Rob Kerr - Project Future: 6 Steps to Success as Your Own Boss

Everything you need to know to prepare you for setting up a business is in this book. Until now, running a business was for those crazy enough to have an idea and take a leap of faith. In this book, Rob Kerr uses project management tools and techniques to plan and execute setting up a business. Devour every word if you want to fast-track success and prevent a lot of mistakes. A practical handbook that will guarantee success.

Jude Jennison, Leaders by Nature Ltd, executive and team coach,
author and speaker

The journey from employee to business owner is much more than a leap of faith. Its a complete mindset shift. Its like standing on the bank of a fast-flowing river with a desire to reach the other side alongside a fear of being swept downstream.

I know from experience that many wont wade into that river because of the fear of the unknown. For some thats the right decision but for many it is something they will always regret.

Kerrs book Project Future bridges that river for aspiring entrepreneurs, empowering them to make the bold decision and take control of their own destiny.

Rory Prendergast, author and business coach

Ive always had the ambition of starting my own business at some point but never taken the leap or known exactly where to start. This book has helped clarify my thinking, providing well-defined frameworks and clear actionable exercises to make key decisions with confidence and create an executable plan for an exciting future. I would highly recommend it for anyone considering their own venture.

Bryn Emans

A must-read for aspiring entrepreneurs. Rob Kerr takes the principles of strategic project management and applies them in a practical, step-by-step process to help you figure out your business sweet spot. Packed full of frameworks, techniques and mindset tools youll make it happen and make it better.

Bec Evans, co-founder of Prolifiko, author of How to Have a
Happy Hustle: The Complete Guide to Making Your Ideas Happen
and Business Book Award winner - Startup Inspiration 2020

The default position of any business is death. It is a risky adventure. Yes, a cheery thought. There are so many moving parts to get right that a wrong decision or move could end in disaster. Having worked with thousands of businesses the main reason is a lack of knowledge and skills of what it takes to run a business.

The FUTURE Method starts to bridge that gap by providing a framework to go through. A risk is only a risk when the odds are against you. What Rob has done is to stack the odds more in the favour of the start-up, giving it every chance to succeed.

Martin Norbury, bestselling author

Project Future is a really clever mix of structured project management techniques and the skills and attributes needed by an entrepreneur to start and sustain a business. The action steps ask searching questions and if the reader works through them, it will leave them with an excellent plan for taking their business idea forward or not, depending upon the outcome.

Lyn Bromley, Managing Director of First Impressions Training
and best-selling author of Trusted

An exceptional book that gives you all the frameworks to guide you along your entrepreneurial journey. Full of simple but often easily forgotten advice to ensure you ask yourself the right questions at the right time and, most importantly, take action. If everyone who has done a business goal map with me reads and follows this book, their success for sure will come faster and magnify.

Kulwinder Dhillon Helping people set goals and use their own
powerful mind, www.kulwinderdhillon.co.uk

Have you ever thought about setting up on your own as a freelancer or as an independent consultant but got held back by nerves or imposter syndrome? In that case, Rob Kerrs new book Project Future is all you need to carry out a thorough self-evaluation as to whether this move would be right for you. This practical and well-structured handbook is packed full of helpful guidance and takes you on a carefully designed journey to consider all thats required for success, from concept to cash-flow. A hugely practical guide, well worth a read for aspiring HR Independents or in fact any other budding business owner or entrepreneur.

Lucinda Carney, CEO of Actus Software and author of
How to Be a Change Superhero

Robs book provides great insight into the challenges and hurdles of starting your own company both from an individual and business perspective. Having worked with Rob on numerous different client engagements, we can honestly say that he practises what he preaches. This book will help all budding entrepreneurs prepare themselves mentally for the challenges ahead when thinking about starting their own businesses and entering the brave new world of the self-employed. The biggest attribute that separates success from failure when starting out on your own is self-belief and a can-do attitude both of which Rob demonstrates every day.

Mark Bevan & Chris Charlton, Partners at Global PMI
Partners, UK

What a brilliant book! Easy to read and well structured, it makes you really think, and plan, and is a great guide for anyone thinking about starting their own business. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Su Britter, HR Executive

First published in Great Britain by Practical Inspiration Publishing, 2021

Rob Kerr, 2021

The moral rights of the author have been asserted

ISBN 978-1-78860-176-4 (print)

978-1-78860-175-7 (epub)

978-1-78860-174-0 (mobi)

All rights reserved. This book, or any portion thereof, may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the author.

Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders and to obtain their permission for the use of copyright material. The publisher apologizes for any errors or omissions and would be grateful if notified of any corrections that should be incorporated in future reprints or editions of this book.

For Lin and Wilson.

When the time comes, may your projects be fun, and fulfilling.

Contents

Foreword

If ever a books time has come, it must be this one. In these post-COVID-19 times, we are anticipating an almighty recession, so traditional businesses are beginning to batten down the hatches. Given how many successful businesses were born out of previous recessions, and that youre now reading this Foreword, I imagine youre exploring starting your own business.

I first met Rob when we were both part of a programme on how to write a book of our own. Having set up my own business in 1994 with nothing but hope, passion and a big dose of courage, I wish I had had the benefit of the wisdom in this book back then.

Rob draws on his personal experience of managing complex integration projects, especially when considering planning and risk factors often overlooked in the excitement of pursuing a dream.