circumstances you would be classed as a contractor and thatrsquos not the escape plan I have in mind for you

Your business should aim to win at least two or three contracts or projects at first which you can manage yourself and which can bring in the equivalent of your annual salary in the first year After that you can look at employing staff to help your business grow and reduce the amount of time you have to spend delivering the contracts

What most people who leave their corporate job to start their own business donrsquot realise is that true freedom doesnrsquot

come until the day you are employing amazing peo-ple to help you do your work Thatrsquos when you

can start taking the time you need to live your life and do what you want to do

Employing people comes with its own

set of challenges

But with the help of a profession-al HR Consultant Accountant and your well-developed network it is possible to find skilled and talent-ed people who will look after your clients and do a great if not better job that you can leaving you with

the important task of running your company and finding new

business22

Promoting your new company in the early days depends entirely on your network and your ability to convey clearly the benefits and value of working with you

Do this well and you will have no need whatsoever to pay for advertising or to en-gage too heavily with social media in the early days of your business

That being said once yoursquore through your first year and have secured some steady contracts there is a place for marketing in your growth phase but as you will see in our follow-on Programme The START Marketing Strategy amp Action Plan this part of your promotional plan does not need to be uncomfortable or expensive

Your launch plan should be simple and elegant and involves preparing in advance three things

1) Your company name

This could be your name - personal brands are a powerful tool but they do come with issues in the growth phase Make the decision regarding the name of your business carefully with an eye to the future but donrsquot overthink it too much

Make sure you incorporate the business name to protect it (you can do this through your accountant if you donrsquot want your own name on the business until yoursquove left)

23

2) Your website

The first thing people will do when you tell them yoursquore leaving to set up your own company is check out your website to see how serious and likely to succeed you are If this is not ready and fully formed it may look like you have big dreams and ambitions but no substance Your website and messaging can evolve throughout the life of your business but that first version is essential for your credibility It sets out your store and shows people you mean business and that you should be taken seriously

3) Your business cards

Professionally designed and produced business cards are a simple and very inex-pensive part of your promotional plan but absolutely essential If you canrsquot hand over your card when asked at your leaving do yoursquove left a big hole in your commu-nication plan It should include your new title website address mobile and land-line telephone numbers together with a clear but brief description of the service your new business will provide

24

Your leaving do is an important part of your escape plan so manage it well If you have been sent off for garden leave then it might be that you have a series of mini get-togethers with key colleagues and contacts to say goodbye If you can organise a larger official do after work then this provides more opportunity to let people know your plans and ask them for any support they can give

Another tip is to send emails from your new business email with a shiny new signature block to individual colleagues simply thanking them for their support and a great working relationship and wishing them all the best in the future Let them know that if you can be of any help they shouldnrsquot hesitate to ask

There are a few other clever little tips we share in the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme to help you make the most of your new-found freedom and maximise your relationships in a healthy way We know of too many people who have left and then harassed their colleagues and network for business in a rather desperate and annoying way

Irsquom sure it goes without saying that this is not the way to build your business

Action Start planning and incorporate your business with the help of an accountant

Take time to understand the documents and templates that you need to run your new business Donrsquot appropriate them from your employer Improve and recreate them for your own company

Acquaint yourself with your contract and understand the impact any restrictive covenants may have on your departure Make sure that you respect them so you can leave your employer on good terms

Start thinking about your website and business cards

25

ConclusionThis is merely the tip of the iceberg of work and preparation you need to do before escaping and converting your career into a flexible professional consultancy business that you love

This mini-guide is designed to give you a good foundation and the inspiration you need to start planning your escape It will help you avoid mistakes which will make you far more vulnerable to recapture than you should be

Believe me when I say once you taste the air on the other side you will find it almost impossible to go back

The thought of having to look for a job and work as an employee again will make your heart sink

So letrsquos do this right and letrsquos do it soon

Itrsquos often said that life is too short for it to be lived in misery but I hope your life will be long I donrsquot want it to be long and miserable

It is far more likely to be long and happy if you start living it the way you want to and get in control of your day-to-day existence Doing the kind of work that fills you with excitement with clients you gen-uinely like and colleagues you respect

If that sounds like the life you want then our Corporate Escape Action Plan is what you need

Itrsquos a short and impactful programme that will guide you through the escape process and help you evade recapture back into a corporate job once yoursquove reached the out-side world

Good luck

We wish you all the very best for a successful escape and if we can help you with it just let us know by emailing us at hellothemarketingmatrixcouk

26

Become aCorporate Escape Artist

and be FreewwwYourCorporateEscapePlancouk

Image CreditsCaleb George - UnsplashLinked Sales Navigator - UnsplashThought Calalog - UnsplashChuttersnap - UnsplashBrook Cagle - UnsplashLuke David Williams - ShutterstockJavier Sierra - UnsplashVectorfusionart - ShutterstockAnnie Spratt - UnsplashCowomen - UnsplashStil - UnsplashToa Heftiba - UnsplashCampaign Creators - Unsplashdekazigzag - ShutterstockDomenico Ioia - ShutterstockHakinmhan - ShutterstockNick Adams - UnsplashRawpixel - UnsplashGuitarfoto Studio - Shutterstock

copy 2020 The Marketing Matrix Ltd - All rights reserved27

Ours is not a millionaire life-style not by a long way

But it is a very happy and fun way to live

Maybe your idea of success is far more ambitious than ours

Whatever it might be write it all down

ActionTake some time to create a vivid vision of your life on the outside

What annual income do you want to achieve in the first 12 months after you escape

What does this mean yoursquoll want to generate each month

What will a perfect working day look like to you What will you do in the morning the afternoon and evening

What is your recipe for happiness

What is your purpose here on this earth What impact do you want to make What do you want to be known for What legacy do you want to leave

If you could list 10 things that make you deeply happy what would they be How often do you want to do them

Our Corporate Escape Action Plan programme covers even more areas that you will need to clearly define in your life in preparation for starting your business before yoursquore ready to escape

If you donrsquot have total clarity around the kind of life you want to lead once yoursquore on the outside anything could happen and it wonrsquot necessarily be what you want

Prepare clearly for every element of the business yoursquore setting up before you leave your corporate job otherwise you will slow down the speed at which you can start securing profitable contracts once you escape

11

What will you offerMy idea of a great business is one which uses all the skills interests knowledge and experience yoursquove gathered through hard graft over the years If you feel like yoursquove had enough of your industry and want a complete change please just hear me out

There are plenty of people who have started a successful business in a completely different sector or who have created something completely new and entered the world of the entrepreneur I know many business owners who have retrained in a brand new skillset and now operate as a specialist in that domain

But for me the fastest and most secure way to escape your corporate job and set up a new business is to do almost exactly what yoursquore doing now

The only difference is that at the moment you effectively have one client that pays you for your time and expertise -

your employer

When you do what you do as a business you will have 3 or more clients who will all pay

you for your time and expertise and you will be able to pay other people

to do the bits you donrsquot want to or which sit outside your nat-

ural lsquogenius zonersquo

Step 2 Your Proposition

12

ActionSo your first job is to work out which problems you can solve that are currently losing your industry a lot of time in productivity or money in lost revenues and wasted budget

The problem has to be really big and hairy Ideally it needs to be a well-known problem and currently being handled poorly

What contracts do you cur-rently manage that could be looked after more efficiently by an outside company

If theyrsquore too big for one per-son are there any smaller parts that could be hived off

What are you currently charged out at What does your company or client cur-rently pay to fix the problem

Make sure you understand the commercial landscape and the kinds of work that could be easily and more cost-ef-fectively managed by you on an external contract

Businesses are always looking to reduce overheads in as low-risk way as possible Working with you could offer them the exact solution they need

Will you need additional training so that it would be a no-brainer to give the work to you or do you have everything you need already

13

Itrsquos also really important at this point to decide what you enjoy doing

the most

Your escape must be to a place of peace and joy

Get specific and understand the parts of your work that you really love and the areas yoursquod rather leave to someone else

A good way to know this is by noticing when you feel most lsquoin flowrsquo when time passes by without you realising or when you can talk about what you do in the most animated and lsquogeekishrsquo way

If once yoursquove reviewed and defined the solutions you could offer and yoursquove found that therersquos nothing about your work that you enjoy or that you could solve then it could be time to change discipline

Maybe you can see problems that yoursquod love to solve but you donrsquot have the qualifications credibility or experience to deal with them yet Because yoursquore thinking about this well ahead of time you can now make plans to fill those gaps and get the training and skills you need well before you leave

Now you have a new life plan itrsquos essential to find the time to prepare for your escape This may mean taking an online course going to evening classes or signing up for training courses available through your work

Whatever you do donrsquot leave it too late

Prepare while yoursquore in work and have an income so that your transition to business owner can be as smooth and controlled as possible

emsp14

Who will influence your successOne of the safest ways to start a business is with partners On your own you may become known as a freelancer or contractor who charges by the day or hour which is not the vision I have for you

Business Owner Equity Partner Director Managing Director CEO and Founder are the ways you might want to describe yourself when you start your new business

Starting out with partners gives your business immediate clout and authority it can also build momentum more quickly as yoursquoll have more contacts a wider skillset ideas and energy Two heads are definitely better than one in business and the lsquomastermindrsquo ef-fect of several people working together with a common goal is the way to supercharge your new business to success

However that model also comes with challenges Getting two three or four people to agree on the way for-ward is tricky

To get agreement might not be so hard in the initial early and exciting stages of planning your business but later once things have settled down and yoursquove reached the stage of hard graft and growth you have to be sure you chose the right team when per-sonality conflicts and different points of view kick in

So have a look around at your current network and decide who might come with you

Maybe you donrsquot realise that some of your closest and most trusted colleagues are having the same thoughts you are but donrsquot have your courage conviction or confidence

Step 3

Your People

15

Select a fantasy list of the people you like trust and respect the most and in private at an off-site location ask them if theyrsquove ever thought about starting their own business

Never talk about this in the office and speak only with those you would definitely like to work with for the long-haul This conversation could be the start of amazing things and you have to be sure that yoursquore picking the right team

Also bear in mind that they may not be ready to consider leaving straightaway you are probably more progressed in your thinking so paint the picture and give them time to mull and imagine This is another reason why starting to plan your escape well in advance is so worthwhile The chances of you leaving with a powerhouse team of enthusiastic and committed team-mates increases dramatically

If yoursquove looked at your internal network and decided that yoursquod rather not work with any of them ever again then extend your thinking to your external network of associates clients and suppliers Could you start your own business with a matrix of associates doing aspects of the work that you no longer want to do Could you negotiate terms with them which means you could pitch for the largest contracts and project manage them

This option gives you the most control but potentially leaves you vulnerable to the quality and commitment of others So if yoursquore thinking of going it alone make sure you can manage the core deliverables yourself and build your trusted team out from there

There are many other people who will influence your success Not least your family friends colleagues clients and of course yourself

The most important person will be your lsquoIdeal Clientrsquo so we will define the attributes that you would like your clients to have so that your escape into your own corporate business is as happy and successful as it can possibly be

But for now simply review your network of contacts and begin to think about who could become a future partner client or team member

16

ActionNow is the time to decide on the team that can help you create a successful business Work through your contacts and network and pick out those people you like the most who have complementary skills to your own and who you trust and respect above all others Create a list of

Possible Partners

Possible Prospects

Possible Team Members

Itrsquos also worth thinking about who might work against you and hinder your success Who is likely to want you to fail Identify them now and also be prepared for people you didnrsquot expect to work against you to come out of the woodwork as a negative influence

Seeing someone else break free and do the very thing they wish they could do can bring out the worst in people By being prepared for the naysayers doom mongers and saboteurs you will expect and be ready for them rather than floored and sideswiped

Also bear in mind that not everyone you identify as being a possible ally will turn out to be one In fact sometimes it turns out to be the opposite to the way you might expect The people you thought could be clients may turn their backs on you whereas the ones you didnrsquot rate may end up being your first clients

So never assume or bank entirely on anyone at all

17

Step 4

Who are youOnce you have built a fantasy team of people who could help you in your business review the way you currently communicate with them

Could you subtly start repositioning yourself in their eyes as a specialist a leader or ally Refresh your language and start thinking and speaking as a business owner-to-be rather than as a colleague or worker

Think about your personal brand and take time to assess how you are currently perceived in the workplace

This is the time for a deep and honest assessment of your character Are you considered to be a helpful expert in what you do or as an awkward dif-ficult complaining or tricky member of the team If you are that might well be because you are not happy in your work

But now you have a new plan and itrsquos time to rebrand

Position yourself as someone that your colleagues or contacts would want to give projects to Build your personal brand so that a wide network of people come to know like and trust you - those three factors are what will influence whether people choose to work with you or not when you leave

Every event is now a networking event for you rather than your corporate persona so start showing deep interest in everyone around you and everyone you meet

You never know when someone could turn out to be a seriously important influencer on the success of your escape plan

Your Positioning

18

But itrsquos important to not give away your plans too early

When I talk about your per-sonal brand I mean the way

your colleagues and network perceive you I donrsquot mean sud-

denly becoming a thought leader when you werenrsquot one before

Subtly and quietly transition your think-ing from lsquoemployeersquo to lsquoexpertrsquo Look at ev-

ery project yoursquore working on with different eyes Understand the big picture of what itrsquos trying to achieve and consider the part you have to play in itrsquos success This could become a case study that showcases your skills

If you donrsquot already start reading the trade websites and magazines that in-fluence your industry and sector Get a strong idea of the future the trends andthe technological advances that will influence your future

Begin to speak up more in meetings than you do at the moment or if you already have a well-known voice within the business consider whether there are any pub-lic speaking opportunities that you could use to further enhance your reputation

Could you offer specialised in-house training workshops or write a paper or a report that the business will use but which will have your byline

Could you achieve some great PR for your current employer which features you and your team and helps more people get to know like and trust you

Now is the time to consider your profile carefully and decide how you want to be perceived once yoursquove handed in your corporate ID badge

Anything you can do now to improve your personal brand and become known by people with influence within your corporate environment and the wider industry will serve you well

When the time comes to escape yoursquore going to want to have plenty of people rooting for your success and happy to introduce you to their contacts and clients

They will only do that if they know like and trust you

19

ActionDefine your personal brand

Who are you and what have you achieved

How are you currently perceived

Do you need to lsquorebrandrsquo

What do you do exceptionally well

What do you specialise in

What do you stand for

What problems do you solve

Why are you the best person to solve them

In the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme we examine credibility and confidence factors We will discuss critical aspects such as your brand values mission and story

We provide a template for Case Studies that will showcase your abilities and form the core of your marketing strategy and discuss how best to position your exit from corporate life with your family and colleagues to make sure they donrsquot think yoursquove completely lost your mindemsp

20

Step 5

Itrsquos usually essential to keep your business plan under wraps until you actually leave Many contracts include restrictive covenants and anti-poaching clauses If you contravene these clauses it can impact your exit and potentially damage your rela-tionship with your employer which could if handled right become your first cli-ent

Non-compete restrictions are to be respected but there are ways they can be man-aged which we go into more detail about in the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme

I have heard of situations where an em-ployer has told clients not to deal with the person leaving which have back-fired on the employer dramatically on one occasion causing the client to go out of their way to work with the leaver because they were so incensed by the em-ployer telling them what to do

Broadly speaking you should not approach your employerrsquos clients and solicit work from them until the restrictive cove-nant period has elapsed However there is nothing to stop you towards the end of your notice period letting key people know yoursquore leaving

They will most likely ask where yoursquore going and you can at that point let them know your plans and invite them to get in touch with you because of course you wonrsquot be permitted to contact them directly

These conversations are best held off-site if possible and not using the company telephone or email system Also be prepared if you work in a key client relationship role to be given garden leave and escorted off the premises almost immediately

How to launch your new business

Your Marketing Plan

21

Allow for this possibility in advance and do everything that you need to do before resigning The best advice is to leave on great terms with your employer and col-leagues

Employers can very often become your first client particularly if you have done a good job of positioning yourself as an essential cog in the wheel that they donrsquot want to lose Retaining your contract on a reduced level that maintains a good level of income while you develop your business and win new contracts is one of the best scenarios to aim for

But one contract will not be enough and for legal reasons you will need to work for at least two different clients to avoid contravening IR35 legislation This is a risk if you become in effect a contractor for your employer and then work as an employee in all but name ie you are expected to work at a certain place during certain hours and canrsquot send a substitute to do your work

Under those circumstances you would be classed as a contractor and thatrsquos not the escape plan I have in mind for you

Your business should aim to win at least two or three contracts or projects at first which you can manage yourself and which can bring in the equivalent of your annual salary in the first year After that you can look at employing staff to help your business grow and reduce the amount of time you have to spend delivering the contracts

What most people who leave their corporate job to start their own business donrsquot realise is that true freedom doesnrsquot

come until the day you are employing amazing peo-ple to help you do your work Thatrsquos when you

can start taking the time you need to live your life and do what you want to do

Employing people comes with its own

set of challenges

But with the help of a profession-al HR Consultant Accountant and your well-developed network it is possible to find skilled and talent-ed people who will look after your clients and do a great if not better job that you can leaving you with

the important task of running your company and finding new

business22

Promoting your new company in the early days depends entirely on your network and your ability to convey clearly the benefits and value of working with you

Do this well and you will have no need whatsoever to pay for advertising or to en-gage too heavily with social media in the early days of your business

That being said once yoursquore through your first year and have secured some steady contracts there is a place for marketing in your growth phase but as you will see in our follow-on Programme The START Marketing Strategy amp Action Plan this part of your promotional plan does not need to be uncomfortable or expensive

Your launch plan should be simple and elegant and involves preparing in advance three things

1) Your company name

This could be your name - personal brands are a powerful tool but they do come with issues in the growth phase Make the decision regarding the name of your business carefully with an eye to the future but donrsquot overthink it too much

Make sure you incorporate the business name to protect it (you can do this through your accountant if you donrsquot want your own name on the business until yoursquove left)

23

2) Your website

The first thing people will do when you tell them yoursquore leaving to set up your own company is check out your website to see how serious and likely to succeed you are If this is not ready and fully formed it may look like you have big dreams and ambitions but no substance Your website and messaging can evolve throughout the life of your business but that first version is essential for your credibility It sets out your store and shows people you mean business and that you should be taken seriously

3) Your business cards

Professionally designed and produced business cards are a simple and very inex-pensive part of your promotional plan but absolutely essential If you canrsquot hand over your card when asked at your leaving do yoursquove left a big hole in your commu-nication plan It should include your new title website address mobile and land-line telephone numbers together with a clear but brief description of the service your new business will provide

24

Your leaving do is an important part of your escape plan so manage it well If you have been sent off for garden leave then it might be that you have a series of mini get-togethers with key colleagues and contacts to say goodbye If you can organise a larger official do after work then this provides more opportunity to let people know your plans and ask them for any support they can give

Another tip is to send emails from your new business email with a shiny new signature block to individual colleagues simply thanking them for their support and a great working relationship and wishing them all the best in the future Let them know that if you can be of any help they shouldnrsquot hesitate to ask

There are a few other clever little tips we share in the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme to help you make the most of your new-found freedom and maximise your relationships in a healthy way We know of too many people who have left and then harassed their colleagues and network for business in a rather desperate and annoying way

Irsquom sure it goes without saying that this is not the way to build your business

Action Start planning and incorporate your business with the help of an accountant

Take time to understand the documents and templates that you need to run your new business Donrsquot appropriate them from your employer Improve and recreate them for your own company

Acquaint yourself with your contract and understand the impact any restrictive covenants may have on your departure Make sure that you respect them so you can leave your employer on good terms

Start thinking about your website and business cards

25

ConclusionThis is merely the tip of the iceberg of work and preparation you need to do before escaping and converting your career into a flexible professional consultancy business that you love

This mini-guide is designed to give you a good foundation and the inspiration you need to start planning your escape It will help you avoid mistakes which will make you far more vulnerable to recapture than you should be

Believe me when I say once you taste the air on the other side you will find it almost impossible to go back

The thought of having to look for a job and work as an employee again will make your heart sink

So letrsquos do this right and letrsquos do it soon

Itrsquos often said that life is too short for it to be lived in misery but I hope your life will be long I donrsquot want it to be long and miserable

It is far more likely to be long and happy if you start living it the way you want to and get in control of your day-to-day existence Doing the kind of work that fills you with excitement with clients you gen-uinely like and colleagues you respect

If that sounds like the life you want then our Corporate Escape Action Plan is what you need

Itrsquos a short and impactful programme that will guide you through the escape process and help you evade recapture back into a corporate job once yoursquove reached the out-side world

Good luck

We wish you all the very best for a successful escape and if we can help you with it just let us know by emailing us at hellothemarketingmatrixcouk

26

Become aCorporate Escape Artist

and be FreewwwYourCorporateEscapePlancouk

Image CreditsCaleb George - UnsplashLinked Sales Navigator - UnsplashThought Calalog - UnsplashChuttersnap - UnsplashBrook Cagle - UnsplashLuke David Williams - ShutterstockJavier Sierra - UnsplashVectorfusionart - ShutterstockAnnie Spratt - UnsplashCowomen - UnsplashStil - UnsplashToa Heftiba - UnsplashCampaign Creators - Unsplashdekazigzag - ShutterstockDomenico Ioia - ShutterstockHakinmhan - ShutterstockNick Adams - UnsplashRawpixel - UnsplashGuitarfoto Studio - Shutterstock

copy 2020 The Marketing Matrix Ltd - All rights reserved27

What will you offerMy idea of a great business is one which uses all the skills interests knowledge and experience yoursquove gathered through hard graft over the years If you feel like yoursquove had enough of your industry and want a complete change please just hear me out

There are plenty of people who have started a successful business in a completely different sector or who have created something completely new and entered the world of the entrepreneur I know many business owners who have retrained in a brand new skillset and now operate as a specialist in that domain

But for me the fastest and most secure way to escape your corporate job and set up a new business is to do almost exactly what yoursquore doing now

The only difference is that at the moment you effectively have one client that pays you for your time and expertise -

your employer

When you do what you do as a business you will have 3 or more clients who will all pay

you for your time and expertise and you will be able to pay other people

to do the bits you donrsquot want to or which sit outside your nat-

ural lsquogenius zonersquo

Step 2 Your Proposition

12

ActionSo your first job is to work out which problems you can solve that are currently losing your industry a lot of time in productivity or money in lost revenues and wasted budget

The problem has to be really big and hairy Ideally it needs to be a well-known problem and currently being handled poorly

What contracts do you cur-rently manage that could be looked after more efficiently by an outside company

If theyrsquore too big for one per-son are there any smaller parts that could be hived off

What are you currently charged out at What does your company or client cur-rently pay to fix the problem

Make sure you understand the commercial landscape and the kinds of work that could be easily and more cost-ef-fectively managed by you on an external contract

Businesses are always looking to reduce overheads in as low-risk way as possible Working with you could offer them the exact solution they need

Will you need additional training so that it would be a no-brainer to give the work to you or do you have everything you need already

13

Itrsquos also really important at this point to decide what you enjoy doing

the most

Your escape must be to a place of peace and joy

Get specific and understand the parts of your work that you really love and the areas yoursquod rather leave to someone else

A good way to know this is by noticing when you feel most lsquoin flowrsquo when time passes by without you realising or when you can talk about what you do in the most animated and lsquogeekishrsquo way

If once yoursquove reviewed and defined the solutions you could offer and yoursquove found that therersquos nothing about your work that you enjoy or that you could solve then it could be time to change discipline

Maybe you can see problems that yoursquod love to solve but you donrsquot have the qualifications credibility or experience to deal with them yet Because yoursquore thinking about this well ahead of time you can now make plans to fill those gaps and get the training and skills you need well before you leave

Now you have a new life plan itrsquos essential to find the time to prepare for your escape This may mean taking an online course going to evening classes or signing up for training courses available through your work

Whatever you do donrsquot leave it too late

Prepare while yoursquore in work and have an income so that your transition to business owner can be as smooth and controlled as possible

emsp14

Who will influence your successOne of the safest ways to start a business is with partners On your own you may become known as a freelancer or contractor who charges by the day or hour which is not the vision I have for you

Business Owner Equity Partner Director Managing Director CEO and Founder are the ways you might want to describe yourself when you start your new business

Starting out with partners gives your business immediate clout and authority it can also build momentum more quickly as yoursquoll have more contacts a wider skillset ideas and energy Two heads are definitely better than one in business and the lsquomastermindrsquo ef-fect of several people working together with a common goal is the way to supercharge your new business to success

However that model also comes with challenges Getting two three or four people to agree on the way for-ward is tricky

To get agreement might not be so hard in the initial early and exciting stages of planning your business but later once things have settled down and yoursquove reached the stage of hard graft and growth you have to be sure you chose the right team when per-sonality conflicts and different points of view kick in

So have a look around at your current network and decide who might come with you

Maybe you donrsquot realise that some of your closest and most trusted colleagues are having the same thoughts you are but donrsquot have your courage conviction or confidence

Step 3

Your People

15

Select a fantasy list of the people you like trust and respect the most and in private at an off-site location ask them if theyrsquove ever thought about starting their own business

Never talk about this in the office and speak only with those you would definitely like to work with for the long-haul This conversation could be the start of amazing things and you have to be sure that yoursquore picking the right team

Also bear in mind that they may not be ready to consider leaving straightaway you are probably more progressed in your thinking so paint the picture and give them time to mull and imagine This is another reason why starting to plan your escape well in advance is so worthwhile The chances of you leaving with a powerhouse team of enthusiastic and committed team-mates increases dramatically

If yoursquove looked at your internal network and decided that yoursquod rather not work with any of them ever again then extend your thinking to your external network of associates clients and suppliers Could you start your own business with a matrix of associates doing aspects of the work that you no longer want to do Could you negotiate terms with them which means you could pitch for the largest contracts and project manage them

This option gives you the most control but potentially leaves you vulnerable to the quality and commitment of others So if yoursquore thinking of going it alone make sure you can manage the core deliverables yourself and build your trusted team out from there

There are many other people who will influence your success Not least your family friends colleagues clients and of course yourself

The most important person will be your lsquoIdeal Clientrsquo so we will define the attributes that you would like your clients to have so that your escape into your own corporate business is as happy and successful as it can possibly be

But for now simply review your network of contacts and begin to think about who could become a future partner client or team member

16

ActionNow is the time to decide on the team that can help you create a successful business Work through your contacts and network and pick out those people you like the most who have complementary skills to your own and who you trust and respect above all others Create a list of

Possible Partners

Possible Prospects

Possible Team Members

Itrsquos also worth thinking about who might work against you and hinder your success Who is likely to want you to fail Identify them now and also be prepared for people you didnrsquot expect to work against you to come out of the woodwork as a negative influence

Seeing someone else break free and do the very thing they wish they could do can bring out the worst in people By being prepared for the naysayers doom mongers and saboteurs you will expect and be ready for them rather than floored and sideswiped

Also bear in mind that not everyone you identify as being a possible ally will turn out to be one In fact sometimes it turns out to be the opposite to the way you might expect The people you thought could be clients may turn their backs on you whereas the ones you didnrsquot rate may end up being your first clients

So never assume or bank entirely on anyone at all

17

Step 4

Who are youOnce you have built a fantasy team of people who could help you in your business review the way you currently communicate with them

Could you subtly start repositioning yourself in their eyes as a specialist a leader or ally Refresh your language and start thinking and speaking as a business owner-to-be rather than as a colleague or worker

Think about your personal brand and take time to assess how you are currently perceived in the workplace

This is the time for a deep and honest assessment of your character Are you considered to be a helpful expert in what you do or as an awkward dif-ficult complaining or tricky member of the team If you are that might well be because you are not happy in your work

But now you have a new plan and itrsquos time to rebrand

Position yourself as someone that your colleagues or contacts would want to give projects to Build your personal brand so that a wide network of people come to know like and trust you - those three factors are what will influence whether people choose to work with you or not when you leave

Every event is now a networking event for you rather than your corporate persona so start showing deep interest in everyone around you and everyone you meet

You never know when someone could turn out to be a seriously important influencer on the success of your escape plan

Your Positioning

18

But itrsquos important to not give away your plans too early

When I talk about your per-sonal brand I mean the way

your colleagues and network perceive you I donrsquot mean sud-

denly becoming a thought leader when you werenrsquot one before

Subtly and quietly transition your think-ing from lsquoemployeersquo to lsquoexpertrsquo Look at ev-

ery project yoursquore working on with different eyes Understand the big picture of what itrsquos trying to achieve and consider the part you have to play in itrsquos success This could become a case study that showcases your skills

If you donrsquot already start reading the trade websites and magazines that in-fluence your industry and sector Get a strong idea of the future the trends andthe technological advances that will influence your future

Begin to speak up more in meetings than you do at the moment or if you already have a well-known voice within the business consider whether there are any pub-lic speaking opportunities that you could use to further enhance your reputation

Could you offer specialised in-house training workshops or write a paper or a report that the business will use but which will have your byline

Could you achieve some great PR for your current employer which features you and your team and helps more people get to know like and trust you

Now is the time to consider your profile carefully and decide how you want to be perceived once yoursquove handed in your corporate ID badge

Anything you can do now to improve your personal brand and become known by people with influence within your corporate environment and the wider industry will serve you well

When the time comes to escape yoursquore going to want to have plenty of people rooting for your success and happy to introduce you to their contacts and clients

They will only do that if they know like and trust you

19

ActionDefine your personal brand

Who are you and what have you achieved

How are you currently perceived

Do you need to lsquorebrandrsquo

What do you do exceptionally well

What do you specialise in

What do you stand for

What problems do you solve

Why are you the best person to solve them

In the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme we examine credibility and confidence factors We will discuss critical aspects such as your brand values mission and story

We provide a template for Case Studies that will showcase your abilities and form the core of your marketing strategy and discuss how best to position your exit from corporate life with your family and colleagues to make sure they donrsquot think yoursquove completely lost your mindemsp

20

Step 5

Itrsquos usually essential to keep your business plan under wraps until you actually leave Many contracts include restrictive covenants and anti-poaching clauses If you contravene these clauses it can impact your exit and potentially damage your rela-tionship with your employer which could if handled right become your first cli-ent

Non-compete restrictions are to be respected but there are ways they can be man-aged which we go into more detail about in the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme

I have heard of situations where an em-ployer has told clients not to deal with the person leaving which have back-fired on the employer dramatically on one occasion causing the client to go out of their way to work with the leaver because they were so incensed by the em-ployer telling them what to do

Broadly speaking you should not approach your employerrsquos clients and solicit work from them until the restrictive cove-nant period has elapsed However there is nothing to stop you towards the end of your notice period letting key people know yoursquore leaving

They will most likely ask where yoursquore going and you can at that point let them know your plans and invite them to get in touch with you because of course you wonrsquot be permitted to contact them directly

These conversations are best held off-site if possible and not using the company telephone or email system Also be prepared if you work in a key client relationship role to be given garden leave and escorted off the premises almost immediately

How to launch your new business

Your Marketing Plan

21

Allow for this possibility in advance and do everything that you need to do before resigning The best advice is to leave on great terms with your employer and col-leagues

Employers can very often become your first client particularly if you have done a good job of positioning yourself as an essential cog in the wheel that they donrsquot want to lose Retaining your contract on a reduced level that maintains a good level of income while you develop your business and win new contracts is one of the best scenarios to aim for

But one contract will not be enough and for legal reasons you will need to work for at least two different clients to avoid contravening IR35 legislation This is a risk if you become in effect a contractor for your employer and then work as an employee in all but name ie you are expected to work at a certain place during certain hours and canrsquot send a substitute to do your work

Under those circumstances you would be classed as a contractor and thatrsquos not the escape plan I have in mind for you

Your business should aim to win at least two or three contracts or projects at first which you can manage yourself and which can bring in the equivalent of your annual salary in the first year After that you can look at employing staff to help your business grow and reduce the amount of time you have to spend delivering the contracts

What most people who leave their corporate job to start their own business donrsquot realise is that true freedom doesnrsquot

come until the day you are employing amazing peo-ple to help you do your work Thatrsquos when you

can start taking the time you need to live your life and do what you want to do

Employing people comes with its own

set of challenges

But with the help of a profession-al HR Consultant Accountant and your well-developed network it is possible to find skilled and talent-ed people who will look after your clients and do a great if not better job that you can leaving you with

the important task of running your company and finding new

business22

Promoting your new company in the early days depends entirely on your network and your ability to convey clearly the benefits and value of working with you

Do this well and you will have no need whatsoever to pay for advertising or to en-gage too heavily with social media in the early days of your business

That being said once yoursquore through your first year and have secured some steady contracts there is a place for marketing in your growth phase but as you will see in our follow-on Programme The START Marketing Strategy amp Action Plan this part of your promotional plan does not need to be uncomfortable or expensive

Your launch plan should be simple and elegant and involves preparing in advance three things

1) Your company name

This could be your name - personal brands are a powerful tool but they do come with issues in the growth phase Make the decision regarding the name of your business carefully with an eye to the future but donrsquot overthink it too much

Make sure you incorporate the business name to protect it (you can do this through your accountant if you donrsquot want your own name on the business until yoursquove left)

23

2) Your website

The first thing people will do when you tell them yoursquore leaving to set up your own company is check out your website to see how serious and likely to succeed you are If this is not ready and fully formed it may look like you have big dreams and ambitions but no substance Your website and messaging can evolve throughout the life of your business but that first version is essential for your credibility It sets out your store and shows people you mean business and that you should be taken seriously

3) Your business cards

Professionally designed and produced business cards are a simple and very inex-pensive part of your promotional plan but absolutely essential If you canrsquot hand over your card when asked at your leaving do yoursquove left a big hole in your commu-nication plan It should include your new title website address mobile and land-line telephone numbers together with a clear but brief description of the service your new business will provide

24

Your leaving do is an important part of your escape plan so manage it well If you have been sent off for garden leave then it might be that you have a series of mini get-togethers with key colleagues and contacts to say goodbye If you can organise a larger official do after work then this provides more opportunity to let people know your plans and ask them for any support they can give

Another tip is to send emails from your new business email with a shiny new signature block to individual colleagues simply thanking them for their support and a great working relationship and wishing them all the best in the future Let them know that if you can be of any help they shouldnrsquot hesitate to ask

There are a few other clever little tips we share in the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme to help you make the most of your new-found freedom and maximise your relationships in a healthy way We know of too many people who have left and then harassed their colleagues and network for business in a rather desperate and annoying way

Irsquom sure it goes without saying that this is not the way to build your business

Action Start planning and incorporate your business with the help of an accountant

Take time to understand the documents and templates that you need to run your new business Donrsquot appropriate them from your employer Improve and recreate them for your own company

Acquaint yourself with your contract and understand the impact any restrictive covenants may have on your departure Make sure that you respect them so you can leave your employer on good terms

Start thinking about your website and business cards

25

ConclusionThis is merely the tip of the iceberg of work and preparation you need to do before escaping and converting your career into a flexible professional consultancy business that you love

This mini-guide is designed to give you a good foundation and the inspiration you need to start planning your escape It will help you avoid mistakes which will make you far more vulnerable to recapture than you should be

Believe me when I say once you taste the air on the other side you will find it almost impossible to go back

The thought of having to look for a job and work as an employee again will make your heart sink

So letrsquos do this right and letrsquos do it soon

Itrsquos often said that life is too short for it to be lived in misery but I hope your life will be long I donrsquot want it to be long and miserable

It is far more likely to be long and happy if you start living it the way you want to and get in control of your day-to-day existence Doing the kind of work that fills you with excitement with clients you gen-uinely like and colleagues you respect

If that sounds like the life you want then our Corporate Escape Action Plan is what you need

Itrsquos a short and impactful programme that will guide you through the escape process and help you evade recapture back into a corporate job once yoursquove reached the out-side world

Good luck

We wish you all the very best for a successful escape and if we can help you with it just let us know by emailing us at hellothemarketingmatrixcouk

26

Become aCorporate Escape Artist

and be FreewwwYourCorporateEscapePlancouk

Image CreditsCaleb George - UnsplashLinked Sales Navigator - UnsplashThought Calalog - UnsplashChuttersnap - UnsplashBrook Cagle - UnsplashLuke David Williams - ShutterstockJavier Sierra - UnsplashVectorfusionart - ShutterstockAnnie Spratt - UnsplashCowomen - UnsplashStil - UnsplashToa Heftiba - UnsplashCampaign Creators - Unsplashdekazigzag - ShutterstockDomenico Ioia - ShutterstockHakinmhan - ShutterstockNick Adams - UnsplashRawpixel - UnsplashGuitarfoto Studio - Shutterstock

copy 2020 The Marketing Matrix Ltd - All rights reserved27

ActionSo your first job is to work out which problems you can solve that are currently losing your industry a lot of time in productivity or money in lost revenues and wasted budget

The problem has to be really big and hairy Ideally it needs to be a well-known problem and currently being handled poorly

What contracts do you cur-rently manage that could be looked after more efficiently by an outside company

If theyrsquore too big for one per-son are there any smaller parts that could be hived off

What are you currently charged out at What does your company or client cur-rently pay to fix the problem

Make sure you understand the commercial landscape and the kinds of work that could be easily and more cost-ef-fectively managed by you on an external contract

Businesses are always looking to reduce overheads in as low-risk way as possible Working with you could offer them the exact solution they need

Will you need additional training so that it would be a no-brainer to give the work to you or do you have everything you need already

13

Itrsquos also really important at this point to decide what you enjoy doing

the most

Your escape must be to a place of peace and joy

Get specific and understand the parts of your work that you really love and the areas yoursquod rather leave to someone else

A good way to know this is by noticing when you feel most lsquoin flowrsquo when time passes by without you realising or when you can talk about what you do in the most animated and lsquogeekishrsquo way

If once yoursquove reviewed and defined the solutions you could offer and yoursquove found that therersquos nothing about your work that you enjoy or that you could solve then it could be time to change discipline

Maybe you can see problems that yoursquod love to solve but you donrsquot have the qualifications credibility or experience to deal with them yet Because yoursquore thinking about this well ahead of time you can now make plans to fill those gaps and get the training and skills you need well before you leave

Now you have a new life plan itrsquos essential to find the time to prepare for your escape This may mean taking an online course going to evening classes or signing up for training courses available through your work

Whatever you do donrsquot leave it too late

Prepare while yoursquore in work and have an income so that your transition to business owner can be as smooth and controlled as possible

emsp14

Who will influence your successOne of the safest ways to start a business is with partners On your own you may become known as a freelancer or contractor who charges by the day or hour which is not the vision I have for you

Business Owner Equity Partner Director Managing Director CEO and Founder are the ways you might want to describe yourself when you start your new business

Starting out with partners gives your business immediate clout and authority it can also build momentum more quickly as yoursquoll have more contacts a wider skillset ideas and energy Two heads are definitely better than one in business and the lsquomastermindrsquo ef-fect of several people working together with a common goal is the way to supercharge your new business to success

However that model also comes with challenges Getting two three or four people to agree on the way for-ward is tricky

To get agreement might not be so hard in the initial early and exciting stages of planning your business but later once things have settled down and yoursquove reached the stage of hard graft and growth you have to be sure you chose the right team when per-sonality conflicts and different points of view kick in

So have a look around at your current network and decide who might come with you

Maybe you donrsquot realise that some of your closest and most trusted colleagues are having the same thoughts you are but donrsquot have your courage conviction or confidence

Step 3

Your People

15

Select a fantasy list of the people you like trust and respect the most and in private at an off-site location ask them if theyrsquove ever thought about starting their own business

Never talk about this in the office and speak only with those you would definitely like to work with for the long-haul This conversation could be the start of amazing things and you have to be sure that yoursquore picking the right team

Also bear in mind that they may not be ready to consider leaving straightaway you are probably more progressed in your thinking so paint the picture and give them time to mull and imagine This is another reason why starting to plan your escape well in advance is so worthwhile The chances of you leaving with a powerhouse team of enthusiastic and committed team-mates increases dramatically

If yoursquove looked at your internal network and decided that yoursquod rather not work with any of them ever again then extend your thinking to your external network of associates clients and suppliers Could you start your own business with a matrix of associates doing aspects of the work that you no longer want to do Could you negotiate terms with them which means you could pitch for the largest contracts and project manage them

This option gives you the most control but potentially leaves you vulnerable to the quality and commitment of others So if yoursquore thinking of going it alone make sure you can manage the core deliverables yourself and build your trusted team out from there

There are many other people who will influence your success Not least your family friends colleagues clients and of course yourself

The most important person will be your lsquoIdeal Clientrsquo so we will define the attributes that you would like your clients to have so that your escape into your own corporate business is as happy and successful as it can possibly be

But for now simply review your network of contacts and begin to think about who could become a future partner client or team member

16

ActionNow is the time to decide on the team that can help you create a successful business Work through your contacts and network and pick out those people you like the most who have complementary skills to your own and who you trust and respect above all others Create a list of

Possible Partners

Possible Prospects

Possible Team Members

Itrsquos also worth thinking about who might work against you and hinder your success Who is likely to want you to fail Identify them now and also be prepared for people you didnrsquot expect to work against you to come out of the woodwork as a negative influence

Seeing someone else break free and do the very thing they wish they could do can bring out the worst in people By being prepared for the naysayers doom mongers and saboteurs you will expect and be ready for them rather than floored and sideswiped

Also bear in mind that not everyone you identify as being a possible ally will turn out to be one In fact sometimes it turns out to be the opposite to the way you might expect The people you thought could be clients may turn their backs on you whereas the ones you didnrsquot rate may end up being your first clients

So never assume or bank entirely on anyone at all

17

Step 4

Who are youOnce you have built a fantasy team of people who could help you in your business review the way you currently communicate with them

Could you subtly start repositioning yourself in their eyes as a specialist a leader or ally Refresh your language and start thinking and speaking as a business owner-to-be rather than as a colleague or worker

Think about your personal brand and take time to assess how you are currently perceived in the workplace

This is the time for a deep and honest assessment of your character Are you considered to be a helpful expert in what you do or as an awkward dif-ficult complaining or tricky member of the team If you are that might well be because you are not happy in your work

But now you have a new plan and itrsquos time to rebrand

Position yourself as someone that your colleagues or contacts would want to give projects to Build your personal brand so that a wide network of people come to know like and trust you - those three factors are what will influence whether people choose to work with you or not when you leave

Every event is now a networking event for you rather than your corporate persona so start showing deep interest in everyone around you and everyone you meet

You never know when someone could turn out to be a seriously important influencer on the success of your escape plan

Your Positioning

18

But itrsquos important to not give away your plans too early

When I talk about your per-sonal brand I mean the way

your colleagues and network perceive you I donrsquot mean sud-

denly becoming a thought leader when you werenrsquot one before

Subtly and quietly transition your think-ing from lsquoemployeersquo to lsquoexpertrsquo Look at ev-

ery project yoursquore working on with different eyes Understand the big picture of what itrsquos trying to achieve and consider the part you have to play in itrsquos success This could become a case study that showcases your skills

If you donrsquot already start reading the trade websites and magazines that in-fluence your industry and sector Get a strong idea of the future the trends andthe technological advances that will influence your future

Begin to speak up more in meetings than you do at the moment or if you already have a well-known voice within the business consider whether there are any pub-lic speaking opportunities that you could use to further enhance your reputation

Could you offer specialised in-house training workshops or write a paper or a report that the business will use but which will have your byline

Could you achieve some great PR for your current employer which features you and your team and helps more people get to know like and trust you

Now is the time to consider your profile carefully and decide how you want to be perceived once yoursquove handed in your corporate ID badge

Anything you can do now to improve your personal brand and become known by people with influence within your corporate environment and the wider industry will serve you well

When the time comes to escape yoursquore going to want to have plenty of people rooting for your success and happy to introduce you to their contacts and clients

They will only do that if they know like and trust you

19

ActionDefine your personal brand

Who are you and what have you achieved

How are you currently perceived

Do you need to lsquorebrandrsquo

What do you do exceptionally well

What do you specialise in

What do you stand for

What problems do you solve

Why are you the best person to solve them

In the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme we examine credibility and confidence factors We will discuss critical aspects such as your brand values mission and story

We provide a template for Case Studies that will showcase your abilities and form the core of your marketing strategy and discuss how best to position your exit from corporate life with your family and colleagues to make sure they donrsquot think yoursquove completely lost your mindemsp

20

Step 5

Itrsquos usually essential to keep your business plan under wraps until you actually leave Many contracts include restrictive covenants and anti-poaching clauses If you contravene these clauses it can impact your exit and potentially damage your rela-tionship with your employer which could if handled right become your first cli-ent

Non-compete restrictions are to be respected but there are ways they can be man-aged which we go into more detail about in the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme

I have heard of situations where an em-ployer has told clients not to deal with the person leaving which have back-fired on the employer dramatically on one occasion causing the client to go out of their way to work with the leaver because they were so incensed by the em-ployer telling them what to do

Broadly speaking you should not approach your employerrsquos clients and solicit work from them until the restrictive cove-nant period has elapsed However there is nothing to stop you towards the end of your notice period letting key people know yoursquore leaving

They will most likely ask where yoursquore going and you can at that point let them know your plans and invite them to get in touch with you because of course you wonrsquot be permitted to contact them directly

These conversations are best held off-site if possible and not using the company telephone or email system Also be prepared if you work in a key client relationship role to be given garden leave and escorted off the premises almost immediately

How to launch your new business

Your Marketing Plan

21

Allow for this possibility in advance and do everything that you need to do before resigning The best advice is to leave on great terms with your employer and col-leagues

Employers can very often become your first client particularly if you have done a good job of positioning yourself as an essential cog in the wheel that they donrsquot want to lose Retaining your contract on a reduced level that maintains a good level of income while you develop your business and win new contracts is one of the best scenarios to aim for

But one contract will not be enough and for legal reasons you will need to work for at least two different clients to avoid contravening IR35 legislation This is a risk if you become in effect a contractor for your employer and then work as an employee in all but name ie you are expected to work at a certain place during certain hours and canrsquot send a substitute to do your work

Under those circumstances you would be classed as a contractor and thatrsquos not the escape plan I have in mind for you

Your business should aim to win at least two or three contracts or projects at first which you can manage yourself and which can bring in the equivalent of your annual salary in the first year After that you can look at employing staff to help your business grow and reduce the amount of time you have to spend delivering the contracts

What most people who leave their corporate job to start their own business donrsquot realise is that true freedom doesnrsquot

come until the day you are employing amazing peo-ple to help you do your work Thatrsquos when you

can start taking the time you need to live your life and do what you want to do

Employing people comes with its own

set of challenges

But with the help of a profession-al HR Consultant Accountant and your well-developed network it is possible to find skilled and talent-ed people who will look after your clients and do a great if not better job that you can leaving you with

the important task of running your company and finding new

business22

Promoting your new company in the early days depends entirely on your network and your ability to convey clearly the benefits and value of working with you

Do this well and you will have no need whatsoever to pay for advertising or to en-gage too heavily with social media in the early days of your business

That being said once yoursquore through your first year and have secured some steady contracts there is a place for marketing in your growth phase but as you will see in our follow-on Programme The START Marketing Strategy amp Action Plan this part of your promotional plan does not need to be uncomfortable or expensive

Your launch plan should be simple and elegant and involves preparing in advance three things

1) Your company name

This could be your name - personal brands are a powerful tool but they do come with issues in the growth phase Make the decision regarding the name of your business carefully with an eye to the future but donrsquot overthink it too much

Make sure you incorporate the business name to protect it (you can do this through your accountant if you donrsquot want your own name on the business until yoursquove left)

23

2) Your website

The first thing people will do when you tell them yoursquore leaving to set up your own company is check out your website to see how serious and likely to succeed you are If this is not ready and fully formed it may look like you have big dreams and ambitions but no substance Your website and messaging can evolve throughout the life of your business but that first version is essential for your credibility It sets out your store and shows people you mean business and that you should be taken seriously

3) Your business cards

Professionally designed and produced business cards are a simple and very inex-pensive part of your promotional plan but absolutely essential If you canrsquot hand over your card when asked at your leaving do yoursquove left a big hole in your commu-nication plan It should include your new title website address mobile and land-line telephone numbers together with a clear but brief description of the service your new business will provide

24

Your leaving do is an important part of your escape plan so manage it well If you have been sent off for garden leave then it might be that you have a series of mini get-togethers with key colleagues and contacts to say goodbye If you can organise a larger official do after work then this provides more opportunity to let people know your plans and ask them for any support they can give

Another tip is to send emails from your new business email with a shiny new signature block to individual colleagues simply thanking them for their support and a great working relationship and wishing them all the best in the future Let them know that if you can be of any help they shouldnrsquot hesitate to ask

There are a few other clever little tips we share in the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme to help you make the most of your new-found freedom and maximise your relationships in a healthy way We know of too many people who have left and then harassed their colleagues and network for business in a rather desperate and annoying way

Irsquom sure it goes without saying that this is not the way to build your business

Action Start planning and incorporate your business with the help of an accountant

Take time to understand the documents and templates that you need to run your new business Donrsquot appropriate them from your employer Improve and recreate them for your own company

Acquaint yourself with your contract and understand the impact any restrictive covenants may have on your departure Make sure that you respect them so you can leave your employer on good terms

Start thinking about your website and business cards

25

ConclusionThis is merely the tip of the iceberg of work and preparation you need to do before escaping and converting your career into a flexible professional consultancy business that you love

This mini-guide is designed to give you a good foundation and the inspiration you need to start planning your escape It will help you avoid mistakes which will make you far more vulnerable to recapture than you should be

Believe me when I say once you taste the air on the other side you will find it almost impossible to go back

The thought of having to look for a job and work as an employee again will make your heart sink

So letrsquos do this right and letrsquos do it soon

Itrsquos often said that life is too short for it to be lived in misery but I hope your life will be long I donrsquot want it to be long and miserable

It is far more likely to be long and happy if you start living it the way you want to and get in control of your day-to-day existence Doing the kind of work that fills you with excitement with clients you gen-uinely like and colleagues you respect

If that sounds like the life you want then our Corporate Escape Action Plan is what you need

Itrsquos a short and impactful programme that will guide you through the escape process and help you evade recapture back into a corporate job once yoursquove reached the out-side world

Good luck

We wish you all the very best for a successful escape and if we can help you with it just let us know by emailing us at hellothemarketingmatrixcouk

26

Become aCorporate Escape Artist

and be FreewwwYourCorporateEscapePlancouk

Image CreditsCaleb George - UnsplashLinked Sales Navigator - UnsplashThought Calalog - UnsplashChuttersnap - UnsplashBrook Cagle - UnsplashLuke David Williams - ShutterstockJavier Sierra - UnsplashVectorfusionart - ShutterstockAnnie Spratt - UnsplashCowomen - UnsplashStil - UnsplashToa Heftiba - UnsplashCampaign Creators - Unsplashdekazigzag - ShutterstockDomenico Ioia - ShutterstockHakinmhan - ShutterstockNick Adams - UnsplashRawpixel - UnsplashGuitarfoto Studio - Shutterstock

copy 2020 The Marketing Matrix Ltd - All rights reserved27

Itrsquos also really important at this point to decide what you enjoy doing

the most

Your escape must be to a place of peace and joy

Get specific and understand the parts of your work that you really love and the areas yoursquod rather leave to someone else

A good way to know this is by noticing when you feel most lsquoin flowrsquo when time passes by without you realising or when you can talk about what you do in the most animated and lsquogeekishrsquo way

If once yoursquove reviewed and defined the solutions you could offer and yoursquove found that therersquos nothing about your work that you enjoy or that you could solve then it could be time to change discipline

Maybe you can see problems that yoursquod love to solve but you donrsquot have the qualifications credibility or experience to deal with them yet Because yoursquore thinking about this well ahead of time you can now make plans to fill those gaps and get the training and skills you need well before you leave

Now you have a new life plan itrsquos essential to find the time to prepare for your escape This may mean taking an online course going to evening classes or signing up for training courses available through your work

Whatever you do donrsquot leave it too late

Prepare while yoursquore in work and have an income so that your transition to business owner can be as smooth and controlled as possible

emsp14

Who will influence your successOne of the safest ways to start a business is with partners On your own you may become known as a freelancer or contractor who charges by the day or hour which is not the vision I have for you

Business Owner Equity Partner Director Managing Director CEO and Founder are the ways you might want to describe yourself when you start your new business

Starting out with partners gives your business immediate clout and authority it can also build momentum more quickly as yoursquoll have more contacts a wider skillset ideas and energy Two heads are definitely better than one in business and the lsquomastermindrsquo ef-fect of several people working together with a common goal is the way to supercharge your new business to success

However that model also comes with challenges Getting two three or four people to agree on the way for-ward is tricky

To get agreement might not be so hard in the initial early and exciting stages of planning your business but later once things have settled down and yoursquove reached the stage of hard graft and growth you have to be sure you chose the right team when per-sonality conflicts and different points of view kick in

So have a look around at your current network and decide who might come with you

Maybe you donrsquot realise that some of your closest and most trusted colleagues are having the same thoughts you are but donrsquot have your courage conviction or confidence

Step 3

Your People

15

Select a fantasy list of the people you like trust and respect the most and in private at an off-site location ask them if theyrsquove ever thought about starting their own business

Never talk about this in the office and speak only with those you would definitely like to work with for the long-haul This conversation could be the start of amazing things and you have to be sure that yoursquore picking the right team

Also bear in mind that they may not be ready to consider leaving straightaway you are probably more progressed in your thinking so paint the picture and give them time to mull and imagine This is another reason why starting to plan your escape well in advance is so worthwhile The chances of you leaving with a powerhouse team of enthusiastic and committed team-mates increases dramatically

If yoursquove looked at your internal network and decided that yoursquod rather not work with any of them ever again then extend your thinking to your external network of associates clients and suppliers Could you start your own business with a matrix of associates doing aspects of the work that you no longer want to do Could you negotiate terms with them which means you could pitch for the largest contracts and project manage them

This option gives you the most control but potentially leaves you vulnerable to the quality and commitment of others So if yoursquore thinking of going it alone make sure you can manage the core deliverables yourself and build your trusted team out from there

There are many other people who will influence your success Not least your family friends colleagues clients and of course yourself

The most important person will be your lsquoIdeal Clientrsquo so we will define the attributes that you would like your clients to have so that your escape into your own corporate business is as happy and successful as it can possibly be

But for now simply review your network of contacts and begin to think about who could become a future partner client or team member

16

ActionNow is the time to decide on the team that can help you create a successful business Work through your contacts and network and pick out those people you like the most who have complementary skills to your own and who you trust and respect above all others Create a list of

Possible Partners

Possible Prospects

Possible Team Members

Itrsquos also worth thinking about who might work against you and hinder your success Who is likely to want you to fail Identify them now and also be prepared for people you didnrsquot expect to work against you to come out of the woodwork as a negative influence

Seeing someone else break free and do the very thing they wish they could do can bring out the worst in people By being prepared for the naysayers doom mongers and saboteurs you will expect and be ready for them rather than floored and sideswiped

Also bear in mind that not everyone you identify as being a possible ally will turn out to be one In fact sometimes it turns out to be the opposite to the way you might expect The people you thought could be clients may turn their backs on you whereas the ones you didnrsquot rate may end up being your first clients

So never assume or bank entirely on anyone at all

17

Step 4

Who are youOnce you have built a fantasy team of people who could help you in your business review the way you currently communicate with them

Could you subtly start repositioning yourself in their eyes as a specialist a leader or ally Refresh your language and start thinking and speaking as a business owner-to-be rather than as a colleague or worker

Think about your personal brand and take time to assess how you are currently perceived in the workplace

This is the time for a deep and honest assessment of your character Are you considered to be a helpful expert in what you do or as an awkward dif-ficult complaining or tricky member of the team If you are that might well be because you are not happy in your work

But now you have a new plan and itrsquos time to rebrand

Position yourself as someone that your colleagues or contacts would want to give projects to Build your personal brand so that a wide network of people come to know like and trust you - those three factors are what will influence whether people choose to work with you or not when you leave

Every event is now a networking event for you rather than your corporate persona so start showing deep interest in everyone around you and everyone you meet

You never know when someone could turn out to be a seriously important influencer on the success of your escape plan

Your Positioning

18

But itrsquos important to not give away your plans too early

When I talk about your per-sonal brand I mean the way

your colleagues and network perceive you I donrsquot mean sud-

denly becoming a thought leader when you werenrsquot one before

Subtly and quietly transition your think-ing from lsquoemployeersquo to lsquoexpertrsquo Look at ev-

ery project yoursquore working on with different eyes Understand the big picture of what itrsquos trying to achieve and consider the part you have to play in itrsquos success This could become a case study that showcases your skills

If you donrsquot already start reading the trade websites and magazines that in-fluence your industry and sector Get a strong idea of the future the trends andthe technological advances that will influence your future

Begin to speak up more in meetings than you do at the moment or if you already have a well-known voice within the business consider whether there are any pub-lic speaking opportunities that you could use to further enhance your reputation

Could you offer specialised in-house training workshops or write a paper or a report that the business will use but which will have your byline

Could you achieve some great PR for your current employer which features you and your team and helps more people get to know like and trust you

Now is the time to consider your profile carefully and decide how you want to be perceived once yoursquove handed in your corporate ID badge

Anything you can do now to improve your personal brand and become known by people with influence within your corporate environment and the wider industry will serve you well

When the time comes to escape yoursquore going to want to have plenty of people rooting for your success and happy to introduce you to their contacts and clients

They will only do that if they know like and trust you

19

ActionDefine your personal brand

Who are you and what have you achieved

How are you currently perceived

Do you need to lsquorebrandrsquo

What do you do exceptionally well

What do you specialise in

What do you stand for

What problems do you solve

Why are you the best person to solve them

In the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme we examine credibility and confidence factors We will discuss critical aspects such as your brand values mission and story

We provide a template for Case Studies that will showcase your abilities and form the core of your marketing strategy and discuss how best to position your exit from corporate life with your family and colleagues to make sure they donrsquot think yoursquove completely lost your mindemsp

20

Step 5

Itrsquos usually essential to keep your business plan under wraps until you actually leave Many contracts include restrictive covenants and anti-poaching clauses If you contravene these clauses it can impact your exit and potentially damage your rela-tionship with your employer which could if handled right become your first cli-ent

Non-compete restrictions are to be respected but there are ways they can be man-aged which we go into more detail about in the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme

I have heard of situations where an em-ployer has told clients not to deal with the person leaving which have back-fired on the employer dramatically on one occasion causing the client to go out of their way to work with the leaver because they were so incensed by the em-ployer telling them what to do

Broadly speaking you should not approach your employerrsquos clients and solicit work from them until the restrictive cove-nant period has elapsed However there is nothing to stop you towards the end of your notice period letting key people know yoursquore leaving

They will most likely ask where yoursquore going and you can at that point let them know your plans and invite them to get in touch with you because of course you wonrsquot be permitted to contact them directly

These conversations are best held off-site if possible and not using the company telephone or email system Also be prepared if you work in a key client relationship role to be given garden leave and escorted off the premises almost immediately

How to launch your new business

Your Marketing Plan

21

Allow for this possibility in advance and do everything that you need to do before resigning The best advice is to leave on great terms with your employer and col-leagues

Employers can very often become your first client particularly if you have done a good job of positioning yourself as an essential cog in the wheel that they donrsquot want to lose Retaining your contract on a reduced level that maintains a good level of income while you develop your business and win new contracts is one of the best scenarios to aim for

But one contract will not be enough and for legal reasons you will need to work for at least two different clients to avoid contravening IR35 legislation This is a risk if you become in effect a contractor for your employer and then work as an employee in all but name ie you are expected to work at a certain place during certain hours and canrsquot send a substitute to do your work

Under those circumstances you would be classed as a contractor and thatrsquos not the escape plan I have in mind for you

Your business should aim to win at least two or three contracts or projects at first which you can manage yourself and which can bring in the equivalent of your annual salary in the first year After that you can look at employing staff to help your business grow and reduce the amount of time you have to spend delivering the contracts

What most people who leave their corporate job to start their own business donrsquot realise is that true freedom doesnrsquot

come until the day you are employing amazing peo-ple to help you do your work Thatrsquos when you

can start taking the time you need to live your life and do what you want to do

Employing people comes with its own

set of challenges

But with the help of a profession-al HR Consultant Accountant and your well-developed network it is possible to find skilled and talent-ed people who will look after your clients and do a great if not better job that you can leaving you with

the important task of running your company and finding new

business22

Promoting your new company in the early days depends entirely on your network and your ability to convey clearly the benefits and value of working with you

Do this well and you will have no need whatsoever to pay for advertising or to en-gage too heavily with social media in the early days of your business

That being said once yoursquore through your first year and have secured some steady contracts there is a place for marketing in your growth phase but as you will see in our follow-on Programme The START Marketing Strategy amp Action Plan this part of your promotional plan does not need to be uncomfortable or expensive

Your launch plan should be simple and elegant and involves preparing in advance three things

1) Your company name

This could be your name - personal brands are a powerful tool but they do come with issues in the growth phase Make the decision regarding the name of your business carefully with an eye to the future but donrsquot overthink it too much

Make sure you incorporate the business name to protect it (you can do this through your accountant if you donrsquot want your own name on the business until yoursquove left)

23

2) Your website

The first thing people will do when you tell them yoursquore leaving to set up your own company is check out your website to see how serious and likely to succeed you are If this is not ready and fully formed it may look like you have big dreams and ambitions but no substance Your website and messaging can evolve throughout the life of your business but that first version is essential for your credibility It sets out your store and shows people you mean business and that you should be taken seriously

3) Your business cards

Professionally designed and produced business cards are a simple and very inex-pensive part of your promotional plan but absolutely essential If you canrsquot hand over your card when asked at your leaving do yoursquove left a big hole in your commu-nication plan It should include your new title website address mobile and land-line telephone numbers together with a clear but brief description of the service your new business will provide

24

Your leaving do is an important part of your escape plan so manage it well If you have been sent off for garden leave then it might be that you have a series of mini get-togethers with key colleagues and contacts to say goodbye If you can organise a larger official do after work then this provides more opportunity to let people know your plans and ask them for any support they can give

Another tip is to send emails from your new business email with a shiny new signature block to individual colleagues simply thanking them for their support and a great working relationship and wishing them all the best in the future Let them know that if you can be of any help they shouldnrsquot hesitate to ask

There are a few other clever little tips we share in the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme to help you make the most of your new-found freedom and maximise your relationships in a healthy way We know of too many people who have left and then harassed their colleagues and network for business in a rather desperate and annoying way

Irsquom sure it goes without saying that this is not the way to build your business

Action Start planning and incorporate your business with the help of an accountant

Take time to understand the documents and templates that you need to run your new business Donrsquot appropriate them from your employer Improve and recreate them for your own company

Acquaint yourself with your contract and understand the impact any restrictive covenants may have on your departure Make sure that you respect them so you can leave your employer on good terms

Start thinking about your website and business cards

25

ConclusionThis is merely the tip of the iceberg of work and preparation you need to do before escaping and converting your career into a flexible professional consultancy business that you love

This mini-guide is designed to give you a good foundation and the inspiration you need to start planning your escape It will help you avoid mistakes which will make you far more vulnerable to recapture than you should be

Believe me when I say once you taste the air on the other side you will find it almost impossible to go back

The thought of having to look for a job and work as an employee again will make your heart sink

So letrsquos do this right and letrsquos do it soon

Itrsquos often said that life is too short for it to be lived in misery but I hope your life will be long I donrsquot want it to be long and miserable

It is far more likely to be long and happy if you start living it the way you want to and get in control of your day-to-day existence Doing the kind of work that fills you with excitement with clients you gen-uinely like and colleagues you respect

If that sounds like the life you want then our Corporate Escape Action Plan is what you need

Itrsquos a short and impactful programme that will guide you through the escape process and help you evade recapture back into a corporate job once yoursquove reached the out-side world

Good luck

We wish you all the very best for a successful escape and if we can help you with it just let us know by emailing us at hellothemarketingmatrixcouk

26

Become aCorporate Escape Artist

and be FreewwwYourCorporateEscapePlancouk

Image CreditsCaleb George - UnsplashLinked Sales Navigator - UnsplashThought Calalog - UnsplashChuttersnap - UnsplashBrook Cagle - UnsplashLuke David Williams - ShutterstockJavier Sierra - UnsplashVectorfusionart - ShutterstockAnnie Spratt - UnsplashCowomen - UnsplashStil - UnsplashToa Heftiba - UnsplashCampaign Creators - Unsplashdekazigzag - ShutterstockDomenico Ioia - ShutterstockHakinmhan - ShutterstockNick Adams - UnsplashRawpixel - UnsplashGuitarfoto Studio - Shutterstock

copy 2020 The Marketing Matrix Ltd - All rights reserved27

Who will influence your successOne of the safest ways to start a business is with partners On your own you may become known as a freelancer or contractor who charges by the day or hour which is not the vision I have for you

Business Owner Equity Partner Director Managing Director CEO and Founder are the ways you might want to describe yourself when you start your new business

Starting out with partners gives your business immediate clout and authority it can also build momentum more quickly as yoursquoll have more contacts a wider skillset ideas and energy Two heads are definitely better than one in business and the lsquomastermindrsquo ef-fect of several people working together with a common goal is the way to supercharge your new business to success

However that model also comes with challenges Getting two three or four people to agree on the way for-ward is tricky

To get agreement might not be so hard in the initial early and exciting stages of planning your business but later once things have settled down and yoursquove reached the stage of hard graft and growth you have to be sure you chose the right team when per-sonality conflicts and different points of view kick in

So have a look around at your current network and decide who might come with you

Maybe you donrsquot realise that some of your closest and most trusted colleagues are having the same thoughts you are but donrsquot have your courage conviction or confidence

Step 3

Your People

15

Select a fantasy list of the people you like trust and respect the most and in private at an off-site location ask them if theyrsquove ever thought about starting their own business

Never talk about this in the office and speak only with those you would definitely like to work with for the long-haul This conversation could be the start of amazing things and you have to be sure that yoursquore picking the right team

Also bear in mind that they may not be ready to consider leaving straightaway you are probably more progressed in your thinking so paint the picture and give them time to mull and imagine This is another reason why starting to plan your escape well in advance is so worthwhile The chances of you leaving with a powerhouse team of enthusiastic and committed team-mates increases dramatically

If yoursquove looked at your internal network and decided that yoursquod rather not work with any of them ever again then extend your thinking to your external network of associates clients and suppliers Could you start your own business with a matrix of associates doing aspects of the work that you no longer want to do Could you negotiate terms with them which means you could pitch for the largest contracts and project manage them

This option gives you the most control but potentially leaves you vulnerable to the quality and commitment of others So if yoursquore thinking of going it alone make sure you can manage the core deliverables yourself and build your trusted team out from there

There are many other people who will influence your success Not least your family friends colleagues clients and of course yourself

The most important person will be your lsquoIdeal Clientrsquo so we will define the attributes that you would like your clients to have so that your escape into your own corporate business is as happy and successful as it can possibly be

But for now simply review your network of contacts and begin to think about who could become a future partner client or team member

16

ActionNow is the time to decide on the team that can help you create a successful business Work through your contacts and network and pick out those people you like the most who have complementary skills to your own and who you trust and respect above all others Create a list of

Possible Partners

Possible Prospects

Possible Team Members

Itrsquos also worth thinking about who might work against you and hinder your success Who is likely to want you to fail Identify them now and also be prepared for people you didnrsquot expect to work against you to come out of the woodwork as a negative influence

Seeing someone else break free and do the very thing they wish they could do can bring out the worst in people By being prepared for the naysayers doom mongers and saboteurs you will expect and be ready for them rather than floored and sideswiped

Also bear in mind that not everyone you identify as being a possible ally will turn out to be one In fact sometimes it turns out to be the opposite to the way you might expect The people you thought could be clients may turn their backs on you whereas the ones you didnrsquot rate may end up being your first clients

So never assume or bank entirely on anyone at all

17

Step 4

Who are youOnce you have built a fantasy team of people who could help you in your business review the way you currently communicate with them

Could you subtly start repositioning yourself in their eyes as a specialist a leader or ally Refresh your language and start thinking and speaking as a business owner-to-be rather than as a colleague or worker

Think about your personal brand and take time to assess how you are currently perceived in the workplace

This is the time for a deep and honest assessment of your character Are you considered to be a helpful expert in what you do or as an awkward dif-ficult complaining or tricky member of the team If you are that might well be because you are not happy in your work

But now you have a new plan and itrsquos time to rebrand

Position yourself as someone that your colleagues or contacts would want to give projects to Build your personal brand so that a wide network of people come to know like and trust you - those three factors are what will influence whether people choose to work with you or not when you leave

Every event is now a networking event for you rather than your corporate persona so start showing deep interest in everyone around you and everyone you meet

You never know when someone could turn out to be a seriously important influencer on the success of your escape plan

Your Positioning

18

But itrsquos important to not give away your plans too early

When I talk about your per-sonal brand I mean the way

your colleagues and network perceive you I donrsquot mean sud-

denly becoming a thought leader when you werenrsquot one before

Subtly and quietly transition your think-ing from lsquoemployeersquo to lsquoexpertrsquo Look at ev-

ery project yoursquore working on with different eyes Understand the big picture of what itrsquos trying to achieve and consider the part you have to play in itrsquos success This could become a case study that showcases your skills

If you donrsquot already start reading the trade websites and magazines that in-fluence your industry and sector Get a strong idea of the future the trends andthe technological advances that will influence your future

Begin to speak up more in meetings than you do at the moment or if you already have a well-known voice within the business consider whether there are any pub-lic speaking opportunities that you could use to further enhance your reputation

Could you offer specialised in-house training workshops or write a paper or a report that the business will use but which will have your byline

Could you achieve some great PR for your current employer which features you and your team and helps more people get to know like and trust you

Now is the time to consider your profile carefully and decide how you want to be perceived once yoursquove handed in your corporate ID badge

Anything you can do now to improve your personal brand and become known by people with influence within your corporate environment and the wider industry will serve you well

When the time comes to escape yoursquore going to want to have plenty of people rooting for your success and happy to introduce you to their contacts and clients

They will only do that if they know like and trust you

19

ActionDefine your personal brand

Who are you and what have you achieved

How are you currently perceived

Do you need to lsquorebrandrsquo

What do you do exceptionally well

What do you specialise in

What do you stand for

What problems do you solve

Why are you the best person to solve them

In the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme we examine credibility and confidence factors We will discuss critical aspects such as your brand values mission and story

We provide a template for Case Studies that will showcase your abilities and form the core of your marketing strategy and discuss how best to position your exit from corporate life with your family and colleagues to make sure they donrsquot think yoursquove completely lost your mindemsp

20

Step 5

Itrsquos usually essential to keep your business plan under wraps until you actually leave Many contracts include restrictive covenants and anti-poaching clauses If you contravene these clauses it can impact your exit and potentially damage your rela-tionship with your employer which could if handled right become your first cli-ent

Non-compete restrictions are to be respected but there are ways they can be man-aged which we go into more detail about in the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme

I have heard of situations where an em-ployer has told clients not to deal with the person leaving which have back-fired on the employer dramatically on one occasion causing the client to go out of their way to work with the leaver because they were so incensed by the em-ployer telling them what to do

Broadly speaking you should not approach your employerrsquos clients and solicit work from them until the restrictive cove-nant period has elapsed However there is nothing to stop you towards the end of your notice period letting key people know yoursquore leaving

They will most likely ask where yoursquore going and you can at that point let them know your plans and invite them to get in touch with you because of course you wonrsquot be permitted to contact them directly

These conversations are best held off-site if possible and not using the company telephone or email system Also be prepared if you work in a key client relationship role to be given garden leave and escorted off the premises almost immediately

How to launch your new business

Your Marketing Plan

21

Allow for this possibility in advance and do everything that you need to do before resigning The best advice is to leave on great terms with your employer and col-leagues

Employers can very often become your first client particularly if you have done a good job of positioning yourself as an essential cog in the wheel that they donrsquot want to lose Retaining your contract on a reduced level that maintains a good level of income while you develop your business and win new contracts is one of the best scenarios to aim for

But one contract will not be enough and for legal reasons you will need to work for at least two different clients to avoid contravening IR35 legislation This is a risk if you become in effect a contractor for your employer and then work as an employee in all but name ie you are expected to work at a certain place during certain hours and canrsquot send a substitute to do your work

Under those circumstances you would be classed as a contractor and thatrsquos not the escape plan I have in mind for you

Your business should aim to win at least two or three contracts or projects at first which you can manage yourself and which can bring in the equivalent of your annual salary in the first year After that you can look at employing staff to help your business grow and reduce the amount of time you have to spend delivering the contracts

What most people who leave their corporate job to start their own business donrsquot realise is that true freedom doesnrsquot

come until the day you are employing amazing peo-ple to help you do your work Thatrsquos when you

can start taking the time you need to live your life and do what you want to do

Employing people comes with its own

set of challenges

But with the help of a profession-al HR Consultant Accountant and your well-developed network it is possible to find skilled and talent-ed people who will look after your clients and do a great if not better job that you can leaving you with

the important task of running your company and finding new

business22

Promoting your new company in the early days depends entirely on your network and your ability to convey clearly the benefits and value of working with you

Do this well and you will have no need whatsoever to pay for advertising or to en-gage too heavily with social media in the early days of your business

That being said once yoursquore through your first year and have secured some steady contracts there is a place for marketing in your growth phase but as you will see in our follow-on Programme The START Marketing Strategy amp Action Plan this part of your promotional plan does not need to be uncomfortable or expensive

Your launch plan should be simple and elegant and involves preparing in advance three things

1) Your company name

This could be your name - personal brands are a powerful tool but they do come with issues in the growth phase Make the decision regarding the name of your business carefully with an eye to the future but donrsquot overthink it too much

Make sure you incorporate the business name to protect it (you can do this through your accountant if you donrsquot want your own name on the business until yoursquove left)

23

2) Your website

The first thing people will do when you tell them yoursquore leaving to set up your own company is check out your website to see how serious and likely to succeed you are If this is not ready and fully formed it may look like you have big dreams and ambitions but no substance Your website and messaging can evolve throughout the life of your business but that first version is essential for your credibility It sets out your store and shows people you mean business and that you should be taken seriously

3) Your business cards

Professionally designed and produced business cards are a simple and very inex-pensive part of your promotional plan but absolutely essential If you canrsquot hand over your card when asked at your leaving do yoursquove left a big hole in your commu-nication plan It should include your new title website address mobile and land-line telephone numbers together with a clear but brief description of the service your new business will provide

24

Your leaving do is an important part of your escape plan so manage it well If you have been sent off for garden leave then it might be that you have a series of mini get-togethers with key colleagues and contacts to say goodbye If you can organise a larger official do after work then this provides more opportunity to let people know your plans and ask them for any support they can give

Another tip is to send emails from your new business email with a shiny new signature block to individual colleagues simply thanking them for their support and a great working relationship and wishing them all the best in the future Let them know that if you can be of any help they shouldnrsquot hesitate to ask

There are a few other clever little tips we share in the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme to help you make the most of your new-found freedom and maximise your relationships in a healthy way We know of too many people who have left and then harassed their colleagues and network for business in a rather desperate and annoying way

Irsquom sure it goes without saying that this is not the way to build your business

Action Start planning and incorporate your business with the help of an accountant

Take time to understand the documents and templates that you need to run your new business Donrsquot appropriate them from your employer Improve and recreate them for your own company

Acquaint yourself with your contract and understand the impact any restrictive covenants may have on your departure Make sure that you respect them so you can leave your employer on good terms

Start thinking about your website and business cards

25

ConclusionThis is merely the tip of the iceberg of work and preparation you need to do before escaping and converting your career into a flexible professional consultancy business that you love

This mini-guide is designed to give you a good foundation and the inspiration you need to start planning your escape It will help you avoid mistakes which will make you far more vulnerable to recapture than you should be

Believe me when I say once you taste the air on the other side you will find it almost impossible to go back

The thought of having to look for a job and work as an employee again will make your heart sink

So letrsquos do this right and letrsquos do it soon

Itrsquos often said that life is too short for it to be lived in misery but I hope your life will be long I donrsquot want it to be long and miserable

It is far more likely to be long and happy if you start living it the way you want to and get in control of your day-to-day existence Doing the kind of work that fills you with excitement with clients you gen-uinely like and colleagues you respect

If that sounds like the life you want then our Corporate Escape Action Plan is what you need

Itrsquos a short and impactful programme that will guide you through the escape process and help you evade recapture back into a corporate job once yoursquove reached the out-side world

Good luck

We wish you all the very best for a successful escape and if we can help you with it just let us know by emailing us at hellothemarketingmatrixcouk

26

Become aCorporate Escape Artist

and be FreewwwYourCorporateEscapePlancouk

Image CreditsCaleb George - UnsplashLinked Sales Navigator - UnsplashThought Calalog - UnsplashChuttersnap - UnsplashBrook Cagle - UnsplashLuke David Williams - ShutterstockJavier Sierra - UnsplashVectorfusionart - ShutterstockAnnie Spratt - UnsplashCowomen - UnsplashStil - UnsplashToa Heftiba - UnsplashCampaign Creators - Unsplashdekazigzag - ShutterstockDomenico Ioia - ShutterstockHakinmhan - ShutterstockNick Adams - UnsplashRawpixel - UnsplashGuitarfoto Studio - Shutterstock

copy 2020 The Marketing Matrix Ltd - All rights reserved27

Select a fantasy list of the people you like trust and respect the most and in private at an off-site location ask them if theyrsquove ever thought about starting their own business

Never talk about this in the office and speak only with those you would definitely like to work with for the long-haul This conversation could be the start of amazing things and you have to be sure that yoursquore picking the right team

Also bear in mind that they may not be ready to consider leaving straightaway you are probably more progressed in your thinking so paint the picture and give them time to mull and imagine This is another reason why starting to plan your escape well in advance is so worthwhile The chances of you leaving with a powerhouse team of enthusiastic and committed team-mates increases dramatically

If yoursquove looked at your internal network and decided that yoursquod rather not work with any of them ever again then extend your thinking to your external network of associates clients and suppliers Could you start your own business with a matrix of associates doing aspects of the work that you no longer want to do Could you negotiate terms with them which means you could pitch for the largest contracts and project manage them

This option gives you the most control but potentially leaves you vulnerable to the quality and commitment of others So if yoursquore thinking of going it alone make sure you can manage the core deliverables yourself and build your trusted team out from there

There are many other people who will influence your success Not least your family friends colleagues clients and of course yourself

The most important person will be your lsquoIdeal Clientrsquo so we will define the attributes that you would like your clients to have so that your escape into your own corporate business is as happy and successful as it can possibly be

But for now simply review your network of contacts and begin to think about who could become a future partner client or team member

16

ActionNow is the time to decide on the team that can help you create a successful business Work through your contacts and network and pick out those people you like the most who have complementary skills to your own and who you trust and respect above all others Create a list of

Possible Partners

Possible Prospects

Possible Team Members

Itrsquos also worth thinking about who might work against you and hinder your success Who is likely to want you to fail Identify them now and also be prepared for people you didnrsquot expect to work against you to come out of the woodwork as a negative influence

Seeing someone else break free and do the very thing they wish they could do can bring out the worst in people By being prepared for the naysayers doom mongers and saboteurs you will expect and be ready for them rather than floored and sideswiped

Also bear in mind that not everyone you identify as being a possible ally will turn out to be one In fact sometimes it turns out to be the opposite to the way you might expect The people you thought could be clients may turn their backs on you whereas the ones you didnrsquot rate may end up being your first clients

So never assume or bank entirely on anyone at all

17

Step 4

Who are youOnce you have built a fantasy team of people who could help you in your business review the way you currently communicate with them

Could you subtly start repositioning yourself in their eyes as a specialist a leader or ally Refresh your language and start thinking and speaking as a business owner-to-be rather than as a colleague or worker

Think about your personal brand and take time to assess how you are currently perceived in the workplace

This is the time for a deep and honest assessment of your character Are you considered to be a helpful expert in what you do or as an awkward dif-ficult complaining or tricky member of the team If you are that might well be because you are not happy in your work

But now you have a new plan and itrsquos time to rebrand

Position yourself as someone that your colleagues or contacts would want to give projects to Build your personal brand so that a wide network of people come to know like and trust you - those three factors are what will influence whether people choose to work with you or not when you leave

Every event is now a networking event for you rather than your corporate persona so start showing deep interest in everyone around you and everyone you meet

You never know when someone could turn out to be a seriously important influencer on the success of your escape plan

Your Positioning

18

But itrsquos important to not give away your plans too early

When I talk about your per-sonal brand I mean the way

your colleagues and network perceive you I donrsquot mean sud-

denly becoming a thought leader when you werenrsquot one before

Subtly and quietly transition your think-ing from lsquoemployeersquo to lsquoexpertrsquo Look at ev-

ery project yoursquore working on with different eyes Understand the big picture of what itrsquos trying to achieve and consider the part you have to play in itrsquos success This could become a case study that showcases your skills

If you donrsquot already start reading the trade websites and magazines that in-fluence your industry and sector Get a strong idea of the future the trends andthe technological advances that will influence your future

Begin to speak up more in meetings than you do at the moment or if you already have a well-known voice within the business consider whether there are any pub-lic speaking opportunities that you could use to further enhance your reputation

Could you offer specialised in-house training workshops or write a paper or a report that the business will use but which will have your byline

Could you achieve some great PR for your current employer which features you and your team and helps more people get to know like and trust you

Now is the time to consider your profile carefully and decide how you want to be perceived once yoursquove handed in your corporate ID badge

Anything you can do now to improve your personal brand and become known by people with influence within your corporate environment and the wider industry will serve you well

When the time comes to escape yoursquore going to want to have plenty of people rooting for your success and happy to introduce you to their contacts and clients

They will only do that if they know like and trust you

19

ActionDefine your personal brand

Who are you and what have you achieved

How are you currently perceived

Do you need to lsquorebrandrsquo

What do you do exceptionally well

What do you specialise in

What do you stand for

What problems do you solve

Why are you the best person to solve them

In the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme we examine credibility and confidence factors We will discuss critical aspects such as your brand values mission and story

We provide a template for Case Studies that will showcase your abilities and form the core of your marketing strategy and discuss how best to position your exit from corporate life with your family and colleagues to make sure they donrsquot think yoursquove completely lost your mindemsp

20

Step 5

Itrsquos usually essential to keep your business plan under wraps until you actually leave Many contracts include restrictive covenants and anti-poaching clauses If you contravene these clauses it can impact your exit and potentially damage your rela-tionship with your employer which could if handled right become your first cli-ent

Non-compete restrictions are to be respected but there are ways they can be man-aged which we go into more detail about in the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme

I have heard of situations where an em-ployer has told clients not to deal with the person leaving which have back-fired on the employer dramatically on one occasion causing the client to go out of their way to work with the leaver because they were so incensed by the em-ployer telling them what to do

Broadly speaking you should not approach your employerrsquos clients and solicit work from them until the restrictive cove-nant period has elapsed However there is nothing to stop you towards the end of your notice period letting key people know yoursquore leaving

They will most likely ask where yoursquore going and you can at that point let them know your plans and invite them to get in touch with you because of course you wonrsquot be permitted to contact them directly

These conversations are best held off-site if possible and not using the company telephone or email system Also be prepared if you work in a key client relationship role to be given garden leave and escorted off the premises almost immediately

How to launch your new business

Your Marketing Plan

21

Allow for this possibility in advance and do everything that you need to do before resigning The best advice is to leave on great terms with your employer and col-leagues

Employers can very often become your first client particularly if you have done a good job of positioning yourself as an essential cog in the wheel that they donrsquot want to lose Retaining your contract on a reduced level that maintains a good level of income while you develop your business and win new contracts is one of the best scenarios to aim for

But one contract will not be enough and for legal reasons you will need to work for at least two different clients to avoid contravening IR35 legislation This is a risk if you become in effect a contractor for your employer and then work as an employee in all but name ie you are expected to work at a certain place during certain hours and canrsquot send a substitute to do your work

Under those circumstances you would be classed as a contractor and thatrsquos not the escape plan I have in mind for you

Your business should aim to win at least two or three contracts or projects at first which you can manage yourself and which can bring in the equivalent of your annual salary in the first year After that you can look at employing staff to help your business grow and reduce the amount of time you have to spend delivering the contracts

What most people who leave their corporate job to start their own business donrsquot realise is that true freedom doesnrsquot

come until the day you are employing amazing peo-ple to help you do your work Thatrsquos when you

can start taking the time you need to live your life and do what you want to do

Employing people comes with its own

set of challenges

But with the help of a profession-al HR Consultant Accountant and your well-developed network it is possible to find skilled and talent-ed people who will look after your clients and do a great if not better job that you can leaving you with

the important task of running your company and finding new

business22

Promoting your new company in the early days depends entirely on your network and your ability to convey clearly the benefits and value of working with you

Do this well and you will have no need whatsoever to pay for advertising or to en-gage too heavily with social media in the early days of your business

That being said once yoursquore through your first year and have secured some steady contracts there is a place for marketing in your growth phase but as you will see in our follow-on Programme The START Marketing Strategy amp Action Plan this part of your promotional plan does not need to be uncomfortable or expensive

Your launch plan should be simple and elegant and involves preparing in advance three things

1) Your company name

This could be your name - personal brands are a powerful tool but they do come with issues in the growth phase Make the decision regarding the name of your business carefully with an eye to the future but donrsquot overthink it too much

Make sure you incorporate the business name to protect it (you can do this through your accountant if you donrsquot want your own name on the business until yoursquove left)

23

2) Your website

The first thing people will do when you tell them yoursquore leaving to set up your own company is check out your website to see how serious and likely to succeed you are If this is not ready and fully formed it may look like you have big dreams and ambitions but no substance Your website and messaging can evolve throughout the life of your business but that first version is essential for your credibility It sets out your store and shows people you mean business and that you should be taken seriously

3) Your business cards

Professionally designed and produced business cards are a simple and very inex-pensive part of your promotional plan but absolutely essential If you canrsquot hand over your card when asked at your leaving do yoursquove left a big hole in your commu-nication plan It should include your new title website address mobile and land-line telephone numbers together with a clear but brief description of the service your new business will provide

24

Your leaving do is an important part of your escape plan so manage it well If you have been sent off for garden leave then it might be that you have a series of mini get-togethers with key colleagues and contacts to say goodbye If you can organise a larger official do after work then this provides more opportunity to let people know your plans and ask them for any support they can give

Another tip is to send emails from your new business email with a shiny new signature block to individual colleagues simply thanking them for their support and a great working relationship and wishing them all the best in the future Let them know that if you can be of any help they shouldnrsquot hesitate to ask

There are a few other clever little tips we share in the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme to help you make the most of your new-found freedom and maximise your relationships in a healthy way We know of too many people who have left and then harassed their colleagues and network for business in a rather desperate and annoying way

Irsquom sure it goes without saying that this is not the way to build your business

Action Start planning and incorporate your business with the help of an accountant

Take time to understand the documents and templates that you need to run your new business Donrsquot appropriate them from your employer Improve and recreate them for your own company

Acquaint yourself with your contract and understand the impact any restrictive covenants may have on your departure Make sure that you respect them so you can leave your employer on good terms

Start thinking about your website and business cards

25

ConclusionThis is merely the tip of the iceberg of work and preparation you need to do before escaping and converting your career into a flexible professional consultancy business that you love

This mini-guide is designed to give you a good foundation and the inspiration you need to start planning your escape It will help you avoid mistakes which will make you far more vulnerable to recapture than you should be

Believe me when I say once you taste the air on the other side you will find it almost impossible to go back

The thought of having to look for a job and work as an employee again will make your heart sink

So letrsquos do this right and letrsquos do it soon

Itrsquos often said that life is too short for it to be lived in misery but I hope your life will be long I donrsquot want it to be long and miserable

It is far more likely to be long and happy if you start living it the way you want to and get in control of your day-to-day existence Doing the kind of work that fills you with excitement with clients you gen-uinely like and colleagues you respect

If that sounds like the life you want then our Corporate Escape Action Plan is what you need

Itrsquos a short and impactful programme that will guide you through the escape process and help you evade recapture back into a corporate job once yoursquove reached the out-side world

Good luck

We wish you all the very best for a successful escape and if we can help you with it just let us know by emailing us at hellothemarketingmatrixcouk

26

Become aCorporate Escape Artist

and be FreewwwYourCorporateEscapePlancouk

Image CreditsCaleb George - UnsplashLinked Sales Navigator - UnsplashThought Calalog - UnsplashChuttersnap - UnsplashBrook Cagle - UnsplashLuke David Williams - ShutterstockJavier Sierra - UnsplashVectorfusionart - ShutterstockAnnie Spratt - UnsplashCowomen - UnsplashStil - UnsplashToa Heftiba - UnsplashCampaign Creators - Unsplashdekazigzag - ShutterstockDomenico Ioia - ShutterstockHakinmhan - ShutterstockNick Adams - UnsplashRawpixel - UnsplashGuitarfoto Studio - Shutterstock

copy 2020 The Marketing Matrix Ltd - All rights reserved27

ActionNow is the time to decide on the team that can help you create a successful business Work through your contacts and network and pick out those people you like the most who have complementary skills to your own and who you trust and respect above all others Create a list of

Possible Partners

Possible Prospects

Possible Team Members

Itrsquos also worth thinking about who might work against you and hinder your success Who is likely to want you to fail Identify them now and also be prepared for people you didnrsquot expect to work against you to come out of the woodwork as a negative influence

Seeing someone else break free and do the very thing they wish they could do can bring out the worst in people By being prepared for the naysayers doom mongers and saboteurs you will expect and be ready for them rather than floored and sideswiped

Also bear in mind that not everyone you identify as being a possible ally will turn out to be one In fact sometimes it turns out to be the opposite to the way you might expect The people you thought could be clients may turn their backs on you whereas the ones you didnrsquot rate may end up being your first clients

So never assume or bank entirely on anyone at all

17

Step 4

Who are youOnce you have built a fantasy team of people who could help you in your business review the way you currently communicate with them

Could you subtly start repositioning yourself in their eyes as a specialist a leader or ally Refresh your language and start thinking and speaking as a business owner-to-be rather than as a colleague or worker

Think about your personal brand and take time to assess how you are currently perceived in the workplace

This is the time for a deep and honest assessment of your character Are you considered to be a helpful expert in what you do or as an awkward dif-ficult complaining or tricky member of the team If you are that might well be because you are not happy in your work

But now you have a new plan and itrsquos time to rebrand

Position yourself as someone that your colleagues or contacts would want to give projects to Build your personal brand so that a wide network of people come to know like and trust you - those three factors are what will influence whether people choose to work with you or not when you leave

Every event is now a networking event for you rather than your corporate persona so start showing deep interest in everyone around you and everyone you meet

You never know when someone could turn out to be a seriously important influencer on the success of your escape plan

Your Positioning

18

But itrsquos important to not give away your plans too early

When I talk about your per-sonal brand I mean the way

your colleagues and network perceive you I donrsquot mean sud-

denly becoming a thought leader when you werenrsquot one before

Subtly and quietly transition your think-ing from lsquoemployeersquo to lsquoexpertrsquo Look at ev-

ery project yoursquore working on with different eyes Understand the big picture of what itrsquos trying to achieve and consider the part you have to play in itrsquos success This could become a case study that showcases your skills

If you donrsquot already start reading the trade websites and magazines that in-fluence your industry and sector Get a strong idea of the future the trends andthe technological advances that will influence your future

Begin to speak up more in meetings than you do at the moment or if you already have a well-known voice within the business consider whether there are any pub-lic speaking opportunities that you could use to further enhance your reputation

Could you offer specialised in-house training workshops or write a paper or a report that the business will use but which will have your byline

Could you achieve some great PR for your current employer which features you and your team and helps more people get to know like and trust you

Now is the time to consider your profile carefully and decide how you want to be perceived once yoursquove handed in your corporate ID badge

Anything you can do now to improve your personal brand and become known by people with influence within your corporate environment and the wider industry will serve you well

When the time comes to escape yoursquore going to want to have plenty of people rooting for your success and happy to introduce you to their contacts and clients

They will only do that if they know like and trust you

19

ActionDefine your personal brand

Who are you and what have you achieved

How are you currently perceived

Do you need to lsquorebrandrsquo

What do you do exceptionally well

What do you specialise in

What do you stand for

What problems do you solve

Why are you the best person to solve them

In the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme we examine credibility and confidence factors We will discuss critical aspects such as your brand values mission and story

We provide a template for Case Studies that will showcase your abilities and form the core of your marketing strategy and discuss how best to position your exit from corporate life with your family and colleagues to make sure they donrsquot think yoursquove completely lost your mindemsp

20

Step 5

Itrsquos usually essential to keep your business plan under wraps until you actually leave Many contracts include restrictive covenants and anti-poaching clauses If you contravene these clauses it can impact your exit and potentially damage your rela-tionship with your employer which could if handled right become your first cli-ent

Non-compete restrictions are to be respected but there are ways they can be man-aged which we go into more detail about in the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme

I have heard of situations where an em-ployer has told clients not to deal with the person leaving which have back-fired on the employer dramatically on one occasion causing the client to go out of their way to work with the leaver because they were so incensed by the em-ployer telling them what to do

Broadly speaking you should not approach your employerrsquos clients and solicit work from them until the restrictive cove-nant period has elapsed However there is nothing to stop you towards the end of your notice period letting key people know yoursquore leaving

They will most likely ask where yoursquore going and you can at that point let them know your plans and invite them to get in touch with you because of course you wonrsquot be permitted to contact them directly

These conversations are best held off-site if possible and not using the company telephone or email system Also be prepared if you work in a key client relationship role to be given garden leave and escorted off the premises almost immediately

How to launch your new business

Your Marketing Plan

21

Allow for this possibility in advance and do everything that you need to do before resigning The best advice is to leave on great terms with your employer and col-leagues

Employers can very often become your first client particularly if you have done a good job of positioning yourself as an essential cog in the wheel that they donrsquot want to lose Retaining your contract on a reduced level that maintains a good level of income while you develop your business and win new contracts is one of the best scenarios to aim for

But one contract will not be enough and for legal reasons you will need to work for at least two different clients to avoid contravening IR35 legislation This is a risk if you become in effect a contractor for your employer and then work as an employee in all but name ie you are expected to work at a certain place during certain hours and canrsquot send a substitute to do your work

Under those circumstances you would be classed as a contractor and thatrsquos not the escape plan I have in mind for you

Your business should aim to win at least two or three contracts or projects at first which you can manage yourself and which can bring in the equivalent of your annual salary in the first year After that you can look at employing staff to help your business grow and reduce the amount of time you have to spend delivering the contracts

What most people who leave their corporate job to start their own business donrsquot realise is that true freedom doesnrsquot

come until the day you are employing amazing peo-ple to help you do your work Thatrsquos when you

can start taking the time you need to live your life and do what you want to do

Employing people comes with its own

set of challenges

But with the help of a profession-al HR Consultant Accountant and your well-developed network it is possible to find skilled and talent-ed people who will look after your clients and do a great if not better job that you can leaving you with

the important task of running your company and finding new

business22

Promoting your new company in the early days depends entirely on your network and your ability to convey clearly the benefits and value of working with you

Do this well and you will have no need whatsoever to pay for advertising or to en-gage too heavily with social media in the early days of your business

That being said once yoursquore through your first year and have secured some steady contracts there is a place for marketing in your growth phase but as you will see in our follow-on Programme The START Marketing Strategy amp Action Plan this part of your promotional plan does not need to be uncomfortable or expensive

Your launch plan should be simple and elegant and involves preparing in advance three things

1) Your company name

This could be your name - personal brands are a powerful tool but they do come with issues in the growth phase Make the decision regarding the name of your business carefully with an eye to the future but donrsquot overthink it too much

Make sure you incorporate the business name to protect it (you can do this through your accountant if you donrsquot want your own name on the business until yoursquove left)

23

2) Your website

The first thing people will do when you tell them yoursquore leaving to set up your own company is check out your website to see how serious and likely to succeed you are If this is not ready and fully formed it may look like you have big dreams and ambitions but no substance Your website and messaging can evolve throughout the life of your business but that first version is essential for your credibility It sets out your store and shows people you mean business and that you should be taken seriously

3) Your business cards

Professionally designed and produced business cards are a simple and very inex-pensive part of your promotional plan but absolutely essential If you canrsquot hand over your card when asked at your leaving do yoursquove left a big hole in your commu-nication plan It should include your new title website address mobile and land-line telephone numbers together with a clear but brief description of the service your new business will provide

24

Your leaving do is an important part of your escape plan so manage it well If you have been sent off for garden leave then it might be that you have a series of mini get-togethers with key colleagues and contacts to say goodbye If you can organise a larger official do after work then this provides more opportunity to let people know your plans and ask them for any support they can give

Another tip is to send emails from your new business email with a shiny new signature block to individual colleagues simply thanking them for their support and a great working relationship and wishing them all the best in the future Let them know that if you can be of any help they shouldnrsquot hesitate to ask

There are a few other clever little tips we share in the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme to help you make the most of your new-found freedom and maximise your relationships in a healthy way We know of too many people who have left and then harassed their colleagues and network for business in a rather desperate and annoying way

Irsquom sure it goes without saying that this is not the way to build your business

Action Start planning and incorporate your business with the help of an accountant

Take time to understand the documents and templates that you need to run your new business Donrsquot appropriate them from your employer Improve and recreate them for your own company

Acquaint yourself with your contract and understand the impact any restrictive covenants may have on your departure Make sure that you respect them so you can leave your employer on good terms

Start thinking about your website and business cards

25

ConclusionThis is merely the tip of the iceberg of work and preparation you need to do before escaping and converting your career into a flexible professional consultancy business that you love

This mini-guide is designed to give you a good foundation and the inspiration you need to start planning your escape It will help you avoid mistakes which will make you far more vulnerable to recapture than you should be

Believe me when I say once you taste the air on the other side you will find it almost impossible to go back

The thought of having to look for a job and work as an employee again will make your heart sink

So letrsquos do this right and letrsquos do it soon

Itrsquos often said that life is too short for it to be lived in misery but I hope your life will be long I donrsquot want it to be long and miserable

It is far more likely to be long and happy if you start living it the way you want to and get in control of your day-to-day existence Doing the kind of work that fills you with excitement with clients you gen-uinely like and colleagues you respect

If that sounds like the life you want then our Corporate Escape Action Plan is what you need

Itrsquos a short and impactful programme that will guide you through the escape process and help you evade recapture back into a corporate job once yoursquove reached the out-side world

Good luck

We wish you all the very best for a successful escape and if we can help you with it just let us know by emailing us at hellothemarketingmatrixcouk

26

Become aCorporate Escape Artist

and be FreewwwYourCorporateEscapePlancouk

Image CreditsCaleb George - UnsplashLinked Sales Navigator - UnsplashThought Calalog - UnsplashChuttersnap - UnsplashBrook Cagle - UnsplashLuke David Williams - ShutterstockJavier Sierra - UnsplashVectorfusionart - ShutterstockAnnie Spratt - UnsplashCowomen - UnsplashStil - UnsplashToa Heftiba - UnsplashCampaign Creators - Unsplashdekazigzag - ShutterstockDomenico Ioia - ShutterstockHakinmhan - ShutterstockNick Adams - UnsplashRawpixel - UnsplashGuitarfoto Studio - Shutterstock

copy 2020 The Marketing Matrix Ltd - All rights reserved27

Step 4

Who are youOnce you have built a fantasy team of people who could help you in your business review the way you currently communicate with them

Could you subtly start repositioning yourself in their eyes as a specialist a leader or ally Refresh your language and start thinking and speaking as a business owner-to-be rather than as a colleague or worker

Think about your personal brand and take time to assess how you are currently perceived in the workplace

This is the time for a deep and honest assessment of your character Are you considered to be a helpful expert in what you do or as an awkward dif-ficult complaining or tricky member of the team If you are that might well be because you are not happy in your work

But now you have a new plan and itrsquos time to rebrand

Position yourself as someone that your colleagues or contacts would want to give projects to Build your personal brand so that a wide network of people come to know like and trust you - those three factors are what will influence whether people choose to work with you or not when you leave

Every event is now a networking event for you rather than your corporate persona so start showing deep interest in everyone around you and everyone you meet

You never know when someone could turn out to be a seriously important influencer on the success of your escape plan

Your Positioning

18

But itrsquos important to not give away your plans too early

When I talk about your per-sonal brand I mean the way

your colleagues and network perceive you I donrsquot mean sud-

denly becoming a thought leader when you werenrsquot one before

Subtly and quietly transition your think-ing from lsquoemployeersquo to lsquoexpertrsquo Look at ev-

ery project yoursquore working on with different eyes Understand the big picture of what itrsquos trying to achieve and consider the part you have to play in itrsquos success This could become a case study that showcases your skills

If you donrsquot already start reading the trade websites and magazines that in-fluence your industry and sector Get a strong idea of the future the trends andthe technological advances that will influence your future

Begin to speak up more in meetings than you do at the moment or if you already have a well-known voice within the business consider whether there are any pub-lic speaking opportunities that you could use to further enhance your reputation

Could you offer specialised in-house training workshops or write a paper or a report that the business will use but which will have your byline

Could you achieve some great PR for your current employer which features you and your team and helps more people get to know like and trust you

Now is the time to consider your profile carefully and decide how you want to be perceived once yoursquove handed in your corporate ID badge

Anything you can do now to improve your personal brand and become known by people with influence within your corporate environment and the wider industry will serve you well

When the time comes to escape yoursquore going to want to have plenty of people rooting for your success and happy to introduce you to their contacts and clients

They will only do that if they know like and trust you

19

ActionDefine your personal brand

Who are you and what have you achieved

How are you currently perceived

Do you need to lsquorebrandrsquo

What do you do exceptionally well

What do you specialise in

What do you stand for

What problems do you solve

Why are you the best person to solve them

In the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme we examine credibility and confidence factors We will discuss critical aspects such as your brand values mission and story

We provide a template for Case Studies that will showcase your abilities and form the core of your marketing strategy and discuss how best to position your exit from corporate life with your family and colleagues to make sure they donrsquot think yoursquove completely lost your mindemsp

20

Step 5

Itrsquos usually essential to keep your business plan under wraps until you actually leave Many contracts include restrictive covenants and anti-poaching clauses If you contravene these clauses it can impact your exit and potentially damage your rela-tionship with your employer which could if handled right become your first cli-ent

Non-compete restrictions are to be respected but there are ways they can be man-aged which we go into more detail about in the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme

I have heard of situations where an em-ployer has told clients not to deal with the person leaving which have back-fired on the employer dramatically on one occasion causing the client to go out of their way to work with the leaver because they were so incensed by the em-ployer telling them what to do

Broadly speaking you should not approach your employerrsquos clients and solicit work from them until the restrictive cove-nant period has elapsed However there is nothing to stop you towards the end of your notice period letting key people know yoursquore leaving

They will most likely ask where yoursquore going and you can at that point let them know your plans and invite them to get in touch with you because of course you wonrsquot be permitted to contact them directly

These conversations are best held off-site if possible and not using the company telephone or email system Also be prepared if you work in a key client relationship role to be given garden leave and escorted off the premises almost immediately

How to launch your new business

Your Marketing Plan

21

Allow for this possibility in advance and do everything that you need to do before resigning The best advice is to leave on great terms with your employer and col-leagues

Employers can very often become your first client particularly if you have done a good job of positioning yourself as an essential cog in the wheel that they donrsquot want to lose Retaining your contract on a reduced level that maintains a good level of income while you develop your business and win new contracts is one of the best scenarios to aim for

But one contract will not be enough and for legal reasons you will need to work for at least two different clients to avoid contravening IR35 legislation This is a risk if you become in effect a contractor for your employer and then work as an employee in all but name ie you are expected to work at a certain place during certain hours and canrsquot send a substitute to do your work

Under those circumstances you would be classed as a contractor and thatrsquos not the escape plan I have in mind for you

Your business should aim to win at least two or three contracts or projects at first which you can manage yourself and which can bring in the equivalent of your annual salary in the first year After that you can look at employing staff to help your business grow and reduce the amount of time you have to spend delivering the contracts

What most people who leave their corporate job to start their own business donrsquot realise is that true freedom doesnrsquot

come until the day you are employing amazing peo-ple to help you do your work Thatrsquos when you

can start taking the time you need to live your life and do what you want to do

Employing people comes with its own

set of challenges

But with the help of a profession-al HR Consultant Accountant and your well-developed network it is possible to find skilled and talent-ed people who will look after your clients and do a great if not better job that you can leaving you with

the important task of running your company and finding new

business22

Promoting your new company in the early days depends entirely on your network and your ability to convey clearly the benefits and value of working with you

Do this well and you will have no need whatsoever to pay for advertising or to en-gage too heavily with social media in the early days of your business

That being said once yoursquore through your first year and have secured some steady contracts there is a place for marketing in your growth phase but as you will see in our follow-on Programme The START Marketing Strategy amp Action Plan this part of your promotional plan does not need to be uncomfortable or expensive

Your launch plan should be simple and elegant and involves preparing in advance three things

1) Your company name

This could be your name - personal brands are a powerful tool but they do come with issues in the growth phase Make the decision regarding the name of your business carefully with an eye to the future but donrsquot overthink it too much

Make sure you incorporate the business name to protect it (you can do this through your accountant if you donrsquot want your own name on the business until yoursquove left)

23

2) Your website

The first thing people will do when you tell them yoursquore leaving to set up your own company is check out your website to see how serious and likely to succeed you are If this is not ready and fully formed it may look like you have big dreams and ambitions but no substance Your website and messaging can evolve throughout the life of your business but that first version is essential for your credibility It sets out your store and shows people you mean business and that you should be taken seriously

3) Your business cards

Professionally designed and produced business cards are a simple and very inex-pensive part of your promotional plan but absolutely essential If you canrsquot hand over your card when asked at your leaving do yoursquove left a big hole in your commu-nication plan It should include your new title website address mobile and land-line telephone numbers together with a clear but brief description of the service your new business will provide

24

Your leaving do is an important part of your escape plan so manage it well If you have been sent off for garden leave then it might be that you have a series of mini get-togethers with key colleagues and contacts to say goodbye If you can organise a larger official do after work then this provides more opportunity to let people know your plans and ask them for any support they can give

Another tip is to send emails from your new business email with a shiny new signature block to individual colleagues simply thanking them for their support and a great working relationship and wishing them all the best in the future Let them know that if you can be of any help they shouldnrsquot hesitate to ask

There are a few other clever little tips we share in the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme to help you make the most of your new-found freedom and maximise your relationships in a healthy way We know of too many people who have left and then harassed their colleagues and network for business in a rather desperate and annoying way

Irsquom sure it goes without saying that this is not the way to build your business

Action Start planning and incorporate your business with the help of an accountant

Take time to understand the documents and templates that you need to run your new business Donrsquot appropriate them from your employer Improve and recreate them for your own company

Acquaint yourself with your contract and understand the impact any restrictive covenants may have on your departure Make sure that you respect them so you can leave your employer on good terms

Start thinking about your website and business cards

25

ConclusionThis is merely the tip of the iceberg of work and preparation you need to do before escaping and converting your career into a flexible professional consultancy business that you love

This mini-guide is designed to give you a good foundation and the inspiration you need to start planning your escape It will help you avoid mistakes which will make you far more vulnerable to recapture than you should be

Believe me when I say once you taste the air on the other side you will find it almost impossible to go back

The thought of having to look for a job and work as an employee again will make your heart sink

So letrsquos do this right and letrsquos do it soon

Itrsquos often said that life is too short for it to be lived in misery but I hope your life will be long I donrsquot want it to be long and miserable

It is far more likely to be long and happy if you start living it the way you want to and get in control of your day-to-day existence Doing the kind of work that fills you with excitement with clients you gen-uinely like and colleagues you respect

If that sounds like the life you want then our Corporate Escape Action Plan is what you need

Itrsquos a short and impactful programme that will guide you through the escape process and help you evade recapture back into a corporate job once yoursquove reached the out-side world

Good luck

We wish you all the very best for a successful escape and if we can help you with it just let us know by emailing us at hellothemarketingmatrixcouk

26

Become aCorporate Escape Artist

and be FreewwwYourCorporateEscapePlancouk

Image CreditsCaleb George - UnsplashLinked Sales Navigator - UnsplashThought Calalog - UnsplashChuttersnap - UnsplashBrook Cagle - UnsplashLuke David Williams - ShutterstockJavier Sierra - UnsplashVectorfusionart - ShutterstockAnnie Spratt - UnsplashCowomen - UnsplashStil - UnsplashToa Heftiba - UnsplashCampaign Creators - Unsplashdekazigzag - ShutterstockDomenico Ioia - ShutterstockHakinmhan - ShutterstockNick Adams - UnsplashRawpixel - UnsplashGuitarfoto Studio - Shutterstock

copy 2020 The Marketing Matrix Ltd - All rights reserved27

But itrsquos important to not give away your plans too early

When I talk about your per-sonal brand I mean the way

your colleagues and network perceive you I donrsquot mean sud-

denly becoming a thought leader when you werenrsquot one before

Subtly and quietly transition your think-ing from lsquoemployeersquo to lsquoexpertrsquo Look at ev-

ery project yoursquore working on with different eyes Understand the big picture of what itrsquos trying to achieve and consider the part you have to play in itrsquos success This could become a case study that showcases your skills

If you donrsquot already start reading the trade websites and magazines that in-fluence your industry and sector Get a strong idea of the future the trends andthe technological advances that will influence your future

Begin to speak up more in meetings than you do at the moment or if you already have a well-known voice within the business consider whether there are any pub-lic speaking opportunities that you could use to further enhance your reputation

Could you offer specialised in-house training workshops or write a paper or a report that the business will use but which will have your byline

Could you achieve some great PR for your current employer which features you and your team and helps more people get to know like and trust you

Now is the time to consider your profile carefully and decide how you want to be perceived once yoursquove handed in your corporate ID badge

Anything you can do now to improve your personal brand and become known by people with influence within your corporate environment and the wider industry will serve you well

When the time comes to escape yoursquore going to want to have plenty of people rooting for your success and happy to introduce you to their contacts and clients

They will only do that if they know like and trust you

19

ActionDefine your personal brand

Who are you and what have you achieved

How are you currently perceived

Do you need to lsquorebrandrsquo

What do you do exceptionally well

What do you specialise in

What do you stand for

What problems do you solve

Why are you the best person to solve them

In the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme we examine credibility and confidence factors We will discuss critical aspects such as your brand values mission and story

We provide a template for Case Studies that will showcase your abilities and form the core of your marketing strategy and discuss how best to position your exit from corporate life with your family and colleagues to make sure they donrsquot think yoursquove completely lost your mindemsp

20

Step 5

Itrsquos usually essential to keep your business plan under wraps until you actually leave Many contracts include restrictive covenants and anti-poaching clauses If you contravene these clauses it can impact your exit and potentially damage your rela-tionship with your employer which could if handled right become your first cli-ent

Non-compete restrictions are to be respected but there are ways they can be man-aged which we go into more detail about in the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme

I have heard of situations where an em-ployer has told clients not to deal with the person leaving which have back-fired on the employer dramatically on one occasion causing the client to go out of their way to work with the leaver because they were so incensed by the em-ployer telling them what to do

Broadly speaking you should not approach your employerrsquos clients and solicit work from them until the restrictive cove-nant period has elapsed However there is nothing to stop you towards the end of your notice period letting key people know yoursquore leaving

They will most likely ask where yoursquore going and you can at that point let them know your plans and invite them to get in touch with you because of course you wonrsquot be permitted to contact them directly

These conversations are best held off-site if possible and not using the company telephone or email system Also be prepared if you work in a key client relationship role to be given garden leave and escorted off the premises almost immediately

How to launch your new business

Your Marketing Plan

21

Allow for this possibility in advance and do everything that you need to do before resigning The best advice is to leave on great terms with your employer and col-leagues

Employers can very often become your first client particularly if you have done a good job of positioning yourself as an essential cog in the wheel that they donrsquot want to lose Retaining your contract on a reduced level that maintains a good level of income while you develop your business and win new contracts is one of the best scenarios to aim for

But one contract will not be enough and for legal reasons you will need to work for at least two different clients to avoid contravening IR35 legislation This is a risk if you become in effect a contractor for your employer and then work as an employee in all but name ie you are expected to work at a certain place during certain hours and canrsquot send a substitute to do your work

Under those circumstances you would be classed as a contractor and thatrsquos not the escape plan I have in mind for you

Your business should aim to win at least two or three contracts or projects at first which you can manage yourself and which can bring in the equivalent of your annual salary in the first year After that you can look at employing staff to help your business grow and reduce the amount of time you have to spend delivering the contracts

What most people who leave their corporate job to start their own business donrsquot realise is that true freedom doesnrsquot

come until the day you are employing amazing peo-ple to help you do your work Thatrsquos when you

can start taking the time you need to live your life and do what you want to do

Employing people comes with its own

set of challenges

But with the help of a profession-al HR Consultant Accountant and your well-developed network it is possible to find skilled and talent-ed people who will look after your clients and do a great if not better job that you can leaving you with

the important task of running your company and finding new

business22

Promoting your new company in the early days depends entirely on your network and your ability to convey clearly the benefits and value of working with you

Do this well and you will have no need whatsoever to pay for advertising or to en-gage too heavily with social media in the early days of your business

That being said once yoursquore through your first year and have secured some steady contracts there is a place for marketing in your growth phase but as you will see in our follow-on Programme The START Marketing Strategy amp Action Plan this part of your promotional plan does not need to be uncomfortable or expensive

Your launch plan should be simple and elegant and involves preparing in advance three things

1) Your company name

This could be your name - personal brands are a powerful tool but they do come with issues in the growth phase Make the decision regarding the name of your business carefully with an eye to the future but donrsquot overthink it too much

Make sure you incorporate the business name to protect it (you can do this through your accountant if you donrsquot want your own name on the business until yoursquove left)

23

2) Your website

The first thing people will do when you tell them yoursquore leaving to set up your own company is check out your website to see how serious and likely to succeed you are If this is not ready and fully formed it may look like you have big dreams and ambitions but no substance Your website and messaging can evolve throughout the life of your business but that first version is essential for your credibility It sets out your store and shows people you mean business and that you should be taken seriously

3) Your business cards

Professionally designed and produced business cards are a simple and very inex-pensive part of your promotional plan but absolutely essential If you canrsquot hand over your card when asked at your leaving do yoursquove left a big hole in your commu-nication plan It should include your new title website address mobile and land-line telephone numbers together with a clear but brief description of the service your new business will provide

24

Your leaving do is an important part of your escape plan so manage it well If you have been sent off for garden leave then it might be that you have a series of mini get-togethers with key colleagues and contacts to say goodbye If you can organise a larger official do after work then this provides more opportunity to let people know your plans and ask them for any support they can give

Another tip is to send emails from your new business email with a shiny new signature block to individual colleagues simply thanking them for their support and a great working relationship and wishing them all the best in the future Let them know that if you can be of any help they shouldnrsquot hesitate to ask

There are a few other clever little tips we share in the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme to help you make the most of your new-found freedom and maximise your relationships in a healthy way We know of too many people who have left and then harassed their colleagues and network for business in a rather desperate and annoying way

Irsquom sure it goes without saying that this is not the way to build your business

Action Start planning and incorporate your business with the help of an accountant

Take time to understand the documents and templates that you need to run your new business Donrsquot appropriate them from your employer Improve and recreate them for your own company

Acquaint yourself with your contract and understand the impact any restrictive covenants may have on your departure Make sure that you respect them so you can leave your employer on good terms

Start thinking about your website and business cards

25

ConclusionThis is merely the tip of the iceberg of work and preparation you need to do before escaping and converting your career into a flexible professional consultancy business that you love

This mini-guide is designed to give you a good foundation and the inspiration you need to start planning your escape It will help you avoid mistakes which will make you far more vulnerable to recapture than you should be

Believe me when I say once you taste the air on the other side you will find it almost impossible to go back

The thought of having to look for a job and work as an employee again will make your heart sink

So letrsquos do this right and letrsquos do it soon

Itrsquos often said that life is too short for it to be lived in misery but I hope your life will be long I donrsquot want it to be long and miserable

It is far more likely to be long and happy if you start living it the way you want to and get in control of your day-to-day existence Doing the kind of work that fills you with excitement with clients you gen-uinely like and colleagues you respect

If that sounds like the life you want then our Corporate Escape Action Plan is what you need

Itrsquos a short and impactful programme that will guide you through the escape process and help you evade recapture back into a corporate job once yoursquove reached the out-side world

Good luck

We wish you all the very best for a successful escape and if we can help you with it just let us know by emailing us at hellothemarketingmatrixcouk

26

Become aCorporate Escape Artist

and be FreewwwYourCorporateEscapePlancouk

Image CreditsCaleb George - UnsplashLinked Sales Navigator - UnsplashThought Calalog - UnsplashChuttersnap - UnsplashBrook Cagle - UnsplashLuke David Williams - ShutterstockJavier Sierra - UnsplashVectorfusionart - ShutterstockAnnie Spratt - UnsplashCowomen - UnsplashStil - UnsplashToa Heftiba - UnsplashCampaign Creators - Unsplashdekazigzag - ShutterstockDomenico Ioia - ShutterstockHakinmhan - ShutterstockNick Adams - UnsplashRawpixel - UnsplashGuitarfoto Studio - Shutterstock

copy 2020 The Marketing Matrix Ltd - All rights reserved27

ActionDefine your personal brand

Who are you and what have you achieved

How are you currently perceived

Do you need to lsquorebrandrsquo

What do you do exceptionally well

What do you specialise in

What do you stand for

What problems do you solve

Why are you the best person to solve them

In the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme we examine credibility and confidence factors We will discuss critical aspects such as your brand values mission and story

We provide a template for Case Studies that will showcase your abilities and form the core of your marketing strategy and discuss how best to position your exit from corporate life with your family and colleagues to make sure they donrsquot think yoursquove completely lost your mindemsp

20

Step 5

Itrsquos usually essential to keep your business plan under wraps until you actually leave Many contracts include restrictive covenants and anti-poaching clauses If you contravene these clauses it can impact your exit and potentially damage your rela-tionship with your employer which could if handled right become your first cli-ent

Non-compete restrictions are to be respected but there are ways they can be man-aged which we go into more detail about in the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme

I have heard of situations where an em-ployer has told clients not to deal with the person leaving which have back-fired on the employer dramatically on one occasion causing the client to go out of their way to work with the leaver because they were so incensed by the em-ployer telling them what to do

Broadly speaking you should not approach your employerrsquos clients and solicit work from them until the restrictive cove-nant period has elapsed However there is nothing to stop you towards the end of your notice period letting key people know yoursquore leaving

They will most likely ask where yoursquore going and you can at that point let them know your plans and invite them to get in touch with you because of course you wonrsquot be permitted to contact them directly

These conversations are best held off-site if possible and not using the company telephone or email system Also be prepared if you work in a key client relationship role to be given garden leave and escorted off the premises almost immediately

How to launch your new business

Your Marketing Plan

21

Allow for this possibility in advance and do everything that you need to do before resigning The best advice is to leave on great terms with your employer and col-leagues

Employers can very often become your first client particularly if you have done a good job of positioning yourself as an essential cog in the wheel that they donrsquot want to lose Retaining your contract on a reduced level that maintains a good level of income while you develop your business and win new contracts is one of the best scenarios to aim for

But one contract will not be enough and for legal reasons you will need to work for at least two different clients to avoid contravening IR35 legislation This is a risk if you become in effect a contractor for your employer and then work as an employee in all but name ie you are expected to work at a certain place during certain hours and canrsquot send a substitute to do your work

Under those circumstances you would be classed as a contractor and thatrsquos not the escape plan I have in mind for you

Your business should aim to win at least two or three contracts or projects at first which you can manage yourself and which can bring in the equivalent of your annual salary in the first year After that you can look at employing staff to help your business grow and reduce the amount of time you have to spend delivering the contracts

What most people who leave their corporate job to start their own business donrsquot realise is that true freedom doesnrsquot

come until the day you are employing amazing peo-ple to help you do your work Thatrsquos when you

can start taking the time you need to live your life and do what you want to do

Employing people comes with its own

set of challenges

But with the help of a profession-al HR Consultant Accountant and your well-developed network it is possible to find skilled and talent-ed people who will look after your clients and do a great if not better job that you can leaving you with

the important task of running your company and finding new

business22

Promoting your new company in the early days depends entirely on your network and your ability to convey clearly the benefits and value of working with you

Do this well and you will have no need whatsoever to pay for advertising or to en-gage too heavily with social media in the early days of your business

That being said once yoursquore through your first year and have secured some steady contracts there is a place for marketing in your growth phase but as you will see in our follow-on Programme The START Marketing Strategy amp Action Plan this part of your promotional plan does not need to be uncomfortable or expensive

Your launch plan should be simple and elegant and involves preparing in advance three things

1) Your company name

This could be your name - personal brands are a powerful tool but they do come with issues in the growth phase Make the decision regarding the name of your business carefully with an eye to the future but donrsquot overthink it too much

Make sure you incorporate the business name to protect it (you can do this through your accountant if you donrsquot want your own name on the business until yoursquove left)

23

2) Your website

The first thing people will do when you tell them yoursquore leaving to set up your own company is check out your website to see how serious and likely to succeed you are If this is not ready and fully formed it may look like you have big dreams and ambitions but no substance Your website and messaging can evolve throughout the life of your business but that first version is essential for your credibility It sets out your store and shows people you mean business and that you should be taken seriously

3) Your business cards

Professionally designed and produced business cards are a simple and very inex-pensive part of your promotional plan but absolutely essential If you canrsquot hand over your card when asked at your leaving do yoursquove left a big hole in your commu-nication plan It should include your new title website address mobile and land-line telephone numbers together with a clear but brief description of the service your new business will provide

24

Your leaving do is an important part of your escape plan so manage it well If you have been sent off for garden leave then it might be that you have a series of mini get-togethers with key colleagues and contacts to say goodbye If you can organise a larger official do after work then this provides more opportunity to let people know your plans and ask them for any support they can give

Another tip is to send emails from your new business email with a shiny new signature block to individual colleagues simply thanking them for their support and a great working relationship and wishing them all the best in the future Let them know that if you can be of any help they shouldnrsquot hesitate to ask

There are a few other clever little tips we share in the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme to help you make the most of your new-found freedom and maximise your relationships in a healthy way We know of too many people who have left and then harassed their colleagues and network for business in a rather desperate and annoying way

Irsquom sure it goes without saying that this is not the way to build your business

Action Start planning and incorporate your business with the help of an accountant

Take time to understand the documents and templates that you need to run your new business Donrsquot appropriate them from your employer Improve and recreate them for your own company

Acquaint yourself with your contract and understand the impact any restrictive covenants may have on your departure Make sure that you respect them so you can leave your employer on good terms

Start thinking about your website and business cards

25

ConclusionThis is merely the tip of the iceberg of work and preparation you need to do before escaping and converting your career into a flexible professional consultancy business that you love

This mini-guide is designed to give you a good foundation and the inspiration you need to start planning your escape It will help you avoid mistakes which will make you far more vulnerable to recapture than you should be

Believe me when I say once you taste the air on the other side you will find it almost impossible to go back

The thought of having to look for a job and work as an employee again will make your heart sink

So letrsquos do this right and letrsquos do it soon

Itrsquos often said that life is too short for it to be lived in misery but I hope your life will be long I donrsquot want it to be long and miserable

It is far more likely to be long and happy if you start living it the way you want to and get in control of your day-to-day existence Doing the kind of work that fills you with excitement with clients you gen-uinely like and colleagues you respect

If that sounds like the life you want then our Corporate Escape Action Plan is what you need

Itrsquos a short and impactful programme that will guide you through the escape process and help you evade recapture back into a corporate job once yoursquove reached the out-side world

Good luck

We wish you all the very best for a successful escape and if we can help you with it just let us know by emailing us at hellothemarketingmatrixcouk

26

Become aCorporate Escape Artist

and be FreewwwYourCorporateEscapePlancouk

Image CreditsCaleb George - UnsplashLinked Sales Navigator - UnsplashThought Calalog - UnsplashChuttersnap - UnsplashBrook Cagle - UnsplashLuke David Williams - ShutterstockJavier Sierra - UnsplashVectorfusionart - ShutterstockAnnie Spratt - UnsplashCowomen - UnsplashStil - UnsplashToa Heftiba - UnsplashCampaign Creators - Unsplashdekazigzag - ShutterstockDomenico Ioia - ShutterstockHakinmhan - ShutterstockNick Adams - UnsplashRawpixel - UnsplashGuitarfoto Studio - Shutterstock

copy 2020 The Marketing Matrix Ltd - All rights reserved27

Step 5

Itrsquos usually essential to keep your business plan under wraps until you actually leave Many contracts include restrictive covenants and anti-poaching clauses If you contravene these clauses it can impact your exit and potentially damage your rela-tionship with your employer which could if handled right become your first cli-ent

Non-compete restrictions are to be respected but there are ways they can be man-aged which we go into more detail about in the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme

I have heard of situations where an em-ployer has told clients not to deal with the person leaving which have back-fired on the employer dramatically on one occasion causing the client to go out of their way to work with the leaver because they were so incensed by the em-ployer telling them what to do

Broadly speaking you should not approach your employerrsquos clients and solicit work from them until the restrictive cove-nant period has elapsed However there is nothing to stop you towards the end of your notice period letting key people know yoursquore leaving

They will most likely ask where yoursquore going and you can at that point let them know your plans and invite them to get in touch with you because of course you wonrsquot be permitted to contact them directly

These conversations are best held off-site if possible and not using the company telephone or email system Also be prepared if you work in a key client relationship role to be given garden leave and escorted off the premises almost immediately

How to launch your new business

Your Marketing Plan

21

Allow for this possibility in advance and do everything that you need to do before resigning The best advice is to leave on great terms with your employer and col-leagues

Employers can very often become your first client particularly if you have done a good job of positioning yourself as an essential cog in the wheel that they donrsquot want to lose Retaining your contract on a reduced level that maintains a good level of income while you develop your business and win new contracts is one of the best scenarios to aim for

But one contract will not be enough and for legal reasons you will need to work for at least two different clients to avoid contravening IR35 legislation This is a risk if you become in effect a contractor for your employer and then work as an employee in all but name ie you are expected to work at a certain place during certain hours and canrsquot send a substitute to do your work

Under those circumstances you would be classed as a contractor and thatrsquos not the escape plan I have in mind for you

Your business should aim to win at least two or three contracts or projects at first which you can manage yourself and which can bring in the equivalent of your annual salary in the first year After that you can look at employing staff to help your business grow and reduce the amount of time you have to spend delivering the contracts

What most people who leave their corporate job to start their own business donrsquot realise is that true freedom doesnrsquot

come until the day you are employing amazing peo-ple to help you do your work Thatrsquos when you

can start taking the time you need to live your life and do what you want to do

Employing people comes with its own

set of challenges

But with the help of a profession-al HR Consultant Accountant and your well-developed network it is possible to find skilled and talent-ed people who will look after your clients and do a great if not better job that you can leaving you with

the important task of running your company and finding new

business22

Promoting your new company in the early days depends entirely on your network and your ability to convey clearly the benefits and value of working with you

Do this well and you will have no need whatsoever to pay for advertising or to en-gage too heavily with social media in the early days of your business

That being said once yoursquore through your first year and have secured some steady contracts there is a place for marketing in your growth phase but as you will see in our follow-on Programme The START Marketing Strategy amp Action Plan this part of your promotional plan does not need to be uncomfortable or expensive

Your launch plan should be simple and elegant and involves preparing in advance three things

1) Your company name

This could be your name - personal brands are a powerful tool but they do come with issues in the growth phase Make the decision regarding the name of your business carefully with an eye to the future but donrsquot overthink it too much

Make sure you incorporate the business name to protect it (you can do this through your accountant if you donrsquot want your own name on the business until yoursquove left)

23

2) Your website

The first thing people will do when you tell them yoursquore leaving to set up your own company is check out your website to see how serious and likely to succeed you are If this is not ready and fully formed it may look like you have big dreams and ambitions but no substance Your website and messaging can evolve throughout the life of your business but that first version is essential for your credibility It sets out your store and shows people you mean business and that you should be taken seriously

3) Your business cards

Professionally designed and produced business cards are a simple and very inex-pensive part of your promotional plan but absolutely essential If you canrsquot hand over your card when asked at your leaving do yoursquove left a big hole in your commu-nication plan It should include your new title website address mobile and land-line telephone numbers together with a clear but brief description of the service your new business will provide

24

Your leaving do is an important part of your escape plan so manage it well If you have been sent off for garden leave then it might be that you have a series of mini get-togethers with key colleagues and contacts to say goodbye If you can organise a larger official do after work then this provides more opportunity to let people know your plans and ask them for any support they can give

Another tip is to send emails from your new business email with a shiny new signature block to individual colleagues simply thanking them for their support and a great working relationship and wishing them all the best in the future Let them know that if you can be of any help they shouldnrsquot hesitate to ask

There are a few other clever little tips we share in the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme to help you make the most of your new-found freedom and maximise your relationships in a healthy way We know of too many people who have left and then harassed their colleagues and network for business in a rather desperate and annoying way

Irsquom sure it goes without saying that this is not the way to build your business

Action Start planning and incorporate your business with the help of an accountant

Take time to understand the documents and templates that you need to run your new business Donrsquot appropriate them from your employer Improve and recreate them for your own company

Acquaint yourself with your contract and understand the impact any restrictive covenants may have on your departure Make sure that you respect them so you can leave your employer on good terms

Start thinking about your website and business cards

25

ConclusionThis is merely the tip of the iceberg of work and preparation you need to do before escaping and converting your career into a flexible professional consultancy business that you love

This mini-guide is designed to give you a good foundation and the inspiration you need to start planning your escape It will help you avoid mistakes which will make you far more vulnerable to recapture than you should be

Believe me when I say once you taste the air on the other side you will find it almost impossible to go back

The thought of having to look for a job and work as an employee again will make your heart sink

So letrsquos do this right and letrsquos do it soon

Itrsquos often said that life is too short for it to be lived in misery but I hope your life will be long I donrsquot want it to be long and miserable

It is far more likely to be long and happy if you start living it the way you want to and get in control of your day-to-day existence Doing the kind of work that fills you with excitement with clients you gen-uinely like and colleagues you respect

If that sounds like the life you want then our Corporate Escape Action Plan is what you need

Itrsquos a short and impactful programme that will guide you through the escape process and help you evade recapture back into a corporate job once yoursquove reached the out-side world

Good luck

We wish you all the very best for a successful escape and if we can help you with it just let us know by emailing us at hellothemarketingmatrixcouk

26

Become aCorporate Escape Artist

and be FreewwwYourCorporateEscapePlancouk

Image CreditsCaleb George - UnsplashLinked Sales Navigator - UnsplashThought Calalog - UnsplashChuttersnap - UnsplashBrook Cagle - UnsplashLuke David Williams - ShutterstockJavier Sierra - UnsplashVectorfusionart - ShutterstockAnnie Spratt - UnsplashCowomen - UnsplashStil - UnsplashToa Heftiba - UnsplashCampaign Creators - Unsplashdekazigzag - ShutterstockDomenico Ioia - ShutterstockHakinmhan - ShutterstockNick Adams - UnsplashRawpixel - UnsplashGuitarfoto Studio - Shutterstock

copy 2020 The Marketing Matrix Ltd - All rights reserved27

Allow for this possibility in advance and do everything that you need to do before resigning The best advice is to leave on great terms with your employer and col-leagues

Employers can very often become your first client particularly if you have done a good job of positioning yourself as an essential cog in the wheel that they donrsquot want to lose Retaining your contract on a reduced level that maintains a good level of income while you develop your business and win new contracts is one of the best scenarios to aim for

But one contract will not be enough and for legal reasons you will need to work for at least two different clients to avoid contravening IR35 legislation This is a risk if you become in effect a contractor for your employer and then work as an employee in all but name ie you are expected to work at a certain place during certain hours and canrsquot send a substitute to do your work

Under those circumstances you would be classed as a contractor and thatrsquos not the escape plan I have in mind for you

Your business should aim to win at least two or three contracts or projects at first which you can manage yourself and which can bring in the equivalent of your annual salary in the first year After that you can look at employing staff to help your business grow and reduce the amount of time you have to spend delivering the contracts

What most people who leave their corporate job to start their own business donrsquot realise is that true freedom doesnrsquot

come until the day you are employing amazing peo-ple to help you do your work Thatrsquos when you

can start taking the time you need to live your life and do what you want to do

Employing people comes with its own

set of challenges

But with the help of a profession-al HR Consultant Accountant and your well-developed network it is possible to find skilled and talent-ed people who will look after your clients and do a great if not better job that you can leaving you with

the important task of running your company and finding new

business22

Promoting your new company in the early days depends entirely on your network and your ability to convey clearly the benefits and value of working with you

Do this well and you will have no need whatsoever to pay for advertising or to en-gage too heavily with social media in the early days of your business

That being said once yoursquore through your first year and have secured some steady contracts there is a place for marketing in your growth phase but as you will see in our follow-on Programme The START Marketing Strategy amp Action Plan this part of your promotional plan does not need to be uncomfortable or expensive

Your launch plan should be simple and elegant and involves preparing in advance three things

1) Your company name

This could be your name - personal brands are a powerful tool but they do come with issues in the growth phase Make the decision regarding the name of your business carefully with an eye to the future but donrsquot overthink it too much

Make sure you incorporate the business name to protect it (you can do this through your accountant if you donrsquot want your own name on the business until yoursquove left)

23

2) Your website

The first thing people will do when you tell them yoursquore leaving to set up your own company is check out your website to see how serious and likely to succeed you are If this is not ready and fully formed it may look like you have big dreams and ambitions but no substance Your website and messaging can evolve throughout the life of your business but that first version is essential for your credibility It sets out your store and shows people you mean business and that you should be taken seriously

3) Your business cards

Professionally designed and produced business cards are a simple and very inex-pensive part of your promotional plan but absolutely essential If you canrsquot hand over your card when asked at your leaving do yoursquove left a big hole in your commu-nication plan It should include your new title website address mobile and land-line telephone numbers together with a clear but brief description of the service your new business will provide

24

Your leaving do is an important part of your escape plan so manage it well If you have been sent off for garden leave then it might be that you have a series of mini get-togethers with key colleagues and contacts to say goodbye If you can organise a larger official do after work then this provides more opportunity to let people know your plans and ask them for any support they can give

Another tip is to send emails from your new business email with a shiny new signature block to individual colleagues simply thanking them for their support and a great working relationship and wishing them all the best in the future Let them know that if you can be of any help they shouldnrsquot hesitate to ask

There are a few other clever little tips we share in the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme to help you make the most of your new-found freedom and maximise your relationships in a healthy way We know of too many people who have left and then harassed their colleagues and network for business in a rather desperate and annoying way

Irsquom sure it goes without saying that this is not the way to build your business

Action Start planning and incorporate your business with the help of an accountant

Take time to understand the documents and templates that you need to run your new business Donrsquot appropriate them from your employer Improve and recreate them for your own company

Acquaint yourself with your contract and understand the impact any restrictive covenants may have on your departure Make sure that you respect them so you can leave your employer on good terms

Start thinking about your website and business cards

25

ConclusionThis is merely the tip of the iceberg of work and preparation you need to do before escaping and converting your career into a flexible professional consultancy business that you love

This mini-guide is designed to give you a good foundation and the inspiration you need to start planning your escape It will help you avoid mistakes which will make you far more vulnerable to recapture than you should be

Believe me when I say once you taste the air on the other side you will find it almost impossible to go back

The thought of having to look for a job and work as an employee again will make your heart sink

So letrsquos do this right and letrsquos do it soon

Itrsquos often said that life is too short for it to be lived in misery but I hope your life will be long I donrsquot want it to be long and miserable

It is far more likely to be long and happy if you start living it the way you want to and get in control of your day-to-day existence Doing the kind of work that fills you with excitement with clients you gen-uinely like and colleagues you respect

If that sounds like the life you want then our Corporate Escape Action Plan is what you need

Itrsquos a short and impactful programme that will guide you through the escape process and help you evade recapture back into a corporate job once yoursquove reached the out-side world

Good luck

We wish you all the very best for a successful escape and if we can help you with it just let us know by emailing us at hellothemarketingmatrixcouk

26

Become aCorporate Escape Artist

and be FreewwwYourCorporateEscapePlancouk

Image CreditsCaleb George - UnsplashLinked Sales Navigator - UnsplashThought Calalog - UnsplashChuttersnap - UnsplashBrook Cagle - UnsplashLuke David Williams - ShutterstockJavier Sierra - UnsplashVectorfusionart - ShutterstockAnnie Spratt - UnsplashCowomen - UnsplashStil - UnsplashToa Heftiba - UnsplashCampaign Creators - Unsplashdekazigzag - ShutterstockDomenico Ioia - ShutterstockHakinmhan - ShutterstockNick Adams - UnsplashRawpixel - UnsplashGuitarfoto Studio - Shutterstock

copy 2020 The Marketing Matrix Ltd - All rights reserved27

Promoting your new company in the early days depends entirely on your network and your ability to convey clearly the benefits and value of working with you

Do this well and you will have no need whatsoever to pay for advertising or to en-gage too heavily with social media in the early days of your business

That being said once yoursquore through your first year and have secured some steady contracts there is a place for marketing in your growth phase but as you will see in our follow-on Programme The START Marketing Strategy amp Action Plan this part of your promotional plan does not need to be uncomfortable or expensive

Your launch plan should be simple and elegant and involves preparing in advance three things

1) Your company name

This could be your name - personal brands are a powerful tool but they do come with issues in the growth phase Make the decision regarding the name of your business carefully with an eye to the future but donrsquot overthink it too much

Make sure you incorporate the business name to protect it (you can do this through your accountant if you donrsquot want your own name on the business until yoursquove left)

23

2) Your website

The first thing people will do when you tell them yoursquore leaving to set up your own company is check out your website to see how serious and likely to succeed you are If this is not ready and fully formed it may look like you have big dreams and ambitions but no substance Your website and messaging can evolve throughout the life of your business but that first version is essential for your credibility It sets out your store and shows people you mean business and that you should be taken seriously

3) Your business cards

Professionally designed and produced business cards are a simple and very inex-pensive part of your promotional plan but absolutely essential If you canrsquot hand over your card when asked at your leaving do yoursquove left a big hole in your commu-nication plan It should include your new title website address mobile and land-line telephone numbers together with a clear but brief description of the service your new business will provide

24

Your leaving do is an important part of your escape plan so manage it well If you have been sent off for garden leave then it might be that you have a series of mini get-togethers with key colleagues and contacts to say goodbye If you can organise a larger official do after work then this provides more opportunity to let people know your plans and ask them for any support they can give

Another tip is to send emails from your new business email with a shiny new signature block to individual colleagues simply thanking them for their support and a great working relationship and wishing them all the best in the future Let them know that if you can be of any help they shouldnrsquot hesitate to ask

There are a few other clever little tips we share in the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme to help you make the most of your new-found freedom and maximise your relationships in a healthy way We know of too many people who have left and then harassed their colleagues and network for business in a rather desperate and annoying way

Irsquom sure it goes without saying that this is not the way to build your business

Action Start planning and incorporate your business with the help of an accountant

Take time to understand the documents and templates that you need to run your new business Donrsquot appropriate them from your employer Improve and recreate them for your own company

Acquaint yourself with your contract and understand the impact any restrictive covenants may have on your departure Make sure that you respect them so you can leave your employer on good terms

Start thinking about your website and business cards

25

ConclusionThis is merely the tip of the iceberg of work and preparation you need to do before escaping and converting your career into a flexible professional consultancy business that you love

This mini-guide is designed to give you a good foundation and the inspiration you need to start planning your escape It will help you avoid mistakes which will make you far more vulnerable to recapture than you should be

Believe me when I say once you taste the air on the other side you will find it almost impossible to go back

The thought of having to look for a job and work as an employee again will make your heart sink

So letrsquos do this right and letrsquos do it soon

Itrsquos often said that life is too short for it to be lived in misery but I hope your life will be long I donrsquot want it to be long and miserable

It is far more likely to be long and happy if you start living it the way you want to and get in control of your day-to-day existence Doing the kind of work that fills you with excitement with clients you gen-uinely like and colleagues you respect

If that sounds like the life you want then our Corporate Escape Action Plan is what you need

Itrsquos a short and impactful programme that will guide you through the escape process and help you evade recapture back into a corporate job once yoursquove reached the out-side world

Good luck

We wish you all the very best for a successful escape and if we can help you with it just let us know by emailing us at hellothemarketingmatrixcouk

26

Become aCorporate Escape Artist

and be FreewwwYourCorporateEscapePlancouk

Image CreditsCaleb George - UnsplashLinked Sales Navigator - UnsplashThought Calalog - UnsplashChuttersnap - UnsplashBrook Cagle - UnsplashLuke David Williams - ShutterstockJavier Sierra - UnsplashVectorfusionart - ShutterstockAnnie Spratt - UnsplashCowomen - UnsplashStil - UnsplashToa Heftiba - UnsplashCampaign Creators - Unsplashdekazigzag - ShutterstockDomenico Ioia - ShutterstockHakinmhan - ShutterstockNick Adams - UnsplashRawpixel - UnsplashGuitarfoto Studio - Shutterstock

copy 2020 The Marketing Matrix Ltd - All rights reserved27

2) Your website

The first thing people will do when you tell them yoursquore leaving to set up your own company is check out your website to see how serious and likely to succeed you are If this is not ready and fully formed it may look like you have big dreams and ambitions but no substance Your website and messaging can evolve throughout the life of your business but that first version is essential for your credibility It sets out your store and shows people you mean business and that you should be taken seriously

3) Your business cards

Professionally designed and produced business cards are a simple and very inex-pensive part of your promotional plan but absolutely essential If you canrsquot hand over your card when asked at your leaving do yoursquove left a big hole in your commu-nication plan It should include your new title website address mobile and land-line telephone numbers together with a clear but brief description of the service your new business will provide

24

Your leaving do is an important part of your escape plan so manage it well If you have been sent off for garden leave then it might be that you have a series of mini get-togethers with key colleagues and contacts to say goodbye If you can organise a larger official do after work then this provides more opportunity to let people know your plans and ask them for any support they can give

Another tip is to send emails from your new business email with a shiny new signature block to individual colleagues simply thanking them for their support and a great working relationship and wishing them all the best in the future Let them know that if you can be of any help they shouldnrsquot hesitate to ask

There are a few other clever little tips we share in the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme to help you make the most of your new-found freedom and maximise your relationships in a healthy way We know of too many people who have left and then harassed their colleagues and network for business in a rather desperate and annoying way

Irsquom sure it goes without saying that this is not the way to build your business

Action Start planning and incorporate your business with the help of an accountant

Take time to understand the documents and templates that you need to run your new business Donrsquot appropriate them from your employer Improve and recreate them for your own company

Acquaint yourself with your contract and understand the impact any restrictive covenants may have on your departure Make sure that you respect them so you can leave your employer on good terms

Start thinking about your website and business cards

25

ConclusionThis is merely the tip of the iceberg of work and preparation you need to do before escaping and converting your career into a flexible professional consultancy business that you love

This mini-guide is designed to give you a good foundation and the inspiration you need to start planning your escape It will help you avoid mistakes which will make you far more vulnerable to recapture than you should be

Believe me when I say once you taste the air on the other side you will find it almost impossible to go back

The thought of having to look for a job and work as an employee again will make your heart sink

So letrsquos do this right and letrsquos do it soon

Itrsquos often said that life is too short for it to be lived in misery but I hope your life will be long I donrsquot want it to be long and miserable

It is far more likely to be long and happy if you start living it the way you want to and get in control of your day-to-day existence Doing the kind of work that fills you with excitement with clients you gen-uinely like and colleagues you respect

If that sounds like the life you want then our Corporate Escape Action Plan is what you need

Itrsquos a short and impactful programme that will guide you through the escape process and help you evade recapture back into a corporate job once yoursquove reached the out-side world

Good luck

We wish you all the very best for a successful escape and if we can help you with it just let us know by emailing us at hellothemarketingmatrixcouk

26

Become aCorporate Escape Artist

and be FreewwwYourCorporateEscapePlancouk

Image CreditsCaleb George - UnsplashLinked Sales Navigator - UnsplashThought Calalog - UnsplashChuttersnap - UnsplashBrook Cagle - UnsplashLuke David Williams - ShutterstockJavier Sierra - UnsplashVectorfusionart - ShutterstockAnnie Spratt - UnsplashCowomen - UnsplashStil - UnsplashToa Heftiba - UnsplashCampaign Creators - Unsplashdekazigzag - ShutterstockDomenico Ioia - ShutterstockHakinmhan - ShutterstockNick Adams - UnsplashRawpixel - UnsplashGuitarfoto Studio - Shutterstock

copy 2020 The Marketing Matrix Ltd - All rights reserved27

Your leaving do is an important part of your escape plan so manage it well If you have been sent off for garden leave then it might be that you have a series of mini get-togethers with key colleagues and contacts to say goodbye If you can organise a larger official do after work then this provides more opportunity to let people know your plans and ask them for any support they can give

Another tip is to send emails from your new business email with a shiny new signature block to individual colleagues simply thanking them for their support and a great working relationship and wishing them all the best in the future Let them know that if you can be of any help they shouldnrsquot hesitate to ask

There are a few other clever little tips we share in the Corporate Escape Action Plan programme to help you make the most of your new-found freedom and maximise your relationships in a healthy way We know of too many people who have left and then harassed their colleagues and network for business in a rather desperate and annoying way

Irsquom sure it goes without saying that this is not the way to build your business

Action Start planning and incorporate your business with the help of an accountant

Take time to understand the documents and templates that you need to run your new business Donrsquot appropriate them from your employer Improve and recreate them for your own company

Acquaint yourself with your contract and understand the impact any restrictive covenants may have on your departure Make sure that you respect them so you can leave your employer on good terms

Start thinking about your website and business cards

25

ConclusionThis is merely the tip of the iceberg of work and preparation you need to do before escaping and converting your career into a flexible professional consultancy business that you love

This mini-guide is designed to give you a good foundation and the inspiration you need to start planning your escape It will help you avoid mistakes which will make you far more vulnerable to recapture than you should be

Believe me when I say once you taste the air on the other side you will find it almost impossible to go back

The thought of having to look for a job and work as an employee again will make your heart sink

So letrsquos do this right and letrsquos do it soon

Itrsquos often said that life is too short for it to be lived in misery but I hope your life will be long I donrsquot want it to be long and miserable

It is far more likely to be long and happy if you start living it the way you want to and get in control of your day-to-day existence Doing the kind of work that fills you with excitement with clients you gen-uinely like and colleagues you respect

If that sounds like the life you want then our Corporate Escape Action Plan is what you need

Itrsquos a short and impactful programme that will guide you through the escape process and help you evade recapture back into a corporate job once yoursquove reached the out-side world

Good luck

We wish you all the very best for a successful escape and if we can help you with it just let us know by emailing us at hellothemarketingmatrixcouk

26

Become aCorporate Escape Artist

and be FreewwwYourCorporateEscapePlancouk

Image CreditsCaleb George - UnsplashLinked Sales Navigator - UnsplashThought Calalog - UnsplashChuttersnap - UnsplashBrook Cagle - UnsplashLuke David Williams - ShutterstockJavier Sierra - UnsplashVectorfusionart - ShutterstockAnnie Spratt - UnsplashCowomen - UnsplashStil - UnsplashToa Heftiba - UnsplashCampaign Creators - Unsplashdekazigzag - ShutterstockDomenico Ioia - ShutterstockHakinmhan - ShutterstockNick Adams - UnsplashRawpixel - UnsplashGuitarfoto Studio - Shutterstock

copy 2020 The Marketing Matrix Ltd - All rights reserved27

ConclusionThis is merely the tip of the iceberg of work and preparation you need to do before escaping and converting your career into a flexible professional consultancy business that you love

This mini-guide is designed to give you a good foundation and the inspiration you need to start planning your escape It will help you avoid mistakes which will make you far more vulnerable to recapture than you should be

Believe me when I say once you taste the air on the other side you will find it almost impossible to go back

The thought of having to look for a job and work as an employee again will make your heart sink

So letrsquos do this right and letrsquos do it soon

Itrsquos often said that life is too short for it to be lived in misery but I hope your life will be long I donrsquot want it to be long and miserable

It is far more likely to be long and happy if you start living it the way you want to and get in control of your day-to-day existence Doing the kind of work that fills you with excitement with clients you gen-uinely like and colleagues you respect

If that sounds like the life you want then our Corporate Escape Action Plan is what you need

Itrsquos a short and impactful programme that will guide you through the escape process and help you evade recapture back into a corporate job once yoursquove reached the out-side world

Good luck

We wish you all the very best for a successful escape and if we can help you with it just let us know by emailing us at hellothemarketingmatrixcouk

26

Become aCorporate Escape Artist

and be FreewwwYourCorporateEscapePlancouk

Image CreditsCaleb George - UnsplashLinked Sales Navigator - UnsplashThought Calalog - UnsplashChuttersnap - UnsplashBrook Cagle - UnsplashLuke David Williams - ShutterstockJavier Sierra - UnsplashVectorfusionart - ShutterstockAnnie Spratt - UnsplashCowomen - UnsplashStil - UnsplashToa Heftiba - UnsplashCampaign Creators - Unsplashdekazigzag - ShutterstockDomenico Ioia - ShutterstockHakinmhan - ShutterstockNick Adams - UnsplashRawpixel - UnsplashGuitarfoto Studio - Shutterstock

copy 2020 The Marketing Matrix Ltd - All rights reserved27

Become aCorporate Escape Artist

and be FreewwwYourCorporateEscapePlancouk

Image CreditsCaleb George - UnsplashLinked Sales Navigator - UnsplashThought Calalog - UnsplashChuttersnap - UnsplashBrook Cagle - UnsplashLuke David Williams - ShutterstockJavier Sierra - UnsplashVectorfusionart - ShutterstockAnnie Spratt - UnsplashCowomen - UnsplashStil - UnsplashToa Heftiba - UnsplashCampaign Creators - Unsplashdekazigzag - ShutterstockDomenico Ioia - ShutterstockHakinmhan - ShutterstockNick Adams - UnsplashRawpixel - UnsplashGuitarfoto Studio - Shutterstock

copy 2020 The Marketing Matrix Ltd - All rights reserved27