High stakes, constant uncertainty, conflict from all directions, near disaster, transformation, glory. Lassie really was one hell of a movie.

The above ingredients sound like the perfect Hollywood script. But actually they’re more suited to a more familiar story – the typical business journey. Dramas taking place day-in day-out. Forever unpredictable. Forever changing.

Think about the constant flashpoints – the cliffhanger moments. Savings, careers, reputations, relationships risked in the pursuit of a dream. If business was a soap opera, there’d be so many EastEnders-esque ‘doof-doofs’ you’d barely be able to hear the dialogue. Payroll panic, co-founder disputes, difficult employees, hard-nosed competitors, hovering investors, zealous regulators, tricky customers, sudden market shifts.

The phrase ‘you couldn’t make it up’ surely exists for the average business journey, where cash-flow crises and contract disputes pop-up more regularly than Adam Sandler in a low-end comedy.

Businesspeople are forced to adapt to changing circumstances in a way that only the greatest of actors could ever manage. Identity, habits, leadership style, beliefs – all may be upended at any moment. The Oscars really should introduce a new category.

As for unpredictability, an ordinary business story keeps all concerned on their toes until the very end. Nip to the toilet at the cinema and, unless the alien invasion happens at that exact moment, chances are you’ll pick the story back up quite quickly. Close your eyes for a second in business and the world’s turned upside down.

As a ghostwriter, this is precisely why writing a business memoir founder’s story holds so much fascination, especially compared to a famous celebrity or sportsperson where the reader may already have a fairly good idea of the outcome – they made it and got a big swimming pool.

Similarly, while public figures may avoid discussing their most sensitive conflicts, business stories tend, by their very nature, to be open and honest about the trickiest moments. Also, let’s face it, fame itself can be a shield against the smaller day-to-day struggles that are much more recognisable to the rest of us. A small business owner deciding whether to remortgage their house to pay their staff holds slightly more tension than a celebrity describing a glamorous restaurant or movie set.

That’s why books like Shoe Dog, by Nike co-founder Phil Knight, often read like thrillers – the central character doesn’t know whether they’re heading for dreamland or a cliff-face.

As a leading ghostwriter, I love writing a business memoir founder’s story. All humanity is there. And, thankfully, despite all the turmoil, there is generally a happy ending.

Or is it just the beginning of an even bigger venture? The bigger, better, brasher sequel. My Business Story 2. I think I’m getting a bit Hollywood. Best end this blog here!