Starting a business can be exciting, liberating and deeply rewarding but it can also be financially demanding, emotionally exhausting and far more complicated than many first-time entrepreneurs expect. In his forthcoming book, Be Your Own Boss, experienced entrepreneur Bill McGowan draws on decades of practical business knowledge to help readers understand what it truly takes to succeed on their own.
McGowan’s advice is grounded in experience rather than theory. He has been self-employed in various businesses since the 1970s and is best known as the founder and former chairman of Fastway Couriers. Established in 1983, Fastway grew from a New Zealand courier operation into an international franchise network with more than 2,000 franchisees and thousands of people earning a living through the business.
His entrepreneurial instincts appeared early. At the age of 13, McGowan started a lawn-mowing business, repaired discarded lawn mowers and built a customer base of around 100 clients. That early venture also introduced him to the discipline of written goal setting, an approach that would remain central throughout his career.
In Be Your Own Boss, McGowan combines the story of his business journey with practical guidance for aspiring entrepreneurs, franchise candidates and small-business owners. The book does not romanticise entrepreneurship. Instead, it presents business ownership as a serious commitment requiring research, planning, resilience and personal accountability.
McGowan explains that becoming your own boss is not simply a matter of having a good idea. Prospective business owners must examine whether they have the right skills, temperament, financial resources, family support and willingness to work long and sometimes unsociable hours. The book includes questions and exercises designed to help readers assess their readiness before placing their savings, assets and future income at risk.
Research is another major theme. Before launching Fastway, McGowan conducted an extensive study of the courier market, using approximately 30,000 questionnaires to investigate pricing, customer complaints, delivery times and unmet needs. That research helped him identify opportunities for a simpler, lower-cost courier model.
The book encourages readers to apply the same disciplined approach by researching competitors, customers, costs, regulations and market conditions. McGowan argues that a business plan should be a working document that guides decisions, not an elaborate report created only to impress a bank. Readers are shown how to develop a vision, mission, goals, SWOT analysis, strategies, financial projections and a clear implementation plan.
Other chapters explore goal setting, cash flow, finance, marketing, franchising and business structures. McGowan explains what lenders may want to see, why customer benefits matter more than product descriptions and how franchising can provide support without removing the owner’s responsibility for results.
Illustrated by Australian cartoonist Steve Panozzo, Be Your Own Boss presents serious business lessons in an accessible and direct style. It is designed to help readers replace vague ambition with informed decision-making and practical action.
Currently in the publishing phase, Be Your Own Boss will be available soon. For anyone considering entrepreneurship, Bill McGowan’s new guide offers something increasingly valuable: honest advice from someone who has built, expanded and successfully navigated the realities of business ownership.
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