The purpose of this book is to help people understand the transition from working for a big institution to working for themselves. David Mellor has made this journey and shows others how to do the same. He shows readers how to prosper rather than to merely survive and how their business venture will bring everything they wish for. The journey will take you through three very important phases: Reflecting - what does it take to make this transition - and is it for you?; Planning - how do you go about preparing to launch your business?; and, Doing - what attributes are going to be really important in the early days post-launch? You will be given practical tips and hints, all garnered from the 'University of Life'.Prior to establishing his own consultancy practice in 2001, David Mellor had a 25-year career in banking, which also gave him exposure to the small business market. Since 2001, he has capitalised on this and specialised in mentoring aspiring business owners, launching hundreds of people on this path, and on occasions persuading people not to do it! He uses practical tips and hints to help them launch with confidence and achieve success rather than just becoming another casualty.