Entrepreneurs tell workers to stick with the rat race

Quitting the rat race to start your own business might not the best route for every professional, according to two new books on the topic. Some people could be better off making more of their day job and chasing their dreams outside office hours, it has been claimed.

Sahar Hashemi, who abandoned a career as a lawyer to start the Coffee Republic chain, and Emma Jones, founder of home business website Enterprise Nation, have both written books warning would-be entrepreneurs against leaving a salaried position to run a start-up.

At the same time, however, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development has found that its job satisfaction index has dropped to a record low.

Jones, whose book Working 5 to 9 urges the employed to remain in their jobs and build a business out of office hours, said she was not surprised by the CIPD?s findings.

?We hear every day from employees who want to earn more and be more in control of their working life,? she said, adding that keeping a paid job while starting a venture enabled people to build confidence and cash.

Hashemi?s book Switched On claims that many people need to bring entrepreneurial thinking to their existing jobs rather than striking out on their own. ?When I started [Coffee Republic], I moved back in with my mum to save money, but you can?t do that if you have a family to pay for,? she said.

?You should have the courage to say to your employer: please can you change my job so I am doing something I love more.?

Switched On proposes eight entrepreneurial habits to make jobs more enjoyable, such as getting out to meet people and committing 100 per cent to your role.

The book is endorsed by Miles Templeman, director general of the Institute of Directors. ?Not all of us can be great entrepreneurs but all of us can be innovative and enterprising in whatever role we perform,? he said.