Project Future: 6 Steps to Success as Your Own Boss
252Project Future: 6 Steps to Success as Your Own Boss
252Paperback
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Overview
You want to be your own boss, but how do you make the right decision and make it happen?
The world of work is unrecognizable from when you started your career. It’s full of uncertainty, but it’s also full of opportunities.
Never has it been easier to start a business and make an impact in the world.
Taking inspiration from project management techniques, Rob Kerr shows you how to test your ideas, get clarity, and launch a successful independent career. You’ll discover:
- THE S.O.R.T.E.D. FRAMEWORK – to get your mindset right.
- THE I.N.P.U.T.S. FRAMEWORK – to critically analyse your business proposal.
- THE 6-STEP F.U.T.U.R.E. METHOD – to develop and deliver your plan.
Rob Kerr had a number of false starts in his own career before finding his path. A project manager for over a decade, he set up his first business in 2014 and has since found satisfaction and balance. Now he shares his approach with aspiring entrepreneurs, contractors, and freelancers, supporting them through these critical decisions and showing them how to flourish on their own unique journey.
Product Details
ISBN-13: | 9781788601764 |
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Publisher: | Practical Inspiration Publishing |
Publication date: | 01/05/2021 |
Pages: | 252 |
Product dimensions: | 5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.69(d) |
About the Author
Table of Contents
Foreword xv
Preface xvii
Introduction 1
The nagging thought 1
What you'll discover 2
Why is this a project? 3
Dividing the project into phases 4
Phase 0 Getting prepared 7
Initiating Phase 0 8
Pre-step 1 The SORTED Framework 9
Being organized, clear and confident 9
Self-evaluation 10
Openness to change 12
Responsibility 13
Tenacity 15
Enjoyment 16
De-risk it 17
There's nothing like a deadline 19
Making headspace 20
Recognizing your own value 22
Taking confidence from yourself 23
Retrospective 24
Pre-step 2 The INPUTS Framework 25
The business case 25
Introducing the INPUTS factors 26
The impact factor 27
The numbers factor 28
The personal factor 29
The useful factor 30
The timing factor 31
The sales factor 33
Retrospective 35
Signing off Phase 0 37
Phase 1 Making the right decision 39
Initiating Phase 1 40
Making a project plan 40
Plan 42
Step 1 Find 43
The scope 43
The BIDS candidates 44
The different options 45
Giving your project a name 47
Premature decision risk 48
Exploring all ideas 48
Pivot 50
Be careful of the devil you know 51
Finding a niche 52
Not reinventing the wheel 54
Aiming higher 55
The Steering Committee 55
Steering Meeting 1: Signing off your BIDS candidates 57
Retrospective 57
Step 2 Understand 59
The scope 59
Requirements and design 60
Exciting times 63
SWOT analysis 64
Managing risk 66
Understanding your core customer 68
Business complexity 70
Competitive differentiators 71
Finding the sweet spot 73
Lifestyle 76
Values 78
Purpose, mission and vision statements 79
Personality types 81
Adaptive skills 84
Building or maintaining 85
Rethinking your experience 86
Accepting sacrifices 88
Training options 89
Successful case studies 90
Getting to know the tribe 91
Outsourcing 92
Starting a partnership 94
Joining an existing business or a start-up 95
Steering Meeting 2: Go ahead to Step 3: Trial or return to Step 1: Find 97
Retrospective 98
Step 3 Trial 99
The scope 99
The pilot 100
Getting comfortable with feeling uncomfortable 101
Minimum viable product 102
Choosing a business name 104
Real-world experience 106
Range of trial options 108
Your elevator pitch 109
Creating opportunities 111
Adapting to those who find value 112
Responding to disappointment 114
The cutover 115
Re-baselining your plan 116
Steering Meeting 3: Signing off your business case 117
Retrospective 118
Phase 2 Making it happen 121
Initiating Phase 2 122
Plan 122
Step 4 Undertake 125
The scope 125
Going live 126
Committing 100% 127
Making it real 128
Early priorities 131
Long-term goals 132
Building momentum to get started 134
Asking for help 135
Cash-flow is king 136
You're never 'unemployed' 138
Reputation is everything 139
Abundance 140
Ways of working 141
Growing your network 143
Making the most of your network 145
Brand strategy 146
Communications strategy 149
Connecting with customers online 152
Marketing campaigns and advertising 156
Events 157
Public relations and publicity 159
Getting your image right 161
Your offering and pricing 162
Working environment 164
Discipline within the working day 166
Making time away from work 167
Rewarding yourself 168
Retrospective 169
Step 5 Review 171
The scope 171
The review 172
The INPUTS Review Framework 173
Types of review 174
Reviewing with a mentor or buddy 175
Change control 177
Forecast, actuals and variance 177
Capacity planning 179
Emergency changes 180
Lessons learned 182
Single points of failure 182
Self-care 184
Extraordinary Steering Meeting 186
Retrospective 187
Phase 3 Making it better 189
Initiating Phase 3 190
Plan 190
Step 6 Expand 193
The scope 193
Close and learn 194
Is 'do nothing' an option? 194
The contribution equation 195
Pivot again 196
Natural expansion 197
Your book and podcast 199
Closing down successful products or services 202
Collaborations and partnerships 203
Focusing on your priorities 204
Competitions and awards 206
Growing your team 208
Training your team 209
Creating assets 211
Scaling your business 212
Exit plan 213
Retrospective 215
A bright FUTURE 217
Applying the FUTURE Method 217
What you discovered 218
Be confident and have no regrets 219
A final action: Don't be a stranger 221
About the author 223
About the contributors 225
Acknowledgements 231
What People are Saying About This
‘Everything you need to know to prepare you for setting up a business is in this book. Until now, running a business was for those crazy enough to have an idea and take a leap of faith. In this book, Rob Kerr uses project management tools and techniques to plan and execute setting up a business. Devour every word if you want to fast-track success and prevent a lot of mistakes. A practical handbook that will guarantee success.’ Jude Jennison, Leaders by Nature Ltd, executive and team coach, author and speaker
‘The journey from employee to business owner is much more than a leap of faith. It’s a complete mindset shift. It’s like standing on the bank of a fast-flowing river with a desire to reach the other side alongside a fear of being swept downstream. I know from experience that many won’t wade into that river because of the fear of the unknown. For some that’s the right decision but for many it is something they will always regret. Kerr’s book Project Future bridges that river for aspiring entrepreneurs, empowering them to make the bold decision and take control of their own destiny.’ Rory Prendergast, author and business coach
‘I’ve always had the ambition of starting my own business at some point but never taken the leap or known exactly where to start. This book has helped clarify my thinking, providing well-defined frameworks and clear actionable exercises to make key decisions with confidence and create an executable plan for an exciting future. I would highly recommend it for anyone considering their own venture.’ Bryn Emans
‘A must-read for aspiring entrepreneurs. Rob Kerr takes the principles of strategic project management and applies them in a practical, step-by-step process to help you figure out your business sweet spot. Packed full of frameworks, techniques and mindset tools you’ll make it happen and make it better.’ Bec Evans, co-founder of Prolifiko, author of How to Have a Happy Hustle: The Complete Guide to Making Your Ideas Happen and Business Book Award winner - Startup Inspiration 2020
‘The default position of any business is death. It is a risky adventure. Yes, a cheery thought. There are so many moving parts to get right that a wrong decision or move could end in disaster. Having worked with thousands of businesses the main reason is a lack of knowledge and skills of what it takes to run a business. The FUTURE Method starts to bridge that gap by providing a framework to go through. A risk is only a risk when the odds are against you. What Rob has done is to stack the odds more in the favour of the start-up, giving it every chance to succeed.’ Martin Norbury, bestselling author
‘Project Future is a really clever mix of structured project management techniques and the skills and attributes needed by an entrepreneur to start and sustain a business. The action steps ask searching questions and if the reader works through them, it will leave them with an excellent plan for taking their business idea forward… or not, depending upon the outcome.’ Lyn Bromley, Managing Director of First Impressions Training and best-selling author of Trusted
‘An exceptional book that gives you all the frameworks to guide you along your entrepreneurial journey. Full of simple but often easily forgotten advice to ensure you ask yourself the right questions at the right time and, most importantly, take action. If everyone who has done a business goal map with me reads and follows this book, their success for sure will come faster and magnify.’ Kulwinder Dhillon – Helping people set goals and use their own powerful mind, www.kulwinderdhillon.co.uk
‘Have you ever thought about setting up on your own as a freelancer or as an independent consultant but got held back by nerves or imposter syndrome? In that case, Rob Kerr’s new book Project Future is all you need to carry out a thorough self-evaluation as to whether this move would be right for you. This practical and well-structured handbook is packed full of helpful guidance and takes you on a carefully designed journey to consider all that’s required for success, from concept to cash-flow. A hugely practical guide, well worth a read for aspiring HR Independents or in fact any other budding business owner or entrepreneur.’ Lucinda Carney, CEO of Actus Software and author of How to Be a Change Superhero
‘Rob’s book provides great insight into the challenges and hurdles of starting your own company – both from an individual and business perspective. Having worked with Rob on numerous different client engagements, we can honestly say that he practises what he preaches. This book will help all budding entrepreneurs prepare themselves mentally for the challenges ahead when thinking about starting their own businesses and entering the brave new world of the self-employed. The biggest attribute that separates success from failure when starting out on your own is self-belief and a can-do attitude – both of which Rob demonstrates every day.’ Mark Bevan & Chris Charlton, Partners at Global PMI Partners, UK
‘What a brilliant book! Easy to read and well structured, it makes you really think, and plan, and is a great guide for anyone thinking about starting their own business. I cannot recommend it highly enough.’ Su Britter, HR Executive