How many of the following are true of you right now?

You want more money

You're used to being paid a decent salary but it never seems to be enough to let you do all the things you want to. You'd love to earn 2 or 3 times more but you haven't seen a way.

You want to be fairly rewarded for your work

Your income isn't a fair reflection of your ability or contribution. You are frustrated that rewards are determined more by your relationship with the boss than the quality of your work.

You want a more balanced lifestyle

You are successful in your career but feel unfulfilled. Endless meetings, politics and commuting wear you down. You feel guilty spending so much time away from your partner or your family. Life is flying by: where does time go?

You would prefer to be independent

You are fed up with other people having an influence over you and your work. You want to be independent and take control of your life.

Your dilemma

You have thought about self-employment but haven't yet had the 'big idea'.

Perhaps you have a young family, limited financial means or you've been made redundant, so you are wary of the dangers of going it alone. If only you could start your own business without taking substantial risks.

You might have considered taking out a franchise which will give you a proven business format to work to. According to the British Franchise Association, 92% of franchised businesses succeed. But the trouble is they demand a sizeable upfront franchise fee and 15% of your turnover forever.

Think how much you will end up paying them over 5, 10 or 20 years.

On top of this, you'll have to work by their franchise rules for as long as you're in business. They'll tell you what to do: from where to site your office, down to the colour of the carpets and they are only interested in making your business as big as possible to maximise their slice of your income.

This may be great for the most ambitious but most owners want to grow their companies to the ideal size for them, not someone else.

A better option

If you have strong interpersonal skills, self-discipline and knowledge of an industry sector, then my proposition may be for you.

Between 1998 and 2004, with input from 2 of the top head-hunters in the world, I perfected a head-hunting format aimed at filling positions paying salaries of more than £40,000.

Not only was my service faster, but it resulted in a higher standard of candidate and exceptional completion rates. In a very short time I became a market leader and made a first year profit of £185,000 (about £244,000 in today's money). How many start-up businesses do you know that make a profit in their first year, let alone one this size?

More or less all I needed to get started was 2 telephones, a PC, a filing cabinet and a spare bedroom in my house. My administrative burden was minimal, leaving me free to grow my business and make more money. By mid-2004 I had made enough to retire.

Now I coach a very limited number of carefully selected people to my proven format, mainly for the pleasure of seeing them succeed and build the lives they have always dreamed of. To each of these close relationships I bring 9 years of pre-eminent executive search and coaching expertise, backed up by more than 12 years of high-level blue-chip sales and marketing.

I charge a single up-front investment fee in return for intensively training you on my format over 2 months. Thereafter, there is an ongoing monthly retainer for as long as you need my input and support. That means no binding long-term commitments on you, nor any franchise tie-ins. As soon as you feel confident, you can dispense with my services and keep 100% of your future profits.

Although not always the case, in most circumstances, the fee from your first placement should be enough to clear my charges and all your business set up costs.

With a business proposition as strong as this, why stay stuck in a dead-end job? Why take unnecessary risks going it alone with the 'big idea'? And why waste your money on a restrictive franchise?

"Paul's approach consistently delivers great results...his placements are of a very high quality and do so well here". Pauline Wiseman, Head of Human Resources, Honda UK.

How I made my first £million

Paul Eyton-Jones, MD, Beechbrook Consulting

Click here to read my case study

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