The world of work has changed.
In the United States in 2026, the traditional career path no longer provides the security it once did. Corporate restructurings, layoffs, mergers and acquisitions, and the loss of entry-level positions to AI have become regular features of modern working life.
Against that backdrop, more Americans are considering entrepreneurship as a way to take greater control of their financial futures. They recognize that building something of their own can create long-term value, while also giving them the opportunity to pursue work they care about.
To understand what can drive someone to make that change, we spoke to entrepreneurs who have broken away from corporate life to build careers on their own terms. The two case studies featured here come from the UK, but the pressures behind their decisions – job uncertainty, limited control and an unhealthy work-life balance – will feel familiar to professionals across the United States.
“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 uses his knowledge and experience to help facilitate acquisitions across the UK. In 2004, however, he was working as a national account manager for a large plastic injection molding company.
When the business was acquired by a major competitor, Kevin began to question 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 saw how closely the opportunity matched his existing skills and experience. Franchising offered him a bridge between corporate employment and fully independent business ownership. It gave him the chance to pursue a new career while drawing on an established structure, recognized model and support network.
“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 decided to establish his own brokerage and launched City Business Brokers. The stability and guidance provided by the franchise system had given him the practical skills – and confidence – to operate independently.
Although Kevin built his business in Britain, the route he followed is just as relevant in the US. For aspiring American entrepreneurs who want greater independence without facing every challenge alone, franchising can provide a more supported first step into ownership.
Taking Back Control of Your Career
Kevin’s story began more than 20 years ago, but the desire to gain greater control over our careers has only become more widespread. For some Americans, the trigger is a layoff, an acquisition or an unexpected corporate restructuring. For others, the breaking point arrives more gradually through a long commute, limited advancement, mounting pressure or the realization that years of hard work are primarily building value for someone else.
Moving into entrepreneurship does not eliminate uncertainty, and not every industry is thriving in 2026. Business ownership can, however, give you greater influence over the direction of your career, the work you choose to pursue and the future you are trying to build.
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.”
For those considering this route, the US franchise guides on BusinessesForSale.com offer a useful starting point. They cover the stages involved in choosing a franchise, evaluating the opportunity, conducting due diligence and understanding the franchise agreement before making a commitment.
Reclaiming Your Work-Life Balance
A more recent example of a midcareer move into entrepreneurship comes from Richard Hand, who launched the UK trampoline park business Urban Jump in 2016. For Richard, it was not job insecurity that pushed him away from corporate life, but the personal cost of an 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 working two jobs. Alongside his consulting work, he raised capital, developed and refined his business plan, found suitable premises, negotiated leases, created the brand and recruited employees. It was an expensive process, and he took out business loans secured against his own assets – a decision he later described as “humongously dangerous.”
That level of risk may sound intimidating, but starting a company from scratch is not the only path into entrepreneurship. Buying an existing business can allow a new owner to bypass some of the cost, delay and uncertainty of the early startup stage. Instead, the buyer takes control of an operation that may already have customers, revenue, employees, systems and an established trading history.
The exact legal and financial process differs between the UK and the United States, so prospective American buyers should seek appropriate local advice and investigate any state-specific licensing, tax or regulatory requirements.
Richard successfully guided Urban Jump through the difficult years of the COVID-19 pandemic, when leisure and hospitality businesses were heavily affected. He later sold the company through BusinessesForSale.com, giving himself the freedom to plan his next entrepreneurial venture.
Five Lessons for Making Your Own Career Shift
Kevin and Richard followed different routes into entrepreneurship, but their experiences offer practical lessons for anyone considering a similar move – whether they are based in Birmingham, London, New York or Los Angeles.
Identify what you want to change
Are you looking for greater security, more control over your time or the chance to build an asset of your own? Business ownership will not automatically improve your life, so be clear about the problem you are trying to solve and what you want ownership to help you achieve.
Recognize your transferable skills
You may be new to ownership, but that does not mean you are starting from zero. Kevin used his background in sales, marketing and account management to become a business broker. Richard drew on more than 20 years of experience in finance and consulting.
Your knowledge of customers, operations, technology, project management or a particular industry may become one of your strongest advantages as an owner.
Choose the right route
Starting from scratch offers considerable freedom, but it also brings considerable uncertainty. Buying an existing business gives you an established operation, while franchising provides a proven model, training and ongoing support. The right route will depend on your finances, experience, goals and tolerance for risk.
In the US, prospective franchisees should also review the Franchise Disclosure Document carefully and seek qualified legal and financial advice before signing an agreement.
Prepare before you make the leap
Richard developed Urban Jump while continuing his consulting work. You may not want to run two careers at once, but you can research industries, speak with franchisees and business owners, build your savings, examine funding options and test your assumptions before leaving employment.
Preparation cannot remove every risk, but it can help you distinguish a considered career move from an impulsive escape.
Define what freedom means to you
Freedom might mean avoiding a long commute, setting your own schedule or building something you can eventually sell. New owners, however, often work longer hours and carry more responsibility, particularly during the early stages of ownership.
Choose a business whose everyday demands suit the life you actually want, rather than an idealized version of entrepreneurship.
Building a Career on Your Own Terms
Traditional employment remains the right option for millions of Americans, and business ownership should never be treated as an easy escape from a difficult job. A paycheck, however, is no longer a guarantee of long-term security. Companies are acquired, departments are reorganized and careers can be reshaped by decisions employees have little power to influence.
Kevin changed direction when he realized that keeping his job did not necessarily mean retaining control over his future. Richard left when the personal cost of corporate success became too high. Both used the knowledge and skills they had developed as employees to create something of their own.
Their businesses were built in the UK, but the choices at the heart of their stories are highly relevant to an American audience. Professionals on both sides of the Atlantic are asking similar questions about security, autonomy, purpose and the role work should play in their lives.
The great career shift unfolding in 2026 is about more Americans recognizing that traditional employment is not their only option – and deciding to build the next stage of their careers on their own terms.