The Winning Formulae Ltd is go! I’ve written this blog as a way of letting people know what I’m doing and why I’m doing it. I’ve had so many messages of support and quite a few curious people asking what I’ve done – I love it! And thank you all for your kind words of support.

I’d always wanted to become self-employed, so contracting work has given me an opportunity to dip my toe in the water without becoming fully committed, as after all I could just go out and get employed by a company, as most people do, if it doesn’t work out.

The truth is, I got lucky. But you have to take your chances in life when luck comes your way. Having been made redundant from my previous employer after only a short time at the company when new management came in, I needed to start looking for employment. Whilst doing this I also contacted a former manager initially to ask if it’d be OK to put him down for a reference. His reply was yes, but also to let him know if I’d consider coming back at any time. This got me thinking.

People usually leave companies for two reasons (unless forced upon), that being nothing new to learn, or bad management. Suffice to say my reason for leaving that employer was simply that I wanted to do something different and I was happy with the management there. So going back full-time really wasn’t going to be a long term option as my main reason for leaving which was seeking a new challenge was always going to be there. But going back part time as a contractor could just work and here’s why.

Part-time contracting for a previous employer gives you two things you need straight out of the box. Firstly, a degree of familiarity in what you’re doing and secondly, of course, a source of income, something which everyone needs. There is a third and best part, certainly in my case, in that contracting part-time allows me the freedom and flexibility to take on work with other clients and fulfill the new challenges that I’m seeking. In my case, it’s the best possible scenario and a challenge I relish.

Coffee, lots of coffee. Or Tea
For anyone considering doing this, firstly get used to drinking lots of coffee or tea. I’ve certainly drank my fair share over the last couple of weeks. As a self-startup there are so many new things you have to do and sort out. Certainly if you’ve gone down the route  I have you’ll be spending a lot of time at your computer keyboard sipping coffee or tea. As well as the formalities of setting up a limited company and a business bank account there’s a lot of other things to do, putting this website together and this blog for example. Not to mention the hours trawling the internet looking for potential clients and numerous telephone follow-up calls. But it’s all fun though, and I can very genuinely say I’m enjoying both the excitement of it and the unknown.

So what’s next?
Honestly? I haven’t a clue. I currently have 2 days per week available to a new client, and from June that could be more. If your business needs help with marketing strategy or execution whether it be for a specific project or just short term cover for a busy period or staff maternity leave then get in touch quickly before someone else does! You’ll find my CV on the ‘About Us’ section of the website where you can see my previous experience and skill set.

That’s it from me for now, but I’ll be posting regular updates to let you know what I’m working on and also sharing anything on here that I think will be of interest to you. Oh, and for anyone else who’s also considering doing the same thing, my message is “try it!” Go on, push yourself outside of your comfort zone and see what you can achieve!

Philip Law
Founder, The Winning Formulae Ltd