Self-employed Brits are the happiest workers in the country, a report revealed yesterday.
Being your own boss, the flexibility and having more control over working hours saw more than six out of 10 entrepreneurial Brits say they are ‘happy’ or ‘very happy’ with their work life.
But in comparison, just over half of those employed by someone else said the same, according to a study by DYMO.
Almost a quarter even said they are ‘unhappy’ with their current career – almost double the 13% of self-employed Brits who said the same.
‘The Future of Entrepreneurship’ trends report, which outlines how working life will change over the next decade, has also uncovered that despite the impending gloom of a double dip recession, entrepreneurship and the number of people setting up their own businesses has been boosted.
Trends expert and DYMO spokesman Barry Clark: "The Future of Entrepreneurship report has shown that over the next five to 10 years the number of entrepreneurs in the UK will increase.
Liberating
Working for yourself seems to be the ultimate dream, with many believing this is the way to being truly happy in your career.
Entrepreneurship has become a more socially accepted career choice, successful entrepreneurs are admired and failure is less of a stigma than it used to be
Barry Clark, DYMO spokesman
And it’s easy to understand why, being your own boss seems to be the most popular part of having your own business, which is no surprise after spending years taking orders from someone else.
It can be extremely liberating to get out there with your own ideas, without having to answer to somebody else.
And while there’s no denying it’s hard work to set up your own company, it seems the satisfaction you get from being in charge of it yourself makes it all worthwhile.’’
A study of 2,000 employed and self-employed Brits revealed that almost three quarters of those who run their own business are happy with the working hours - but just two thirds of employed workers said the same.
And while opinions about salaries and the people you meet through the job were similar, 81 per cent of self-employed people said they loved the flexibility their job bought, compared to just 59 per cent of those who work for someone else.
The workload, location, the job itself and even the pressure involved with their trade also leave self-employed Brits feeling more content than their employed counterparts.
More than eight out of ten entrepreneurs also said they loved being their own boss, with a staggering 88 per cent saying starting their own business was one of the best decisions they have ever made.
But almost a quarter of those who work for someone admitted they can’t stand their boss, while another 15 per cent don’t get along with their colleagues.
And because of this, almost two thirds said they dream of getting to the stage in their career where they work for themselves or start up their own company.
Researchers also revealed that more than two thirds of all the Brits polled believe those with their own business are more likely to be happy with their work life than anyone else.
And another 79% even think self-employed folk will work harder than others.
Eight in 10 also believe that people working for themselves have a greater job satisfaction.
And the popularity of programmes such as Dragon’s Den and the Apprentice could see a wave of new entrepreneurs with almost half admitting they have been inspired to set up on their own while watching a show.
Barry Clark added: ““Entrepreneurship has become a more socially accepted career choice, successful entrepreneurs are admired and failure is less of a stigma than it used to be.
There are many areas of entrepreneurship and numerous opportunities in the UK. There will be various types that will change consumers’ lives over the next ten years,”
‘The Future of Entrepeneurship’ report by DYMO has also revealed some fascinating insights about which industries the ‘Futurepreneurs’ of the next decade will emerge from and how working life will change between now and 2020. For further information on DYMO visit www.dymo.com.
