The world of work has changed.
In Australia in 2026, the traditional career path no longer offers the certainty it once did. Corporate restructures, redundancies, mergers and acquisitions, and the growing impact of AI on entry-level roles have become increasingly common across many industries.
Against that backdrop, more Australians are exploring entrepreneurship as a way to take greater control of their financial future. For many, building a business represents an opportunity to create long-term value while pursuing work they’re genuinely passionate about.
To understand what motivates people to make that leap, we spoke to entrepreneurs who left corporate careers behind to build businesses on their own terms. The two case studies featured here come from the UK, but the challenges that shaped their decisions – job insecurity, limited control and poor work-life balance – are just as relevant to professionals across Australia.
“I needed to be the master of my own destiny.”
Kevin Stokes is managing director of City Business Brokers, a business brokerage based in Birmingham, England. Today, Kevin helps facilitate business acquisitions across the UK. Back in 2004, however, he was working as a national account manager for a large plastic injection moulding company.
When the business was acquired by a major competitor, Kevin began questioning how much control he really had over his career. “Although my job was safe, everything changed, and the top-tier management left. I realised then I needed to be the master of my own destiny,” he says.
Kevin spotted an advertisement for a business brokerage franchise in the back of a magazine and immediately recognised how closely the opportunity matched his skills and experience. Franchising offered him a practical stepping stone between corporate employment and independent business ownership, allowing him to build something of his own while benefiting from an established business model and ongoing support.
“It was a chance for me to have my own business, but with the support of a large franchisor. If I hadn’t joined as a franchisee, I would not be doing what I’m doing now. It was a safer way for me to start working for myself,” says Kevin.
After several years as a franchisee, Kevin launched City Business Brokers as an independent brokerage. The experience, confidence and support he gained through franchising gave him the platform to establish a successful business of his own.
Although Kevin’s journey took place in Britain, the pathway is one many Australians continue to follow. Franchising remains an attractive option for people looking to move into business ownership with the backing of an established brand and proven operating model.
Taking Back Control of Your Career
Kevin’s story began more than two decades ago, but the desire to take greater control of our working lives has only grown stronger. For some Australians, the catalyst is a redundancy, company restructure or acquisition. For others, it’s a slower realisation brought on by lengthy commutes, limited career progression, increasing workplace pressure or the feeling that years of hard work are creating value for someone else’s business.
Entrepreneurship doesn’t remove uncertainty, and not every industry is booming in 2026. What it can offer is greater influence over the direction of your career, the work you choose to do and the future you’re building for yourself.
Gary Salters, managing director of coaching franchise GoSucceed, believes this desire for greater control is encouraging more people to consider franchising. “We’re in a very different world at the minute, where lots of people are looking for other ways to earn a living,” he says. “The great thing about franchising is that it gives you the freedom to go and do that.
“If you do something you love, you’ll find the freedom to take control of your working life. Becoming a franchisee takes away some of the risk because other people have already started down that path for you.”
If you’re considering this route, the Australian franchise guides on BusinessesForSale.com provide a useful introduction to the process. They explain how to evaluate opportunities, carry out due diligence, understand franchise agreements and choose a business that suits your financial goals and lifestyle.
Reclaiming Your Work-Life Balance
A more recent example of a mid-career move into entrepreneurship comes from Richard Hand, who launched UK trampoline park business Urban Jump in 2016. For Richard, it wasn’t concerns about job security that prompted a career change, but the personal cost of an increasingly unsustainable work-life balance.
“I used to be an investment banking consultant for all the Big Four consultancy firms,” he says. “I’m a chartered accountant by profession and I’d spent 20-plus years up in the City. My work-life balance just went to pot. I was travelling all around the world, all around Europe, and I never saw my kids grow up. I was also coming up from Eastbourne to London probably four days a week, and I just couldn’t do it anymore.”
Richard spent much of 2016 effectively juggling two careers. Alongside his consulting work, he raised capital, refined his business plan, secured premises, negotiated leases, developed the brand and recruited staff. It was a significant financial commitment, and he took out business loans secured against his own assets – a decision he later described as “humongously dangerous.”
For many aspiring business owners, however, building a company from the ground up isn’t the only option. Buying an existing business allows new owners to bypass much of the uncertainty associated with a start-up by acquiring an operation with customers, employees, established systems and a proven trading history.
Business purchases in Australia come with their own legal, financial and regulatory considerations, so buyers should seek professional advice and understand any licensing, taxation and industry-specific obligations before completing a transaction.
Richard successfully guided Urban Jump through the difficult years of the COVID-19 pandemic, when hospitality and leisure businesses were hit particularly hard. He later sold the company through BusinessesForSale.com, giving himself the freedom to begin planning his next entrepreneurial venture.
Five Lessons for Making Your Own Career Shift
Kevin and Richard followed different paths into entrepreneurship, but their experiences offer valuable lessons for anyone considering a similar move – whether they’re based in Birmingham, London, Sydney or Melbourne.
Identify what you want to change
Are you looking for greater security, more flexibility or the opportunity to build an asset of your own? Business ownership won’t automatically solve every career frustration, so it’s important to understand what you’re hoping to achieve before making the leap. A clear objective also makes it easier to choose between starting a business, buying an existing one or investing in a franchise.
Recognise your transferable skills
You may never have owned a business before, but that doesn’t mean you’re starting from scratch. Kevin built on his experience in sales, marketing and account management, while Richard relied on more than two decades in finance and consulting. Many of the skills developed in employment – leadership, customer service, operations, negotiation and financial management – transfer directly into business ownership.
Choose the right route
Starting a business from scratch offers maximum freedom, but it also brings greater uncertainty. Buying an existing business provides an established customer base and operating history, while franchising combines independence with proven systems and ongoing support. The right option depends on your finances, experience, objectives and appetite for risk.
Prepare before you make the leap
Richard built Urban Jump while continuing to work as a consultant. You may not choose the same approach, but researching industries, speaking with business owners, building savings and testing your assumptions before leaving employment can significantly reduce unnecessary risk. Good preparation won’t eliminate uncertainty, but it will leave you in a much stronger position when opportunities arise.
Define what freedom means to you
Freedom could mean avoiding the daily commute, creating a more flexible schedule or building an asset you can eventually sell. At the same time, new business owners often work longer hours and carry greater responsibility than they did as employees.
Choose a business whose day-to-day demands genuinely match the lifestyle you’re hoping to create.
Building a Career on Your Own Terms
Traditional employment remains the right choice for millions of Australians, and business ownership should never be seen as an easy escape from a difficult job. A regular salary, however, no longer guarantees long-term security. Businesses are acquired, departments are restructured and careers can change because of decisions employees have little control over.
Kevin changed direction when he realised that keeping his job wasn’t the same as controlling his future. Richard stepped away when the personal cost of corporate success became too great. Both used the skills they’d built during their careers to create businesses of their own.
Their businesses were built in the UK, but the decisions at the heart of their stories are just as relevant in Australia. Increasingly, Australians are asking what they want from work, how much control they really have over their careers and whether business ownership offers a better long-term future.
The great career shift unfolding in 2026 is about more Australians recognising they have options beyond traditional employment – and deciding to build the next stage of their careers on their own terms.
