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"British Dreams and Wishes: A Business Survey": Download here for free!

British Dreams and Wishes: A Business Survey

How satisfied are British people with their jobs?

Hopes and fears of starting a business in the UK

Which people have a par­tic­u­larly hard time founding a company?

Di­git­al­isa­tion hype: To what extent does in­creas­ing di­git­al­isa­tion influence potential start-ups?

The influence of the Corona crisis on the desire for self-em­ploy­ment



Key facts

  • Brits would rather start busi­nesses alone than with friends or family
  • Mothers have the hardest time in the startup scene
  • Fear of a financial crash: lack of money keeps many Brits from starting up
  • Di­git­isa­tion continues to gain traction, es­pe­cially during the pandemic

What does a dream job look like in 2021?

The last two years have been tough for employees: Many people in the UK have lost their jobs or had to go on furlough.  The Corona crisis has led to job in­sec­ur­it­ies and has had a sig­ni­fic­ant impact on the working lives of British citizens. So it was time to take stock: What does a dream job in 2021 look like for Britons, and to what extent has the pandemic changed their attitudes to work?

We wanted to explore these questions in our Business Survey “British Dreams and Wishes” and to examine current attitudes of Britons towards the world of work.

Insights to the fears and dreams in business

We in­ter­viewed 500 British people. The par­ti­cipants were made up of equal parts male and female. We carried out a quant­it­at­ive survey in which par­ti­cipants were asked about their current careers and how this related to their job sat­is­fac­tion. The study also focused on the desires to start a business, and the fears as­so­ci­ated with doing so. All par­ti­cipants were of working age, between 20 to 50 years old.

Dis­com­fort at work: What are the reasons?

The Corona crisis has changed many people's attitudes toward jobs and self-em­ploy­ment. But to what extent? We asked our British par­ti­cipants about their attitude towards their work. In our e-book, you'll find out how satisfied British citizens are with their current jobs and what they think about self-em­ploy­ment.

The results of the survey on job sat­is­fac­tion are sur­pris­ing: more than a quarter of the par­ti­cipants are dis­sat­is­fied with their current job situation. Women seem to be par­tic­u­larly unhappy at work. If you are in­ter­ested in why the British are so dis­ap­poin­ted in their jobs and why women still - in this day and age - suffer from unequal treatment in the workplace, then download the IONOS SE e-book here for free.

Self-Em­ploy­ment as the key to ful­fill­ment

The British believe that self-em­ploy­ment makes you happier. Reasons as to why include flexible workings and better earning op­por­tun­it­ies. Yet, only a few embark on starting their own business. So what scares them from doing so? What support would they require to make the jump into self-em­ploy­ment, es­pe­cially during a pandemic?

Dream vs. reality: What keeps Brits from starting a business?

Quote: “It is the lack of financial resources that most often prevents potential founders from im­ple­ment­ing their business ideas. Better financial support would encourage more Brits to start their own busi­nesses.”

Like a phoenix rising from the ashes: Increased desire for start-ups since COVID-19

Many British people see the crisis as an op­por­tun­ity: the pandemic has increased the desire to start a business in the UK - even though one might think that the crisis has increased the desire for security. The opposite seems to be the case: It seems that many no longer rely on their employer and see the need to take action them­selves. Women es­pe­cially so, they are on the rise and see a start-ups as an op­por­tun­ity to achieve a better work-life balance.

The future is female

Women feel dis­ad­vant­aged: 40% of women long for ac­know­ledg­ment and re­cog­ni­tion at work. Maybe this dis­sat­is­fac­tion is why so many women want to get started with their own business? 60.72% of the female par­ti­cipants consider self-em­ploy­ment. Yet men still dominate the start-up world. Just before the pandemic, however, the per­cent­age of female founders increased!

Let business dreams no longer be dreams

Taking matters into your own hands: We show you why so many Brits would like to quit their jobs due to dis­sat­is­fac­tion at work and why having your own start-up can offer a way out of this dis­sat­is­fac­tion. In our e-book, you'll also find out why Brits often don't take the final step toward their own start-up – and why women continue to have a hard time in the start-up scene. In addition, we have explored the impacts of the Corona crisis and explain why the pandemic has increased the at­trac­tion for self-em­ploy­ment and the important role di­git­al­isa­tion plays in such situ­ations.

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